The effect of visual narrative language of color codes in Youssef Chahine’s cinema

This study explore the ways in which Egyptian director Youssef Chahine employed colors within the narrative of his films, influenced by historical, religious, and cultural factors. The main purpose of the study is to shed light on the significance of colors and their symbolism in any cinematic work, due to its impact on the viewer’s emotions and perception of a film, as well as its ability to enhance the aesthetics of the cinematic imagery. In this context, two different films of Chahine, Al Nasser Salah Al-din (Saladin the Victorious, 1963) and Al-Massir (Destiny, 1997), which were shot in different periods, were selected. In study uses Roland Barthes’ semiological approach as a to analyze the denotational and connotational meanings of color in selected films. This analysis reveals the significance of color in Chahine’s films and how color symbolism is employed to convey the director’s ideas and depict their distinctive visual style.