The Wizard of Oz
Victor Fleming • 1939
A landmark use of Technicolor: the shift from monochrome Kansas to the saturated fantasy of Oz, with emblematic emeralds, rubies and golds.
Color Palette
vibrant#0FA04B
muted#D9B04C
accent#C1272D
light#F4EAD5
dark#0E2B2B
The Wizard of Oz remains the archetype of Technicolor spectacle. The transition from sepia to full color is not merely technical—it is thematic: black-and-white reality versus saturated fantasy. The film uses emerald green for Oz's authority and mystery, ruby red for emotional peaks, and warm golds to suggest wonder and nostalgia.
The design choices here redefined how filmmakers thought about color as narrative device: color can signal a world-change, a psychological threshold, a dream made visible.