In the recent Marvel movie Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the titular character Venom refers to something as being a “red one” at a pivotal moment. This has led fans to speculate about the meaning behind this cryptic phrase. In this in-depth article, we will explore the context around Venom’s statement and analyze what he likely meant when he called something a “red one.”
The Lead-up to Venom’s “Red One” Line
First, let’s provide some background. In the film, Venom has bonded with investigative journalist Eddie Brock to form a symbiotic relationship. Venom relies on Eddie to live, while Eddie benefits from Venom’s powers. Throughout the movie, Eddie and Venom bicker back and forth as Eddie tries to restrain Venom’s violent tendencies.
Late in the film, Eddie and Venom travel to a remote island where they believe notorious serial killer Cletus Kasady is hiding out. Kasady has bonded with another symbiote named Carnage, becoming even more dangerous and unstable. Eddie and Venom infiltrate the island, hoping to stop Carnage’s murderous rampage.
After confronting Kasady, Eddie and Venom give chase through the island’s forest. During this chase scene, Eddie and Venom swing through the trees using Venom’s symbiote strands. At one point, Venom calls out the key line:
“Red one, Eddie! Swing from the red one!”
With this context in mind, let’s examine a few theories about why Venom referred to one of the symbiote strands as a “red one.”
Theory 1: Venom Saw a Red Tree
The simplest explanation is that Venom spotted a tree with red leaves, bark, or other red features among the green forest trees. As an alien symbiote, Venom does not fully understand earthly colors and terms. He referred to the tree as a “red one” to differentiate it for Eddie.
This theory suggests Venom was just using primitive descriptive language to call Eddie’s attention to a particular tree. Calling it a “red one” was simply meant to distinguish it among the green foliage, not as any deeper metaphor or hidden meaning.
Analysis of Theory 1
This explanation does make sense at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, there are a few holes in this theory:
- There were no actual red trees shown on screen during this chase scene. The forest was predominantly lush and green.
- It seems unlikely Venom would refer to a whole tree as a “red one” when he could just say “red tree” or “swing from the red branch.”
- If Venom only meant to distinguish an ordinary red tree, his phrasing comes across as unnatural for both an alien and Eddie as a human host.
For these reasons, we can likely rule out this straightforward theory. Venom must have meant something more significant with his “red one” remark.
Theory 2: Carnage’s Symbiote Appeared Red
A more metaphorical take is that Venom was referring to the red color of Carnage’s symbiote form. When Carnage is fully engulfed by his symbiote, it takes on a reddish hue, in contrast to Venom’s black symbiote.
In this interpretation, Venom called on Eddie to swing from symbiote strands that manifested as red in color, matching Carnage’s symbiote. Basically, he wanted Eddie to envision Carnage while swinging to motivate him to catch the killer.
Analysis of Theory 2
This makes a bit more sense as a psychological tactic by Venom. Connecting Eddie visually to their enemy could spur him to swing faster and tap into more adrenaline. However, there are also some potential flaws here:
- Venom and Eddie were working together, so it’s unclear why Venom would keep Eddie in the dark. Directly referring to Carnage’s red symbiote seems more straightforward.
- The red strands Venom manifested remained black on screen. There is no visual evidence he actually turned them red.
- Telling Eddie to envision Carnage mid-chase feels unnecessarily distracting when they were already fixated on catching him.
While possible, this theory also has some logical gaps when closely analyzed. Let’s keep looking for a stronger explanation behind Venom’s peculiar word choice.
Theory 3: Venom Sensed Danger Ahead
Perhaps the most convincing theory is that Venom used “red one” to imply looming danger requiring Eddie’s immediate attention. Throughout history, red has often symbolized warning, power, violence, or fear in color psychology.
As a symbiote, Venom can sense threats that Eddie cannot. If Venom foresaw imminent danger ahead, referring to a strand as a “red one” may have been shorthand to make Eddie swing to safety before a disaster struck.
Analysis of Theory 3
There are several reasons why this interpretation holds up well under scrutiny:
- Venom has abilities beyond Eddie’s normal human senses, so he could have detected something Eddie could not.
- Referring to a seemingly black strand as a “red one” makes little literal sense. But as code for urgent danger, the odd phrasing is logical.
- Venom showed reflexive concern for Eddie’s wellbeing earlier in the movie, supporting protective instincts.
- A symbiote warning its host of unseen trouble explains why the foreboding red strand was never actually shown on screen.
Overall, the danger theory seems most in character for Venom based on his protective bond with Eddie. The “red one” line served as succinct code to get Eddie to safety in the heat of the moment.
Conclusion
To summarize, Venom telling Eddie to swing from the “red one” was likely a warning of imminent danger sensed through the symbiote’s extrasensory perception. By using “red” as shorthand for peril, Venom got the urgent message across without distracting Eddie mid-chase.
This interpretation best fits Venom’s characterization in the film as Eddie’s antihero protector. While other theories about descriptive language or visualizing Carnage have merit, they lack the deeper context to explain Venom’s specific wording. Labeling the strand a “red one” was a quick coded way to convey danger and keep Eddie safe from harm.
In the end, Venom’s statement created an intriguing, unresolved mystery for fans to ponder. But the most compelling evidence points to “red one” being Venom’s unique way of alerting Eddie to hazard, tapping into long-standing color symbolism. It underscored the symbiotic duo’s growing bond while keeping suspense high in the climactic chase scene.
Unanswered Questions
While the “danger warning” theory seems most plausible, Venom’s “red one” line still leaves some unresolved questions:
- What specific danger was Venom sensing that Eddie could not see?
- If the danger never manifested, did Venom’s warning prevent it somehow?
- Could the foreshadowing hint at a future threat in an upcoming sequel movie?
- Is there more meaning to be uncovered behind Venom’s red color symbolism?
Unless clarified in a sequel, fans can only speculate about these lingering mysteries. But the cryptic “red one” quote provides a compelling launching point for further Venom franchise theories and discussion.
A Closer Look at Color Symbolism
To provide wider context on the color red’s cultural and psychological symbolism, here is an overview of common associations:
Red’s Symbolism and Meaning
- Danger, warnings, caution
- Fire, violence, blood, aggression
- Power, strength, dominance, assertiveness
- Energy, excitement, intensity, speed
- Passion, desire, sexuality, lust
- Love, romance, the heart
- Heat, temperature extremes
- Action, urgency, importance
Here are some examples of how color psychologists break down red’s varying symbolism:
Positive Meanings
- Excitement: Red catches people’s attention and sparks feelings of eagerness and stimulation.
- Love: Vibrant reds represent romance, passion, and the energetic feeling of attraction.
- Power: Red’s heightened emotions and associations with violence/danger give it an authoritative, commanding weight.
Negative Meanings
- Danger: Red often indicates hazards, warnings, or emergencies across cultures through signs, alerts, etc.
- Aggression: Due to links with blood, fire, and war, red can symbolize anger, aggression, or violence.
- Stress: Too much red overstimulates people and elicits stress responses like raised heart rates.
These contrasts highlight red’s diverse shades of meaning. When Venom said “red one,” he could have been tapping into any mix of these symbolic associations from Eddie’s human psyche.
Using Color Symbolism in Writing
Color’s ability to convey emotion, meaning, and symbolism can powerfully enhance writing. Here are tips for thoughtfully incorporating color symbolism using red as an example:
- Think about cultural and contextual associations readers will have with the color.
- Be strategic rather than heavy-handed. A little well-placed color goes a long way.
- Use colors consistently for motifs and repetitions once established.
- Consider psychological effects like excitement, stress, or calmness each color evokes.
- Use contrasts between different colors to heighten symbolic differences.
- Describe how characters react emotionally or physically to different colors.
Whenever using symbolic colors, ensure context supports the desired interpretation. Relying only on broad generalizations can create confusion. But done well, colorful language paints a vivid symbolic picture readers easily absorb.
The Importance of Contrast in Symbiotes
Beyond the “red one” line, color contrast symbolism features prominently with Venom and Carnage’s symbiote designs in the film:
Venom’s Black Symbiote
- Represents darkness, shadows, stealth
- Suggests Venom’s moral ambiguity in Eddie’s mind
- Offsets Eddie’s human skin and clothing
Carnage’s Red Symbiote
- Matches blood, violence, chaos of Carnage’s psyche
- Highlights Carnage’s extreme danger compared to Venom
- Distinguishes Carnage as a separate threat entity
Venom and Carnage’s strong color contrast parallels their moral polarity. Just as their symbiotes clash visually, their characters clash ethically. Color easiest conveys their ideological differences at a glance.
Color Symbolism in Other Comic Book Films
Beyond Venom, color symbolism features heavily across comic book movies. Here are some other notable examples:
Spider-Man’s Red and Blue Suit
Spider-Man’s red-and-blue suit matches the bold hues of his comic origins. The red suggests Spidey’s powers and daring while the blue represents his social responsibility and morality.
The Joker’s Green Hair
The green hue of the Joker’s hair reflects his chaotic, dangerous insanity. Coupled with his purple suit, the colors nicely offset Batman’s dark tones in moral contrast.
Thor’s Red Cape
As a powerful god of thunder and lightning, Thor’s bold red cape conveys strength and intensity befitting his hot-headed temperament.
Color is integral to comic book storytelling, and films smartly translate important color symbolism to the big screen. This helps unify characters’ looks, temperaments, and moralities through simple visual shorthand.
Conclusion
In the end, Venom telling Eddie Brock to swing from the “red one” seems most plausibly a warning of impending danger detected through the symbiote’s heightened senses. Tapping into color psychology, the red reference conveyed urgent peril requiring immediate action.
This compact bit of colorful code further developed the symbiotic bond between Venom and Eddie. Their ability to communicate latent threats economically proved vital to their joint survival. It also built gripping suspense around the duo’s climactic confrontation with Carnage.
While some mystery around Venom’s “red one” remark remains, it highlighted the rich storytelling potential of color symbolism in cinema. As comic book movies continue evolving as a genre, creative color use will likely remain integral to characters, themes, and visual style.
