 Art historian Anne Dezeuze has commented that the "cinematic" installation as a whole articulates a certain sense of menace within participants because of the intense repetition of the color red throughout the three rooms.Like most of Meireles' other artworks, "Red Shift" takes on political undertones when examined in light of Brazil's military dictatorship which lasted throughout the creation and exhibition of this piece.For instance, the red liquid pouring into the washbasin has been seen by some art historians as a visual representation of the blood of victims murdered by government authorities.