At the birth of cinema you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a black and white movie. Hand-tinting aside, it was the only game in town. Though two and three-strip technicolor were developed in the 1930's, cinema's pallet remained decidedly desaturated due to high costs. Color was something reserved for musicals and epics where the odds of return on investment were higher. Even after the battle with television lead Hollywood to go full-color in the 60's, black and white was able to hold on thanks to European filmmakers like Godard, Fellini and Bergman. But by the 1970's, the party was over. Nowadays, black and white films are few and far between. It usually takes an act of God to get a major Hollywood studio to bankroll a monochromatic film. But in the special cases when it does happen, the results are often stunning. Here is a list of ten great examples of post-1970 black and white photography and the master cinematographers who made them possible. Did we leave out your favorite? Let us know with a comment!
Raging Bull - Michael Chapman
The Elephant Man - Freddie Francis
Manhattan - Gordon Willis
The Last Picture Show - Robert Surtees
Wings Of Desire - Henri Alekan
Good Night, And Good Luck. - Robert Elswit
Down By Law - Robby Müller
The Man Who Wasn't There - Roger Deakins
Great compilation of titles. I'm glad The Man Who Wasn't There was included. I personally hoped Ed Wood would've made the cut. The scene where Ed comes over to Bela's and stops him from killing himself still delights/haunts me.
ReplyDeleteOoh, great list! Good Night and Good Luck and Young Frankenstein would probably be on mine, too.
ReplyDeleteEd Wood is also one of my favourties ^ and I would have to say Mala Noche is definitely right up there as well. Control is another of mine. Possible The Notorious Bettie Page. I like Nadja but not sure if it'd be a favourite...but Eraserhead might be.