Few people give it a second thought, butcolor plays a massive role in how movies are received by their audiences. The discourse surrounding the blockbuster film,Wicked, serves as a glaring example of this. While the film is being heavily praised for certain elements,Wickedis still receiving widespread criticismdue to its underwhelming color grading. It can be difficult for audiences to feel fully invested in a film if the color is not quite right.
In an intriguing contrast, however, the complete absence of color can actually play an equally vital role in a film. Even though Hollywood has obviously moved well beyond the strictly black-and-white era of filmmaking, many modern movies still utilize this minimalist color scheme. The use of this unique strategy not only helps current movies stand out from the crowd in a visual sense, but it also allows the filmmakers to convey complex messages to their audiences without the use of words.These 21st-century films expertly use black-and-white sequences for both artistic and thematic purposes.
10Oppenheimer (2023)
Directed By Christopher Nolan
For a recent example of a film cleverly using black-and-white footage, one would have to look no further than the 2023 biographical drama,Oppenheimer.Christopher Nolan’s Best Picture-winning filmuses two distinct color schemes, each for a very deliberate purpose.
Nolan uses color throughoutOppenheimerto differentiate the perspectives of the two men.
While the film primarily follows the complex story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the groundbreaking physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons, it also dives deep into the story of Lewis Strauss, the chairperson of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Nolan uses color throughoutOppenheimerto differentiate the perspectives of the two men.When the audience is meant to see events through Oppenheimer’s perspective, the scenes are presented in vibrant color.
Oppenheimer
Cast
Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
However, whenever the film explores Strauss’s perspective, the visuals transition into a black-and-white style. This reflects the stark contrast in how the two men view the development of the nuclear bomb, and it also highlights the concrete, all-or-nothing nature of Strauss’s beliefs. Without it having to be said, the audience knows whose perspective is being given based on the use of color.
9Mank (2020)
Directed By David Fincher
While some modern films only use black and white for certain sequences, others are presented entirely in this colorless style. This is the case forMank, David Fincher’s 2020 film about Herman Mankiewicz, the primary writer of the screenplay forCitizen Kane, widely hailed as one of the greatest films of all time.
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Fincher decided to shootMankentirely in black and white as an homage to the style of films made in the 1930s and 40s, whenCitizen Kanewas originally produced. Not only does the black-and-white imagery serve as an appropriate tribute to the films of that era, but it also works effectively to immerse viewers in the story of its complicated protagonist.
Mank
Mank is David Fincher’s two-time Academy Award-winning film that was released on Netflix and select theaters in 2020. Starring Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, and Lily Collins, Mank tells the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz, the real-life alcoholic screenwriter responsible for penning the screenplay for the 1941 classic Citizen Kane.
The visual style immediately informs the audience about the film’s setting, and even makesMankfeel as though it’s plucked right out of that era as well. This decision was one that proved to be very appealing to fans of classic cinema, offering a modern take on the style that so many moviegoers fell in love with many years before.
8The French Dispatch (2021)
Directed By Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson is no stranger to playing around with the color scheme and aspect ratio of his projects, butThe French Dispatchmight be his most inventive use of these elements. Part of what makes the film stand out from the rest of Anderson’s filmography is its storytelling style.The French Dispatchis presented as an anthology, highlighting several self-contained stories.
All of these are meant to reflect the feeling of reading a newspaper, bouncing between different articles about entirely distinct subjects.Just as the narrative of the film shifts between stories, the visuals shift between several different styles. There are sequences in color, in black and white, even an entirely animated scene.
The French Dispatch
The French Dispatch is an anthology comedy from director Wes Anderson. The story takes place in 1975 France when The French Dispatch magazine’s editor dies of a sudden heart attack. His last wish is for a final issue to be published, which includes four articles, “The Cycling Reporter,” “The Concrete Masterpiece,” “Revisions to a Manifesto,” and “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner.” Like most Wes Anderson movies, The French Dispatch has a substantial cast, including Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, and Léa Seydoux, to name a few.
The use of so many different styles helps the viewer to differentiate between the stories being told, giving each “article” its own color palette to help the story stick in the memories of its audience. Anderson gets even more creative with this technique, however, including brief splashes of color in otherwise black-and-white sequences, and vice versa. The constantly changing visual style keeps the audience captivated throughout the film.
7Frances Ha (2012)
Directed By Noah Baumbach
Frances Ha, the 2012 collaboration between Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, makes an interesting decision when it comes to color. Although the film is set in the present, it is filmed entirely in black and white.Frances Hafollows an aspiring dancer as she struggles to get by, frequently having to find different places to live, while also enduring troubles in her connection with her best friend, Sophie.
Frances Hahas a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
While the story may sound somewhat straightforward, it is depicted less as a beginning-to-end narrative, and more as a collection of individual scenes meant to paint a portrait of an individual’s life. While the use of black and white inFrances Hamay not be as easily definable in terms of narrative purpose, it is undeniably effective in terms of the feelings it aims to evoke from the audience.
Frances Ha
Frances Ha is a comedy-drama directed by Noah Baumbach, starring Greta Gerwig as Frances, an aspiring dancer navigating life and friendships in New York City. The film follows her journey of self-discovery and the challenges she faces while pursuing her dreams, exploring themes of ambition, relationships, and independence. Gerwig’s performance and Baumbach’s direction encapsulate the struggles and aspirations of a young artist in the modern world.
The colorless style accentuates the somewhat disconnected nature of the film’s storytelling, evoking the feeling of looking at a photo gallery, as opposed to watching a movie. Combined with the nostalgic ambiance naturally caused by black-and-white imagery, this strategy effectively establishesFrances Haas a compelling slice-of-life story.
6Belfast (2021)
Directed By Kenneth Branagh
It is not too uncommon for films set in the past to be intentionally filmed in black and white. However, for movies like Kenneth Branagh’s 2021 Oscar-winner,Belfast, the reason for the black-and-white style extends well beyond the setting. Set in the titular Northern Ireland city,Belfastis presented from the perspective of Buddy, a nine-year-old dealing withthe struggles of growing up during a particularly tumultuous time in his nation’s history.
Belfast
Belfast is a coming-of-age drama by Kenneth Branagh that centers on a family, specifically one boy in the family, living in 1969 Belfast, Ireland. The film chronicles the young man’s childhood as he experiences love, drama, and more in a socially tumultuous time in Ireland’s history as Protestant loyalists and Catholics find themselves at war with one another.
Branagh chose to portray the story in black and white, not merely to emphasize the past setting, but to really highlight the complex emotions of the characters. Being such an emotional coming-of-age story,Branagh wanted to keep the audience’s attention focused on how the characters were feeling at all times. By filming in black and white — as well as using minimalist sets and movements — he minimizes the number of elements that might distract the audience from the emotional core of the story.
5Frankenweenie (2012)
Directed By Tim Burton
It is uncommon for modern movies to be entirely black and white, butthe technique is even rarer when it comes to animated feature films. However, that is not to say that it has never been done before. In 2012, Tim Burton decided to use black and white for the entirety of his stop-motion animated feature,Frankenweenie.
This unusual twist on the classic story ofFrankensteindepicts the chaos that follows when a gifted student successfully manages to bring his beloved pet back to life after it is killed. Burton felt very strongly aboutFrankenweeniehaving to be in black and white, even stating he wouldn’t have made it otherwise (viaMetro). There are multiple reasons for his choice.
Frankenweenie
Frankenweenie is a 2012 stop-motion animated remake of Tim Burton’s eponymous 1984 short film. It tells the story of young scientist Victor Frankenstein, who brings his dog Sparky back to life and tries to stop his experiment from wreaking havoc across his town.
For one,the absence of color heightened the emotional impact of the story and its characters, something that would undoubtedly be essential for a film that focuses so heavily on death. In addition, the black-and-white style also madeFrankenweeniefeel more reminiscent of various horror classics, even if the film offered a much more family-friendly take on the genre.
4The Lighthouse (2019)
Directed By Robert Eggers
Following the success of his debut horror film,The Witch, director Robert Eggers immediately began venturing into more experimental territory with his follow-up feature,The Lighthouse.Starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe,The Lighthousefollows a pair of lighthouse keepers who find themselves stranded on a remote island off the coast of New England during the 1890s.
Though the film is difficult to define in terms of genre, the twisted nature of its story certainly lends itself to horror, which is further emphasized by its use of black-and-white imagery. Although it was certainly a bold choice, especially considering thatThe Lighthousewas only his second feature film, Eggers was determined to exclusively use black and white for the film (viaCinemaBlend).
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller directed by Robert Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, two lighthouse keepers who begin to experience strange and supernatural phenomena after they get stranded on a remote island in the 1890s.
He felt as thoughfilming in black and white would be the most effective way to capture the bleak atmospherehe sought to convey. Eggers feared that using color would almost give the remote island a comfortable, peaceful feeling, which would totally contrast with the misery being experienced by the characters.
3The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
Directed By Joel & Ethan Coen
In the last couple of decades, many movies have fallen within the genre of neo-noir, a style meant to serve asa modern recreation of the film noir style of the ’40s and ’50s.However, few have been as dedicated to providing an accurate portrayal of the genre asThe Man Who Wasn’t There, the 2001 feature by the Coen brothers.
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Starring Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand, the film weavesa complex story of love, crime, and murdersurrounding a California barber. Critics praisedThe Man Who Wasn’t Thereas a clever tribute to the film noir genre. The film uses black-and-white visuals in partnership with voiceover narration, combining two elements that helped define the crime films of the era that inspired it.
The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Man Who Wasn’t There is directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and stars Billy Bob Thornton as Ed Crane, a small-town barber in 1949 California. The film follows Crane’s involvement in a blackmail scheme that spirals out of control, drawing him into a complex web of deceit and moral ambiguity. The film’s monochromatic cinematography and meticulous storytelling pay homage to classic film noir.
Of course, the Coen brothers also put their own modern spin on the genre, inventing unique characters and setting the story in a small town, something quite different from the big city settings of most ’40s/’50s crime movies. By doing this,The Man Who Wasn’t Therepaid tribute to classic films while infusing the style with modern elements.
2The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2021)
Directed By Joel Coen
William Shakespeare’s classic play,Macbeth, has been performed and adapted countless times over the years. However, the 2021 film,The Tragedy of Macbeth, presents the timeless story in a way that stands out from the rest. Directed by Joel Coen, this modern retelling highlightsthe psychological struggles at the core of the play.
Not only does the absence of color emphasize the darkness ofThe Tragedy of Macbeth, but it also helps the film capture the energy of the theatrical style in which the story is typically performed.
Further aided by an Oscar-nominated lead performance by Denzel Washington, the film makes careful use of black-and-white visuals to capture the cold, dark nature of its multilayered characters. Not only doesthe absence of color emphasize the darkness ofThe Tragedy of Macbeth, but it also helps the film capture the energy of the theatrical style in which the story is typically performed.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a cinematic adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic play, following Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, who is driven by prophecy and ambition. Influenced by his wife, he murders King Duncan to seize the throne of Scotland, setting off a chain of power struggles and guilt.
For centuries,Macbethexisted only as a play to be performed in front of a live audience. Although the story has now been adapted for the screen, the black-and-white style of Coen’s film helps it remain committed to the play’s origins. Filming in black and white helped reduce distractions and highlighted the dialogue and performances, two of the most crucial elements of any stage play.
1The Artist (2011)
Directed By Michel Hazanavicius
The most recent fully black-and-white movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture isThe Artist, the 2011 French film by Michel Hazanavicius.Set in Hollywood during the late 1920s and early 1930s, the film highlights the relationship between two stars (one aging, one up-and-coming) as the industry begins to make the transition away from silent movies. Not only is the movie entirely in black and white, but it is also largely without audible dialogue.
The Artist
The Artist, released in 2011, is set in Hollywood during the late 1920s. It follows silent film star George Valentin, who faces an uncertain future with the advent of talking pictures, while his path intersects with rising dancer Peppy Miller, poised to achieve stardom.
The Artistreceived widespread acclaim upon its release, with ample praise being given to its dedicated tribute to silent cinema. As uncommon as it is for 21st-century films to be entirely in black and white, it is even rarer for them to use sound so minimally as well.The Artistprovides an impressive reminder that, although elements like sound and color have helped the industry go a tremendously long way over the years, it is still possible to create a dazzling feature film without them.
