Re: Your Choice For Best Black and White Movie Ever Made
"IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" because it has such human warmth, humour, romance ... yet it isn't afraid of going down the dark path for a while too. It elevates you without pretending there isn't sadness and heartache out there too ... just that people can pull together and heal more than they can give pain. Hope and hopelessness, but finally Hope.
And it's one of those movies you grow up watching and you think 'how bogus movies were back then" ... and then one day you see it again and it hits you: "My God ... that was a deep, beautiful movie. And it's a window into another time, and another time's spirit ... and yet it's timeless."
And ... yeah ... when and why did they stop making movies like that?
When did it become so "uncool" to make a movie full of innocence and humanity and hope?
sigpic "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves." -Mahatma Gandhi.
I rented Metropolis the other week and was bored to tears within minutes. I was never big on silents anyway, although I do like Chaplin and the other comics of his time. But watching a silent picture drama was just too much to handle.
Have to say though, this movie has probably the coolest movie posters of all time.
when did he say, or even imply, that was what lang was going for?
"everything a writer learns about the art and craft of fiction takes just a little away from his need or desire to write at all. in the end he knows all the tricks and has nothing to say."
"everything a writer learns about the art and craft of fiction takes just a little away from his need or desire to write at all. in the end he knows all the tricks and has nothing to say."
Sunset Boulevard Double Indemnity The Big Sleep Casablanca Treasure of the Sierra Madre Night and the City Touch of Evil Kiss Me Deadly T-Men The Lady Eve Seven Samurai Yojimbo Rashoman The 400 Blows The Hustler A Streetcar Named Desire On the Waterfront Notorious In a Lonely Place Little Caesar Angels With Dirty Faces T-Men The Lady In the Lake Murder, My Sweet Out of the Past Some Like It Hot The Apartment
This is a great list. I'm with pull back reveal in adding, Philadelphia Story and Roman Holiday, and someone else for adding Dr. Strangelove and Hairy for adding Harry...
I'd like to add something completely different, but still B&W: La Jetee. I'd also like to add The Thin Man and The 39 Steps. Okay, this really is impossible. And Rebecca. Jeez. And Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte.
"I believe that discrimination exists in Hollywood, but ... its much less of an obstacle then poor writing, poor marketing, poor networking and being a whiny little bitch." -- JKK
This is a great list. I'm with pull back reveal in adding, Philadelphia Story and Roman Holiday, and someone else for adding Dr. Strangelove
Hey! That was me too.
Kudos on 39 Steps and Rebecca.
Looking through my own movie collection for other B&Ws I couldn't live without (in addition to those on Adam's list), how about Gaslight, Hud and Eraserhead. They're not the best, but boy, can't imagine them in color either. And Last Picture Show (would not have worked at all in color), Wings of Desire and Stranger Than Paradise. And Paper Moon.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned Schindler's List. Do the color scenes disqualify it?
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