Morgan Peline Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Hi, I'm just about to shoot my graduation film in B&W or at least make it B&W in post. I'm trying to watch load of B&W films for inspiration. So I thought as a fun topic of discussion it might be interesting to see what everybody's favourite B&W films are and why? I'll start. I think one my favourites is 'La Haine' shot by Pierre Aïm. A story about disaffected youth living in rundown housing estate in the 'banlieu', the outskirts of Paris. I like it not necessarily for lighting which is fairly naturalistic film (in my opinion - i'm going to watch it again soon) but more for the mood of the whole piece. I think the B&W photography really adds to the mood and drama of the story. And also some of the shots are amazing. For example, a fantastic mirror shot. When I first saw this, it was amazing. I couldn't figure out out how they had achieved it and then when a friend told me, I realized in reality it was ingenious but very simple. Just goes to show that good thinking and simple solutions can create real magic. Another shot is a contra-zoom of the main characters who are observing their housing estate (in the background) which goes on and on and on and on... A film that's well worth a watch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart McCammon Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 The Third Man, more genius per frame that can really be addressed outside of a book - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted June 30, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted June 30, 2006 One of my favorites is hard to find, "The Fugitive", directed by John Ford and shot bt Gabriel Figueroa. I recommend "The Third Man" too. Others (out of many): How Green Was My Valley, Citizen Kane, Out of the Past, My Darling Clementine, Long Voyage Home, Night of the Hunter, Last Picture Show, In Cold Blood, Paper Moon, Yojimbo, Schindler's List, Man Who Wasn't There Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bays Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Nosferatu Paths of Glory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamid Khozouie Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 CITIZEN KANE THE GRAPES OF WRATH THE THIRD MAN THE EARTH TREMBLES ALEXANDRE NEVSKY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignacio Aguilar Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Four anamorphic B/W films: Manhattan - Gordon Willis, ASC The Elephant Man - Freddie Francis, BSC One, Two, Three - Daniel L. Fapp, ASC Jules Et Jim - Raoul Coutard, AFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Godfrey Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 On top of what has already been mentioned; Raging Bull, Great Expectations and more recently Good Night and Good Luck, which i hear was shot in colour and made balck and white after for less grain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olex Kalynychenko Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Hi, I'm just about to shoot my graduation film in B&W or at least make it B&W in post. This is very good idea. You can have a some problem with B&W filming from technical side. You can have problem to find film processing lab with B&W negative processing. You need check this problem with all sides. You can use home film processing of film on spiral tank. This is possible, not complex technology and the chemistry available for sell. You can use special technoly processing and receive unusual pictires. This can be pictures with super high contrast and big grainy, or super soft or any other. But, if you wish have professional quality of footages, you need use service of professional B&W negative film processing machine. The other idea, you need use of color negative film. You not will have problem with processing of color negative film. You can convert color film on the B&W film on post production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Anthony Vale Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Ivan Groznii (Ivan the Terrible) Seppaku AKA Hara Kiri in 'Scope Sword of Doom in 'Scope Gamlet AKA Hamlet in 'Scope ---LV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
william everett Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Favorite black and white films, or favorite films BECAUSE they are in black and white? Important distinction. Anyone can say Citizen Kane, but that was important for other reasons than black and white. Perhaps you mean favorite SCENES in films because they look great in black and white...for instance, the end of "All Quiet on the Western Front" when the soldiers march away from the camera and quickly glance back at the audience - that would not have the same effect in color. The glitter of Ingrid Bergman's earrings in Casablanca stands out more than it would in color because you would be noticing makeup, the red of her lips, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Peline Posted June 30, 2006 Author Share Posted June 30, 2006 Favorite black and white films, or favorite films BECAUSE they are in black and white? Important distinction. Both cases really. Whatever you like whether it just happens to be B&W or because it is B&W. For myself, I am interested in when the filmmakers decided to shoot in B&W because they felt B&W would provide a certain aesthetic or mood that could not be felt as strongly in colour... I watched Schindlers List the other night and I absolutely can't imagine that film in colour. If it had been, I'm sure it would not be as strong a film. Even though it is a very sad and tragic film it is also very beautiful in places. This is an interesting contradiction; a film that is both horrific and beautiful, all at the same time. However, I suppose even though many of the classic films were made when colour neg. didn't exist, can anyone imagine them in colour? Can anyone really think of Citizen Kane, A Touch of Evil or The Third Man in colour? I'm sure they would somehow lose their impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Taylor Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 For a later example of a film that was shot on true B&W stock, check out "Dead Man." A lot recent films that tout B&W but were shot in color look good nonetheless, but they lack that feeling. Check out "Rumble Fish" too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adam Frisch FSF Posted July 1, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted July 1, 2006 Night Of The Hunter shot by Stanley Cortez, ASC. The buck stops there. Or The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939) shot by Joe August, ASC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart McCammon Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Night Of The Hunter shot by Stanley Cortez, ASC. The buck stops there. Or The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939) shot by Joe August, ASC. If you are going to include Hunchback, then we also have the mention the original Lon Chaney version of Phantom of the Opera - I swear if I ever find myself in the catacombs under the Paris Opera House I will walk arounds with one hand raised) Seriously, some neat setups in that old chestnut from 1925 - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adam Frisch FSF Posted July 1, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted July 1, 2006 If you are going to include Hunchback, then we also have the mention the original Lon Chaney version of Phantom of the Opera - I swear if I ever find myself in the catacombs under the Paris Opera House I will walk arounds with one hand raised) Seriously, some neat setups in that old chestnut from 1925 - Haven't seen that one, actually. Everyone seems to think it's inferior to the Laughton version, but Lon Chaney is always watchable... Worth getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Robert Skates Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 WING of DESIRE deserves mention. Henri Alekan's work on this Wim Wenders film is stunning. Robert Skates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Stigler Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 The Third Man Touch Of Evil Down By Law Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Anthony Vale Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Ivan Groznii (Ivan the Terrible) -Tisse & Andrei Moskvin Seppaku AKA Hara Kiri in 'Scope 1962 -Yoshio Miyajima Sword of Doom in 'Scope 1966 -Hiroshi Murai Gamlet AKA Hamlet in 'Scope 1963 -Jonas Gritsius, began by Moskvin Didn't have time to finish. The Maltese Falcon 1941 -Arthur Edeson The 7th Victim 1943 -Nick Musaraca Le Notte Bianchi (White Nights) 1957 -Giuseppe Rotunno Cranes are Flying 1957 -Sergei Urusevsky The Innocents in 'Scope 1961 -Freddie Francis The Hill 1964 -Ossie Morris --Watched 'Ivan the Terrible-part II' on TCM last night. That is one the the most gorgeous B/W movies ever. & the Prokofiev score. Only complaint would be that it should've been stopped down afew more stops. So much of it is staged in depth. Even having comin' at ya shots. Someone will walk from full figure into tight close up, then thrust a cup or a palm foreward. Plus close ups where someone leans into a tighter close up. I suspect wartime electricity rationing was a major factor in the shallow depth of field. ---LV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart McCammon Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 (edited) Haven't seen that one, actually. Everyone seems to think it's inferior to the Laughton version, but Lon Chaney is always watchable... Worth getting? It is a terrible movie, with some really interesting chiaruscuro shots in the catacombs and a few nice shots inside the opera house. Basically unwatchable if you are interested in the story tho) I should add that I just watched Bedtime for Bonzo with my daughter, and it was a really well-shot movie - probably a good subject for a class on film techniques - very solidly shot, with a good mixture of exterior locations matched with well-lit interior sets and some nice dolly shots that reinforce the story and even a little rear projection. Not genius by any means, but very well done. Edited July 2, 2006 by Stuart McCammon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Hemsani Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Jean luc Godard´s ALPHAVILLE shot bye Raoul Coutard, Masaki Kobayashi´s HARAKIRI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Godfrey Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 The Scarlet Empress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Max Jacoby Posted July 7, 2006 Premium Member Share Posted July 7, 2006 From a lighting point of view I think the black and white scenes in 'Stalker' are amazing. The textures are incredibly rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_gonzo Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 My favorite B&W films to watch to steal shots and lighting setups from: TOUCH OF EVIL DARK PASSAGE MURDER MY SWEET CANE (of course) IN COLD BLOOD PERSONA THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Hebert Barto Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 (edited) "Andrei Rublev" Photographed by Vadim Yusov, zones one thru ten.(well, maybe not X...) Badass. Really it's a hard thing to list....everyones favorite is a great choice. "Begotten" has to be mentioned for how insane it is. B&W helps it "become" an artifact of pre-speech human history....amazing film. Edited August 19, 2006 by Jon-Hebert Barto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Desson Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 (edited) "Jean luc Godard´s ALPHAVILLE shot bye Raoul Coutard" can't forget about BREATHLESS! Edited August 19, 2006 by Kevin Desson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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