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How Controversial Is Black And White?

JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
edited February 2012 in General Movies & TV Posts: 5,745
As we all know, the opening few minutes of Casino Royale are in complete black and white until the blood trickles over the gun-barrel.

How 'controversial' or perhaps, unnecessary is it for modern films to use black and white in parts or throughout the entire film? When do you prefer it; in flashback? Foreshadow?

Does it pull you from the movie, and make it feel 'unreal'?

Me, personally, if done extremely effectively like in Casino Royale, don't mind black and white. As long as its appropriate it often adds an artistic flair to the film. What do you think?

Comments

  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,989
    I don't mind B/W at all. I just saw The Artist and it was not only in B/W but for the most part silent. It was a great movie. Stephen King's The Mist was filmed in color but can also be watched in B/W on DVD. It is a scary movie and I found it to be even creepier in B/W.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    talos7 wrote:
    I don't mind B/W at all. I just saw The Artist and it was not only in B/W but for the most part silent. It was a great movie. Stephen King's The Mist was filmed in color but can also be watched in B/W on DVD. It is a scary movie and I found it to be even creepier in B/W.

    Would you want it to return in Bond?

    What if there was a Bond set 'early at Bond's career' in all black and white except for the titles and maybe the ending? The reverse of Casino Royale.

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Hell no. Black and white is the most stunning format to watch film, spanning from the 40s and 50s greats to the modern day noir dramas or old style flicks that are inspired by films of old. Black and white is never a bad thing when done effectively and for a suitable purpose.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,989
    I would not mind it being used in small amounts and for a specific purpose in future Bond films but in general I would like to see a return to a more vibrant, richer palette as seen in the films up to and including OHMSS. I hope that's one of the things they're doing for Skyfall. It would be one way to give that 60's feel to a contemporary Bond. Too often the films of the 70's onward looked like tv productions. I do think Casino Royale had a great look.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    talos7 wrote:
    I would not mind it being used in small amounts and for a specific purpose in future Bond films but in general I would like to see a return to a more vibrant, richer palette as seen in the films up to and including OHMSS. I hope that's one of the things they're doing for Skyfall. It would be one way to give that 60's feel to a contemporary Bond. Too often the films of the 70's onward looked like tv productions. I do think Casino Royale had a great look.

    Judging by the pictures, Shanghai is going to be VERY vibrant.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Black and white can work for some artistic pieces such as Raging Bull but as far as James Bond goes it's simply a non event, Casino Royale start was poor anyway, far too short, Gun Barrel in the wrong place etc, I think even a short intro for Bond in black and white is a no no. The franchise should be in color just as it always has been and shown in all it's glory, I hope we never see the day of a black and white Bond epic, it just wouldn't work
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Black and white can work for some artistic pieces such as Raging Bull but as far as James Bond goes it's simply a non event, Casino Royale start was poor anyway, far too short, Gun Barrel in the wrong place etc, I think even a short intro for Bond in black and white is a no no. The franchise should be in color just as it always has been and shown in all it's glory, I hope we never see the day of a black and white Bond epic, it just wouldn't work

    You don't think CR worked? Me, personally, feel that it showed it was the 'start' of Bond, possibly hinting that Dr. No was one of the newborns of color film. So, time-wise, Bond would have been promoted to 00 status back in the 50's, with black and white. And I don't mind the gunbarrell. Again, the film takes place as Bond's beginning, why would the gunbarrell containing suave, cold-blooded Bond start a film set before suave, cold-blooded Bond?
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I've always been uncomfortable with the reboot idea, Ok, it was a bit stale when Brosnan left, or did what was to be his final film, and they needed perhaps some fresh impetus but this wasn't the way to go about it. It was like here we had 20 or so James Bond movies before it, and let's forget about that and start from scratch, I just didn't like what they did, at the end of the day colors had little to do with it. For the purpose of the initial argument I'll reiterate and say NO to any more Bond black and white attempts, reboots or whatever. It doesn't work for everybody
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,506
    I thought the use of B&W footage used in CR was done just right. Its a good way to use it as a flashback....etc. But enjoyed all of that PTS in CR. I don't think i would want it to take over entire sections of the movie though?
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited February 2012 Posts: 12,837
    I don't mind black and white sometimes. CR used it really well and it worked great for the PTS. Another great example would be kill bill. I didn't like the way the artist did it though. I got dragged to go and see that and I hated it.
  • Dr_MetzDr_Metz
    edited February 2012 Posts: 401
    I don't mind it that much, but films now are just using it in an artsy fartsy way. CR is a good example of trying to be "artsy" by using black and white. It's just stupid.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,506
    Dr_Metz wrote:
    I don't mind it that much, but films now are just using it in an artsy fartsy way. CR is a good example of trying to be "artsy" by using black and white. It's just stupid.

    It works really well actually. And it was not overused. They pitched it just about right. I welcome a little change here and there as long as its not overdone.
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    No problems with B/W as long as it adds value to the movie. Certainly is a good visual as a flashback.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Most of my favorite movies are in b/w, if I had to watch a new 007 movie in b/w I would pass the opportunity to watch that movie.
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