There’s a certain charm to black and white movies that modern cinema just can’t quite copy. By toning down the visual imput, there’s much more room for the story and atmosphere to sink in. And while most black and white movies would be considered slow by modern, Michael Bay action movie-inspired standards, there’s still quite a bunch of them that are at least worth a watch.
Let’s take a look at some timeless black and white movies that you at least need to give a chance.
12 Angry Men
Probably one of the best movies ever made, this movie is simply
nothing more but the negotations of a jury in a court room. The movie
tackles things like prejudice and group dynamics, and honestly has
some top class acting from all twelve members of the main cast. It’s
a movie that even resonates somewhat to what’s happening in the
world with Black Lives Matter.
Schindler’s List
You’ve probably already seen this one, but watch it again anyway.
This movie is Steven Spielberg at his best, with Liam Neeson starring
in his best role before Hollywood determined he’d have to be
reduced to a middle-aged action movie guy. It does have the World War
II theme, so if you’re not into movies about Nazism or the
Holocaust, you’d better let this one slide. Otherwise, it’s one
of the best movies ever made.
Citizen Kane
If you ever watch a black and white movie, make it this one. It’s a wonderful mystery movie that scores no less than 100 on metacritic. That’s over 1700 reviews that all consider this a perfect movie, by the way. Surely 1700 people couldn’t be that wrong, now could they?
Psycho
The ultimate Alfred Hitchcock movie. It’s a great thriller movie
that gives people a glimpse into the mind of a serial killer.
Ofcourse there’s the iconic shower scene that’s still part of the
collective memory 60 years after release, but you’ll find out that
there’s more to this movie than just that one scene.
Casablanca
I mean, we’ve all at least heard of this movie, right? It’s
probably the original chick flick, but it’s a lot more bearable to
watch than most of the modern romantic movies. It has a believable
story and good acting, for one. That’s more than whatever you can
say about those Selena Gomez movies.
Rashomon
This was probably the first Japanese movie to become a worldwide hit.
Rashomon tells the story of a murder, and does so through the
perspectives of all parties involved. This was relatively new in
filmmaking at the time and it’s probably a good reason for why you
should watch this movie. It’s a bit brutal in terms of the story,
but it’s a great film nonetheless.
City Lights
Timeless cassics…
