Why Black and White Movies Still Get Made

Color has been the standard for over fifty years. Black and white movies still get made. And they still matter.

Roma was shot in black and white in 2018 and won Best Director. The Lighthouse was black and white and looks like it was dug up from the 1800s. Mank won Oscars in black and white. The artists keep choosing it.

Why? Because removing color forces you to see everything else. Light, shadow, texture, composition. A black and white frame is about contrast. Your eye goes where the light is brightest. The director controls exactly what you see.

It also creates distance. Black and white does not look like real life. It looks like memory. Like a dream. That distance lets directors tell stories that feel timeless.

Color is great. But black and white is a choice. When a director makes that choice, they are telling you something about the movie before it even starts.