Movies where B&W cinematography is an aesthetic choice, after the industry standard was 100% color. Suggestions welcome!
I think I'm only going to do feature-length titles, because the B&W decision is so much easier to make in non-commercial contexts. Movies that alternate between black and white and color (to separate two narrative lines or for other reasons) aren't included, though sometimes it pains me. (8/30/2019: Right now, I am tentatively beginning to include films that are less than 100% B&W, but I haven't made a final decision yet and want to give it some in-depth thought some day when I have time.)
Some shorts, though:
Recess (Kiarostami, 1972)
Le Paysigiste/Mindscape (Jacques Drouin, 1976)
Une Generation (Philippe Grandrieux, 1982)
Umieranko/A Little…
Movies where B&W cinematography is an aesthetic choice, after the industry standard was 100% color. Suggestions welcome!
I think I'm only going to do feature-length titles, because the B&W decision is so much easier to make in non-commercial contexts. Movies that alternate between black and white and color (to separate two narrative lines or for other reasons) aren't included, though sometimes it pains me. (8/30/2019: Right now, I am tentatively beginning to include films that are less than 100% B&W, but I haven't made a final decision yet and want to give it some in-depth thought some day when I have time.)
Some shorts, though:
Recess (Kiarostami, 1972)
Le Paysigiste/Mindscape (Jacques Drouin, 1976)
Une Generation (Philippe Grandrieux, 1982)
Umieranko/A Little Dying (Jan Jakub Kolski, 1984)
Looking For Langston (Isaac Julien, 1989)
Capitulo 66 (Raul Ruiz, 1994)
7:35 De La Mañana (Nacho Vigalondo, 2003)
Die Erlkonig (Patrick Vollrath, 2003)
The Letter (Sergei Loznitsa, 2013)
Ang araw bago ang wakas (Lav Diaz, 2016)
The Extinct Suite (Anna Malina Zemlianski, 2017)
BIG THANKS to Scott Kelly, who did a lot of work on this subject that I've cannibalized.
Missing from the database (among others) are a lot of Indian films as recent as 1978-79 where black and white was the technology of choice. It appears that was most common in Tamil-language and Malayalam movies.
Not in database:
Kankan De Ohle (O Bedi, 1970)
Dhannyee Meye (A. Mukhopadyay, 1971)
Ganga Sangamam (JD Thottan, 1971)
Muthassi (P. Bhaskaran, 1971)
Basheera (, 1972)
Khoon Pasina (, 1972)
Maya (Ramu Kariat, 1972)
Patola (, 1972)
Qasu (, 1972)
Sir Dhar Di Bazi (, 1972)
Dharmayudham (A. Vincent, 1973)
Thushara (Nanayakkara, 1973)
College Girl (T. Hariharan, 1974)
Asli Tay Naqli (1975, Pakistan)
Kotha Kapuram (Chandra Sekhar Reddy, 1975)
Majha Sajha (1975, Pakistan)
Mera Babul ( 1975, Pakistan)
Nawab Zada (1975, Pakistan)
Pravaham (Sasikumar, 1975)
Ulsavam (Sasi , 1975)
Thai Vittu Sidhanam (Thirumanam, 1975)
Kanavan Manaivi (Bhimsingh, 1976)
Muthana Muthallavi (?, 1976)
Themmadi Vellappan (T. Hariharan, 1976)
Kalpa Vriksham (Sasikumar, 1978)
Kannan Oru Kai Kuzhandhai (?, 1978)
Nivedhyam (Sasikumar, 1978)
Adukku Malli (Gopalakrishnan, 1979)
Bono Basar (Sushil Roy, 1979)
Sukhathinte Pinnale (Joseph, 1979)
La Tela Protectora (Mahiques, 2010)
Taking Tiger Mountain Revisited (Huckabee, Smith, 2019)
Enganchados (Manu Ochoa, 2020)
La Casa Azul (Manu Ochoa, 2022?)
Suggestions under consideration: when I can examine them for myself I will do that.
Hippodrome (V Loginov, 2021)
imdb says color for all of these. When I'm able to examine for myself, I will do that.
Lišáci, Myšáci a Šibeničák
Where Man Returns r
The Diary of Diana B.
Children Only Once (1996)
Day Of The Fight
Lukas the Strange (2013)
A Bird Flew In
Winter After Winter (Xing Jian, 2019)
Siembra (Lozano Alvarez, Osorio Rojas 2015)
imdb says 'partially in color' for all of these. When I'm able to examine for myself, I will do that.
Able Danger
Dr. Ketel
Enter Mycel
The Cruise (1998)
Figaro's Wolves
Kamera Obskura (2012)
Chassis (2010)
Manila (2009)
Room 36
Children of the Sun (Ran Tal, 2009)
Figuring out what was intended when people suggested these is going to take an especially long time, but someday I'll get to it.
Logan Noir
The Mist Directors Cut
Mad Max: Fury Road Black & Chrome Edition
Parasite (1982, 2019 and 2024 movies with this title don't seem to fit.)
last year's Nightmare Alley (Huh? The del Toro movie was definitely in color...)