TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Five must-watch black and white films
Black and white movies never lose their charm. They provoke more dramatic effects in scenes, and can actually transport viewers to a different era, even a different world. While often associated with the past, old movies are not necessarily "old", as a number of blockbuster movies have received the black and white treatment in an era where movies are normally presented in color.
Change Size
Black and white movies never lose their charm. (Shutterstock/-)
B
lack and white movies never lose their charm. They provoke more dramatic effects in scenes, and can actually transport viewers to a different era, even a different world. While often associated with the past, old movies are not necessarily "old", as a number of blockbuster movies have received the black and white treatment in an era where movies are normally presented in color.
Because they are that good, here's our recommendations of black and white movies that you should watch at least once in your life.
Citizen Kane (1941)
Directed by Orson Welles, Citizen Kane brought the audience to the past of a publishing mogul, Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles). The movie begins with a scene of the old Kane in Xanadu, his majestic castle. After his death, a reporter then tries to find out the meaning behind Kane’s famous last word: Rosebud.
Although it is not officially stated in the movie, but many people believe that Kane bears some resemblances to the real newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst. Despite all the controversies, the movie won Best Original Screenplay at the 1941 Academy Awards, but failed to bring home other nominations.
Psycho (1960)
Often labeled as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most successful movies, Psycho tells the story about a young woman, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who stole $40,000 for her and her lover. She then meets Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who manages the Bates Motel.
If Psycho is your first Hitchcock movie, you may get frights, surprises and shocks throughout the movie, especially its famous shower scene. The legendary movie scoring by Bernard Herrmann in that particular scene successfully added an eeriness to the movie without having to show too much blood.
Schindler’s List (1993)
There have been many movies about the Holocaust, and Schindler’s List is one of them. Directed by Steven Spielberg and set in Krakow, the movie tells the story about German businessman and Nazi party member Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who protects over a thousand Jewish refugees by recruiting them as his workers.
The movie is based on the novel Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally that was published in 1982. According to The New York Times, Schindler’s List itself is a personal project for Spielberg who is also a Jewish. Schindler's List won seven Oscars at the 66th annual Academy Awards in 1994, which included Best Picture and Best Director.
(Read also: Popular fantasy fiction series made into movies)
Metropolis (1927)
Directed by Fritz Lang, Metropolis is set in a city under the powerful industrialist, Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abell). One day his son, Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), meets a young woman named Maria (Brigitte Helm) at the Eternal Gardens where all of the elites’ children gather. When trying to find Maria, Freder witnesses what actually happens under the majestic city.
The movie opens with the gloomy atmosphere of zombie-like workers in the machine areas. Metropolis is based on a novel with the same name by German writer Thea von Harbou (1925) who also handled a similar scenario. The movie was then reconstructed and restored in 2010.
The Artist (2011)
The Artist is a modern-day black and white silent movie. It tells the story about a silent movie star, George Valentine (Jean Dujardin), who falls in love with Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a dancer. Valentine is then forced to leave his throne due to the emerging popularity of talking pictures, while, on the other hand, Miller’s fame starts to grow.
Written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist will take you back to old-time Hollywood glamour, portraying enchanting actors and their ability to act without speaking a word. The movie won big at the 84th Academy Award for the Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Director, and Best Original Score. (asw)
