I
have done a few posts now on colored eggs and bright, beautiful flowers, but
the brooding weather outside today and the limits of the sunlight right now
lend themselves to a post about one of my greatest interests.
I have always
loved movies, especially old, black and white classics.
I’m the nerdy
child who, along with my equally uncool sister, spent many a winter break
trying to watch all ten Fred & Ginger movies or sitting up half the night
screaming through a Hitchcock marathon, without ever really exploring why the
movies are so dear to my heart.
A
few years ago, while walking out of film class, a good friend made what I’m
sure she assumed was a mundane comment. “I don’t like black and white movies,”
she told me nonchalantly. No matter her intention, every fiber of my being
revolted, and unfortunately for her, she’s a close enough friend that I felt
free to express the full range of my emotions. I crossed my arms, turned on my
heel, and was ready to retort with why I believe black and white film is just as
valuable, if not more valuable than color film (especially Technicolor, yuck).
However, when I tried to turn my sardonic scowl into words, the words weren’t
there. “Um, well, ummm UGH!! You’re wrong! I love black and white movies!” I stated…
Nope, not exactly persuasive, self. Afterwards, I have occasionally thought
about that moment, usually while scrolling through the TCM monthly schedule.
In
case I encounter this remark again, I have thought of some observations of my
own. Here are a few of the reasons I love black & white films:
There is a special
artistry in trying to express one’s point in closer confines than those we
experience in the real world. Black & white is the sonnet form to the
winding plot of color’s novel (though both are important). The Black &
white spectrum forces all involved in viewing and producing an image to really
think about the content. The viewer sees
things not just with a frame around them, but truly transformed.
Like crisp, white snow,
this medium tends to cover and clean up the things that distract from what’s
more deeply beautiful, moving, and fascinating all around us.
It’s incredibly intriguing, and something must
be said for an art form that is limited in its own expression and yet can
effectively crackle with electric chemistry,
The Philadelphia Story
roll
with belly laughs,
Bringing Up Baby
and even illustrate human
calamities
It's a Wonderful Life
...a perfect storm.
I truly don’t know all of the
reasons black and white film is so important to me or exactly why I responded
so viscerally to my friend’s comment. Perhaps what’s truly great about this way of recording images is ineffable (like most other great things in this world).
*Note: The photos really aren't from the same movie. Apparently, I just like those actors.
So, as a segue back to the
rest of the blog, I also love black & white still photography:
