Reasons Why Black and White Movies are Underrated

I always fall asleep during superhero movies. It's gotten so bad that my mom has stopped paying for my tickets because "it's like buying a 90 minute nap".

I know what you're thinking: "What about Avengers: Endgame? Nobody could sleep through the biggest crossover in cinematic history!" or "Surely you didn't sleep through the fight between Batman and Superman?"

People think I'm uncultured, but if the 43 marvel movies released in the last 20 years are their definition of 'culture', then maybe I'm not the one who's lacking it after all.

My friend told me to drop everything and catch up on all the classics, so that's exactly what I did. I may have taken her too literally though. She was referring to the Dark Knight Trilogy, Jurassic Park, and "all the early 2000's stuff". But I took on the challenge. One trip to the library later and I had a pile of real classics- Citizen Kane, the Maltese Falcon, 12 Angry Men. And interestingly enough, I didn't sleep through any of them.

There's something captivating about black and white films that modern movies can't quite compete with. My favourite is 12 Angry Men, which is a 1957 courtroom drama that follows the deliberation of a jury of 12 men as they come to a unanimous agreement about the fate of the accused.

The jurors are faced with a high-stakes decision that could either result in the death of an innocent youth, or the mercy of a criminal. The pressure these men experience causes tension among themselves and each other.

Not everyone in the audience has been a juror, but we've all had to make a hard decision. It may not have been as serious as convicting a criminal. Maybe it was choosing a career. Maybe it was choosing electives in high school. Maybe it was choosing a song to listen to or a book to read. Either way, we've all experienced the decision-making process depicted in this film: the stress, the pivoting back and forth, the uncertainty. We can all put ourselves into the shoes of the characters and relate to the situations on the screen.

I think that's what I find so enthralling about the film: it's a character study. I find that modern movies overlook the importance of exploring interactions and relationships. Sure, Superman has a love interest. And sure, Steve Rogers argues with Tony Stark, but in the grand scheme of things these character moments feel tossed aside. Instead, directors rely on the audience's fascination with technology and special effects.

The lack of characterization in most movies makes me feel very separated from the story. Because the truth is- and I hate to be the bearer of bad news- none of us are mutated super-humans who fight crime for a living. And that isn't a bad thing. Like I said, not everyone has been on jury-duty either. But the difference is that in 12 Angry Men, time is spent on the aspects of the story that we can relate to. It isn't a documentary about the politics and history of American court. It's a story.

Even the filming techniques cause the audience to feel invested, like they are actually sitting and discussing with the jurors. The placement of the shot at the foot of the table and the fact that the actors often look directly into the camera support this illusion.

It's not just 12 Angry Men though. One of the most famous movies of all time, Citizen Kane, uses its lack of colour to its advantage in a really effective way.

There's a technique associated with renaissance oil painting called chiaroscuro. It refers to the effect of contrasted light and shadow. It usually involves light falling unevenly or from a particular direction onto an object.

Gerard van Honthrost, The Adoration of a Child

There are a couple of really powerful shots in Citizen Kane that juxtapose light and darkness in a similar way.

It's nearly impossible to tell what's going on in this scene, because it's just light and shadow. Who's talking? Where are they? Viewers try to decipher the shot, and as they do, it perfectly establishes the mysterious tone of the film.

One final reason why I love classic movies is that they solve problems so creatively and flawlessly. Directors didn't have the same technology that we have now, and their solutions to obstacles were so innovative and original.

When Kane makes his speech, instead of using hundreds of actors to portray the audience, the crowd was actually an illusion made by pricking holes in a still photo, and moving lights behind it. To me, that's definitely more impressive than any CGI in any marvel movie.

Directors from the 1940's took what would now seem like setbacks, such as lack of colour, setting, or technology, and used them to their advantage to create masterpieces.

And that's why black and white movies are underrated.