Why is it b+w if it's from the 80's?
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ChrisW42 — 15 years ago(February 17, 2011 02:08 PM)
From Hell (2001) is filmed in colour and also features the Merrick character. The make-up is very close to that used in this movie and therefore Merrick's own appearance. It's interesting to compare the black & white and colour versions but I think The Elephant Man is the better one.
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kkhsiivonen — 16 years ago(January 22, 2010 04:46 AM)
I can think of alot of reasons to do it in BW
- Cheaper film
- Feel of MGM horror films from early 30's
- It's easier to do makeups and sets when color is no issue
- It looks good
- Most importantly; Just beause some technology exists, it doesn't obligate anyone to use it. Why do people walk in 2010, when Segway's was invented years ago
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furienna — 16 years ago(February 02, 2010 02:51 PM)
As this and "Schindler's list" are the only two movies, that I've seen, which are made after 1950 and still are in black and white, I wondered about that too. But yeah, I guess it was supposed to "set the mood", and make the elephant man make-up look more realistic.
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TaylorTC — 16 years ago(February 18, 2010 09:46 AM)
Some other black and white post-50s movies: Psycho, The Longest Day, Night of the Living Dead, Young Frankenstein, Raging Bull (though it features a brief color sequence), and Sin City (though some elements are stylistically colored.)
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shrilltrills — 15 years ago(April 27, 2010 03:42 PM)
I think it's because the man on whom the lead character is based lived during the 1800s. Back then, there were no color films, and for this movie to be made in black and white makes it seem as if it was being shot at a closer time to his actual life, making it more authentic as some have said.
Also, I agree with others that the black and white fit the tone of the movie much better than color would have, and made the effect more pronounced. I hadn't really thought about his face looking more defined in black and white, but I'll watch the movie again to look
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megArnold — 15 years ago(April 30, 2010 01:49 AM)
Because in 1890, the world actually WAS black and white. It turned color in about 1935.
Films, on the other hand, always were in color. They just captured the world as it was back then.
And since this movie is a remake of an 1890 documentary, they kept it as authentic as possible, so they filmed it in black and white. Which was quite difficult, because, since the film was actually a color film, they had to paint EVERYTHING on the sets in black and white, and the actors had to wear grey makeup, which was a terrible ordeal for Anthony Hopkins, whose face could be seen all the time -
moviegurl16 — 15 years ago(September 12, 2010 03:53 AM)
I think to make a historical setting. the cinematography and look of the film reminds me of gaslight from 1944 which was set in the 1880s which is the same setting for this film. that and mr. bytes looked like this film was made in the 30s or 40s.
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sodedens-whorls — 15 years ago(September 29, 2010 06:36 AM)
Lady dinobug, it actually costs more these days (well from 1960's onwards) to film in genuine B/W.David Finch chose B/W to add to the effect and atmosphere.He has filmed several of his films in B/W too. Don't forget that Wizard of Oz and gone with the wind were colour fims from the 1930's! And the master, Steven Spielberg filmed Schindler's List in B/W in 1993