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

"Clerks" was filmed in 1993 and released in 1994.
To the world you may just be somebody, but to somebody you may just be the world.

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.

Some films just play better in black and white.

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

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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yeah i thought it was for the makeup. i didn't like it being in b&w and i also couldn't understand a thing he said the entire movie
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

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.)
"Why do movie stars think we want to watch them play poker?" -Hank Hill

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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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

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.

I found that the B&W added a certain authenticity to the story, not only in making John Merrick's makeup look physically more realistic, but it also just added a certain feel that made the whole thing seem "more real." It also seemed to add more credibility to the historicity of the film.
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yeah!

• greatest film of our time

Because the movie works 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times better in black and white than it would in color.
This is hardly rocket science people
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take it easy man

• greatest film of our time

does it really matter? it's just a great movie.

damn you sound hilarious. Can we hang out and write jokes togeather sometime?

• greatest film of our time

I thought movies were always in color. You mean they used to make movies in black in white once? Woooowww!!!
Are people so dense? Hasn't this person heard of style, mood, atmosphere? It's a modern film shot in black & white to help enhance the reality of the film's period. Plus it looks like a David Lean picture or something.

Because it would work better for the mood, and it does it successfully.
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Tell me, what year did Schindler's List come out?

You're joking.right?

I personally enjoyed the fact that it's in B&W if it looks like it's from a time when makeup effects perhaps weren't so advanced, it just seems to add realism.

LMAO!!! I heard the same thing happened with Dune, so they had to re-shoot it in a week's time.
That Lynch.

that is clearly a joke isn't it.