What is a truly great Black & White movie?

Quote: 1nickelmiracle

The only one I can think of is the Wizard of Oz and don't know of any others.

Uh, there are bookend segments in B&W, but the great, big bulk of the movie is in color.

I just saw the original 1937 "A Star Is Born". I thought it was really good. I watched it on Hulu for free. It may still be there if you look for it.

And who doesn't love "It's a Wonderful Life."

I never understood the appeal of "Citizen Kane." However I do agree "The Great Dictator" was good. And I don't remember if Shirley Temple's "Heidi" was in black and white but I always enjoyed that movie.

One movie that is absolutely excellent, top of my list in this category, is "The Man Who Wasn't There." So, so good. The Coen brothers usually pump out good movies but this is one of their best.

Hey, your first post in Limbo!

Quote: HotBlonde

II never understood the appeal of "Citizen Kane."

It's more a movie-maker's or movie buff's movie. The cinematography in it is beautiful and remarkable for any time. The acting is brilliant, and so is the direction. the story, well, so so, though there is intense and witty dialogue "I expct to loose a million dollars next year! At this rate I will go broke... in sixty seven years")

If you can stand to see it again, try finding the DVD with Roger Ebert's commentary. He explains a great deal about the movie.

I'm not sure if I would want to watch it again. I thought it was going to be the greatest of all movies as it seems to be very popular. I thought the movie itself was kinda boring and when it got to the end (I won't spoil it) I was a bit surprised that that's what his dying words were all about. It all just seemed kinda hollow, like they were trying to make it so meaningful but it kinda fell flat in my opinion. Many, many, MANY better movies out there, IMHO.

Schindler's List although a tiny portion of it was in color. The Elephant Man. If you like Woody Allen, the Stardust Memories was a pretty good one.

{edit} and of course, Young Frankenstein.

Quote: HotBlonde

I thought the movie itself was kinda boring and when it got to the end (I won't spoil it) I was a bit surprised that that's what his dying words were all about.

I think almost everyone over the age of 40 knows the ending of the movie, and a lot of younger people don't care.

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) with it's image of a soldier reaching for a butterfly across a rubble-strewn battlefield and the long sequences of mass mayhem were possibly shocking to many movie viewers of the 1930's. You could get angry at a soldier listening to old men talk about warfare and it's patriotic duty. Some of the soldiers risk courts martial to take comfort in the arms of a group of French girls — essentially the enemy. But someone in this day and age has seen so many images in their lifetime, that they find this old movie made at the dawn of talkies, simply dull. So if you are not studying film, you can pretty much skip it.

King Kong (1933) is a movie you might not think of watching, partly because you've seen clips from it so many times. But it is surprisingly poignant.

Casablanca (1942) is incredible, and completely ageless.

These are the best of Alfred Hitcock IMHO
1935 The 39 Steps
1938 The Lady Vanishes
1940 Rebecca
1941 Suspicion
1944 Lifeboat
1946 Notorious
1948 Rope
1951 Strangers on a Train
1954 Rear Window
1954 Dial M for Murder
1955 To Catch a Thief
1955 The Trouble With Harry
1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much
1958 Vertigo
1959 North by Northwest
1960 Psycho
1963 The Birds

See, even Casablanca I was not impressed by.

Quote: HotBlonde

See, even Casablanca I was not impressed by.

I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you!

Quote: HotBlonde

I'm not sure if I would want to watch it again. I thought it was going to be the greatest of all movies as it seems to be very popular.

It kind of illustrates the kind of people it is about. In its ime it was quite daring to take on William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate. of course in these days of dead and dying newspapers, well.... But like Tron, it's more about looking at it than seeing it, if you understand what I mean.

As much as I enjoyed it, I must admit I haven't seen it in a long time.

Quote: HotBlonde

See, even Casablanca I was not impressed by.

14 day suspension for lack of taste. :)

Paths of Glory is a fantastic, brutal black and white film about deserters in the French Army during World War 1.