Do you watch films in black and white?

[FaxModem1]

Simple question, if there's a film in Black and White, whether due to the time it was made, or if it has a Black and White option if it was made in after the invention of technicolor, which do you choose?

Why?

For myself, I love a lot of movies from the 1930s, and whenever I see them colorized, they look awful to me and I lose a bit of the magic that the film has. This ends up with me being sucked out of the movie a little. I know that doesn't sound rational, but it's how my mind works.

This has also led to some interesting choices when modern media want to do a sequence or bits in black and white. For example, the Walking Dead had a gimmick of airing the pilot in Black and White, which a lot of people found to be an improvement compared to the original version aired in color. Why is that? How does that work?

I've known some people who can't even stand to watch old movies because they're in black and white, and will only watch it if it has a colorized version.

How about yourself?

[Zixinus]

I can respect it as a deliberate artistic decision and I don't mind it when it is simply due to age. However, I am not enamored by black and white.

[The Romulan Republic]

I don't dislike it, and it can be very effective. Probably depends on the visual style of the work in question, and the tone the director is going for. Black and white works for film noir, for example.

For recent movies, I seem to recall reading somewhere that Fury Road's director wanted it to be in black and white.

As an ardent advocate of visual realism, I feel like I ought to prefer colour, but their is something about black and white that can be appealing to me.

[Korto]

I prefer to watch colour, probably because that's what I'm used to, but if it's B&W and I want to watch it, so be it.

[Thanas]

Depends on the movie.

[K. A. Pital]

If it was made black and white or if it is an artistic choice, I will see it in B&W.

[Lord Revan]

That's same for me, even if there's colorized option avaible for older films if they were not filmed in color film the colorized options tend to end up looking rather crappy.

Also if done well black and white with blotches of color in specific scenes or items can be very effective.

[Starglider]

I have to watch films in colour, otherwise I have recurring panic attacks about being polymorphed into a dog.

[General Zod]

As long as it's entertaining I'm not fussy. I tend to prefer color though.

[Gandalf]

If the film is originally in B/W, then I'll watch it that way.

However, I don't mind docos which use colourised historical footage, because they're somewhat fun.

[Broomstick]

I spent the first 22 years of my life watching everything on the TV in black in white. It doesn't bother me. Color is nice, but not required.

[Imperial528]

I have to watch films in colour, otherwise I have recurring panic attacks about being polymorphed into a dog.

Do we even want to know?

[Starglider]

I have to watch films in colour, otherwise I have recurring panic attacks about being polymorphed into a dog.

Do we even want to know?

I would hope that would only be taken seriously if posted on Tumblr.

[mr friendly guy]

Black and white if that was the era they were made in.

Black and white if that was an artistic choice, although I will always be thinking if it could have been done better in colour.

[Broomstick]

Huh. I think the use of predominately black and white in Schindler's List with extremely limited use of color was quite effective. As just one example.

[Imperial528]

I have to watch films in colour, otherwise I have recurring panic attacks about being polymorphed into a dog.

Do we even want to know?

I would hope that would only be taken seriously if posted on Tumblr.

I was hoping for a film recommendation.

[Alyrium Denryle]

I watch a lot of older films and documentaries that use archival footage, so black and white has never bothered me. I will watch movies in whatever color scheme they were originally produced in.

Good recommendation for those who speak German (you might be able to find a subtitled version...)

M(1931) directed by Fritz Lang, about the manhunt for a serial killer of children, features rumination on the justice of the death penalty in 1931 Germany.

[JLTucker]

For me, it depends on the movie. If the Criterion Collection releases it, I'll likely watch it. I did, however, recently see It's a Wonderful Life for the first time. It's pretty awesome.

Now, modern black and white movies annoy me if they are horribly done. Mad Max Fury Road has a horrendous B&W conversion. It's flat and boring .

[Lord Revan]

B&W conversion for modern movies are probably gonna suck as those films were not made with B&W in mind.

This will probably be heresy to most here but I think of filming in black and white in modern times like using CGI effects, if you know the weaknesses and strength what you're doing it'll be great but if you don't and you do it "because reasons" you'll end up with something that's worse then had you not use that thing at all (be it B&W film or CGI).

[JLTucker]

B&W conversion for modern movies are probably gonna suck as those films were not made with B&W in mind.

Fury Road was intended to be B&W, If I recall correctly.

[Khaat]

Sad part, "Turner Classic Movies" (who commonly colorizes and broadcasts classic b&w films) are also compressed (and edited) for time and content, so even if you turn the color off, you aren't getting the original film. Wonder if it's compressed? Watch how fast the smoke (from the cigarettes not being smoked on-screen) rises. If you have to ask if it's edited, you'll never understand.

It would be amusing if it wasn't parodied in the finale of Thank You For Smoking, where the crusader was "improving history" (editing classic stills and movies so noone was smoking.)

[Lord Revan]

B&W conversion for modern movies are probably gonna suck as those films were not made with B&W in mind.

Fury Road was intended to be B&W, If I recall correctly.

That would be the first time I've heard of that and it certainly doesn't look like a film that was made with B&W in mind.