This past Oscar ceremony had some pleasant surprises. Nearly all of the awards given were well-deserved and all of the nominees deserved the honor.
“The Artist” won the best picture award (it's a great and entertaining film) and the surprise there was the fact that it is only the second silent movie to take home that honor. The other one was “Wings” and it won in 1929, at the very first Academy Awards presentation. The fact that “The Artist” was shot in black and white made it a bit more of an outsider as well.
In the early days, everything was in black and white. The first color film to win best picture was “Gone With The Wind” in 1940. The last black and white film to win it was “Schindler's List” in 1994.
I've been in theaters and have seen (mostly younger) viewers complain and walk out when they discover the movie is a black and white feature. It seems some folks have a misconception that black and white is old school, low-tech and cheap. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just think about some of the most notable still photographers. I dare say that the works of Ansel Adams and Diane Arbus would not be as beautifully powerful if they were color prints. I can't even imagine an Arbus photo in color.
With that in mind, I've compiled a short list of the most beautifully filmed black and white movies; some old some new, some well known, others obscure.
Especially if you have an HD TV, you should treat yourself to some of these. If you're a “color snob” they will change your mind.

“Nights of Cabiria” (1957) and “La Dolce Vita” (1960) Director: Federico Fellini Cinematography: Aldo Tonti/Otello Martelli (“Cabiria”) Otello Martelli (“La Dolce Vita”)
While best known for -as The Internet Movie Database states- his “bizarre, abstract plots peppered with risque humor,” Fellini wrote and directed several films that were fairly straight forward. “Nights of Cabiria” was one of his most personal films. Written as a love pean to, and starring, his wife, Giulietta Masina, it is the story of a waif streetwalker living in Rome and awaiting the miracle that will transform her life. The first time I saw it, I was stunned. Any given frame of “Cabiria” could be blown up into a beautiful black and white still. I am a fan of all of Fellini's films, but this one occupies a special place in my heart.
“La Dolce Vita,” which I first saw while preparing for this article is another stunner. The depth of field that cinematographer Otello Martelli achieves is at times, nearly unbelievable. Those raised on wowza zowza digitally created special effects (which are fine when needed) may not even notice “La Doce Vita's” beauty or simply take it for granted. Big mistake.
“Rashomon” (1950) and “Seven Samurai” (1954) Director: Akira Kurosawa Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa (“Rashomon”) Asakazu Nakai (“Seven Samurai”)
Another duo from an iconic director. Kurosawa continues to influence generation after generation of filmmakers. These days, with the films of Quentin Tarantino and others, audiences are getting used to the non-linear method of telling a story on-screen. But Kurosawa broke new ground when he used the technique in “Rashomon.” The story unfolded and was told from several different characters' points of view. Director Edward Zwick copped this style in “Courage Under Fire.” Kazuo Miyagawa's for cinematography for “Rashomon” is as rich as it is subtle.
“Seven Samurai's” most obvious descendant is the classic American western, “The Magnificent Seven.” I had the pleasure of seeing “Seven Samurai” on the HUGE screen at The Gillioz a few years ago. I saw “Casablanca” (another b&w classic) there as well. Anytime The Gillioz is showing a film, I recommend you attend. If only to remember the time when screens were BIG. The Palace also has one auditorium with a nice sized screen. I saw a fresh print of “Taxi Driver” there. DVDs are convenient and inexpensive but nothing compares to a large theater screen. If only The Palace or Gillioz would show “Lawrence of Arabia.”
Oops, veered off a bit. Back to black and white masterpieces.
“Manhattan” (1979) Director: Woody Allen Cinematography: Gordon Willis
Cinematographers such as Gordon Willis and Roger Deakins are icons to movie geeks (myself included.) Willis was director of photography for all three “Godfather” films,
many other well known movies and eight Woody Allen projects starting with “Annie Hall.” He can shoot color but is also equally adept at black and white. His b&w work with Allen includes “Zelig,” “Broadway Danny Rose,” “Stardust Memories” and parts of “The Purple Rose of Cairo.” And, of course, “Manhattan.”
Allen has said this is the least favorite of his films and added, “I can't believe I got away with it.” Considering what happened in his personal life, one can understand he might be uncomfortable by being on-screen as a man of 42 who falls in love with a 17 year old girl.
You can make your own judgment call about the plot, I'm talking about the cinematography.
Willis is a textbook example of how a cinematographer doesn't actually shoot simply in “black and white” but manages a thousand shades of gray. “Manhattan” is a beautiful film to watch, especially if you have been to New York City. It's the place Allen loves the most and it has been a character -of sorts- in most of his films.
“Citizen Kane” (1941) Director: Orson Welles Cinematography: Gregg Toland
Much like Kurwosawa, Orson Welles is responsible for many innovations in film- making that are now considered to be in the norm. But the style of “Citizen Kane” was a startling production and to this day it remains at the top of a great number of “Best Films of All Time” lists.
“Citizen Kane” is described as a film à clef, a French term describing a movie about real life that is portrayed as fiction. In this case, the “real” component is the story of William Randolph Hearst and his publishing empire. It's because of Hearst -who owned the tree farms and mills that produced the paper his newspapers were printed on -that marijuana is now illegal. Hemp is a non-potent form of marijuana that had long been grown for use in making rope, textiles and paper. The Declaration of Independence is printed on hemp paper. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew it. Ben Franklin had a hemp mill.
And to ensure full disclosure I will tell you I have several garments made from hemp. They are all legal and all very comfortable.
But this has nothing to do with the film...
When asked -years later- about what made him (a first time film director) want to be so innovative, Welles claimed it was merely ignorance. He had no idea how films were made. But he knew how to tell a story. His “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast caused a nationwide panic.
Cinematographer Gregg Toland experimented with lighting and lenses and created the “deep focus” technique, giving “Kane” a previously unseen depth of field. There are also several matte shots. They are essentially double exposures where the background is shot first, the lighting is changed, the film rewound and the foreground is photographed. This too, adds incredible depth of field. Keep in mind it was all done “in camera.” There were no computer generated effects back then.
“Kane” is another early example of the non linear storytelling technique. The bulk of the film is one flashback after another. There's a reason that it is still considered by many to be the best/most important American film ever made. Plan a double feature night and watch “Citizen Kane” along with another Welles classic, “Touch of Evil.”

Hopefully your appetite has been whetted for some “old fashioned” black and white film. As an addendum, let me add this list:
“Raging Bull” (1980) Director: Martin Scorsese Cinematography: Michael Chapman
Later picked as the best film of the decade, it lost its Oscar bid in 1980 to “Ordinary People.”
“The Night of the Hunter” (1955) Director: Charles Laughton Cinematography: Stanley Cortez
The only film that has classic actor Charles Laughton credited as director. It's scary in the cerebral way. You know. Before “scary” meant chainsaws, hooks, saws, dismemberment and blood and guts.
“Metropolis” (1927) Director: Fritz Lang Cinematography: Karl Freund, Günther Rittau and Walter Ruttmann
A look at the dystopian future through the vision of Fritz Lang in 1927. Incredible special effects for the time. It's somewhat unsettling but has a ring of truth for then, today and tomorrow.
“Double Indemnity” (1944) Director: Billy Wilder Cinematography: John F. Seitz
If you aren't familiar with the film noir genre, this is the place to start. Seeing Fred MacMurray -the affable dad on “My Three Sons”- as a cold blooded S.O.B. (and insurance salesman. Hmmmm...) is disturbing enough. Add to that a screenplay by hard boiled novelist Raymond Chandler and you've got a chiller. Murder and betrayal run rampant in this film. I've seen it a dozen times and it never gets stale. The b&w work by John F. Seitz captures the noir genre and is a benchmark for the style. It's an absolute must see.
“Nosferatu” (1922) Director: F.W. Murnau Cinematography: Fritz Arno Wagner and Günther Krampf
THE first over the top horror film and still rated a classic among aficionados of the genre. Based loosely on the Dracula legend, Max Schreck's performance as the vampire is the stuff of legend. So much so that Tim Burton made a film, “Shadow of the Vampire” (also gloriously b&w), about the making of “Nosferatu.”
“Psycho” (1960) Director: Alfred Hitchcock Cinematography: John L. Russell
Hitchcock, the master of the macabre, fashioned “Psycho” based loosely on the psychopathic killer with a mother fixation, Ed Gein. Hitchcock adapted it from the 1959 novel by Robert Bloch. The film caused quite a stir at the time. It was somewhat too visceral and, well, psychotic, for the times. One might argue that the film ushered in the new wave of very frank horror films that came along in the 1960s. The cinematography is stark and at times it makes the viewer uncomfortable. I'm fairly sure that was what the film makers intended. It's a true classic and has influenced horror films (some good, many bad) for more than 50 years.
Anyway, these are merely some suggestions. With the advent of HD, home theater audio systems and large screen TVs -and the fact that most things on DVD these days are clean, restored prints- the home viewing experience is better than ever,