The children yearn for technicolor.
There is one common problem with many new movies made today: they are ugly. Bland, washed out, greige, or so flat that they all feel like a commercial.
The Technicolor era of Hollywood produced some of the most visually stunning films ever made. 1939's The Wizard of Oz vividly shows the transition as Dorothy steps into Oz for the first time. But there are modern films that use color brilliantly. Our August Watch List celebrates some of these gorgeous, colorful films.
The Wizard of Oz (1939), directed by Victor Fleming: Dorothy Gale finds herself in the magical land of Oz, where she befriends a scarecrow, a tinman, and a lion. As they follow the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard, the Wicked Witch of the West could stop them. The brilliantly colorful sets, matte paintings, and backdrops of this film still set a high watermark for what can be done with film color.
The Aviator (2004), directed by Martin Scorsese: This biopic follows the life of Howard Hughes from 1927 to 1947. Following his rise as a film producer and aviation magnate, to his descent into obsessive-compulsive disorder. Scorsese also digitally recreated two-strip and three-strip Technicolor, evolving the color of the film as the timeline moves along with the story.
Black Narcissus (1947), directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger: A group of Anglican nuns is sent to the Himalayas, where they are housed in an old palace. When local government worker Mr. Dean causes conflict amongst the sisters, some even begin to question their vows. Martin Scorsese describes watching this film as "being bathed in color."
La La Land (2016), directed by Damien Chazelle: Mia, an aspiring actress, meets Sebastian, a jazz musician barely scraping by. They fall in love. As they both become more successful, can their love survive? Movies like La La Land show that we still can make beautiful, colorful movies, thank you very much.
Leave Her to Heaven (1945), directed by John M. Stahl: When socialite Ellen marries a successful novelist, her love turns into a violent and jealous obsession. This is a rare bird of a film, a Technicolor-Noir.