Why is this in black and white?

Too bad you couldn't make it through the entire movie. You missed a very intense thriller with an unexpected ending.






Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar, and doesn't.

I think Aronofsky wanted to try to achieve stark contrasts between what is going on inside Max's head and what are many of the external stimuli, he is both faced with and trying to avoid.🐭

I think there is a very clever meaning that I can see from the black and white. Aside from all sorts of other themes the black and white color can represent there is also very noticeable contrast variation. You can see the colors become fuzzy with what's called film grain. It happens when cameras record in low lighting. Everything becomes unclear.

I noticed that it was always that way when Max was in physical or emotional schizophrenia attacks. I assume it has to be schizophrenia or paranoid disorder since I looked up the uses of some of the medications he was shown taking. He cannot comprehend reality and see clearly what's around him except the obsession with numbers and pain from his seizures. Seizures happen from brain rumors usually. But anyways , I digressed, when he is in the light or outside the contest is pretty sharp and it looks like everything is clear and normal.

Black and white also represents the binary world of computer language and the emotionless empirical nature of math and numbers which he is obsessing about. So with black and white it is easier to illustrate to the viewer. The Go game he plays with Sol is also a game which is played with black and white pieces and whose moves are also binary ( black and white) since a stone could be on a board intersection, and it could be black or white , like zeroes and ones in binary code.

Also it could be purely a stylistic choice to remove the distraction of color.

Aside from the obvious (black and white is cheaper), you'll notice a particularly grainy look to it all -- that's because every pixel is only either black or white. No gray or anything in between.

Stylistically, it gives it a very gritty look and is perfect for Max's rising insanity. Philosophically, it fits in with Max's disposition: ones and zeros, numbers-driven, no gray area. Binary, like computer programming.

I know, Extreme Sport Punk #1. I know.

Pi was made in black-and-white to make it more abstract and stylized.

So when they increase the brightness, tint or contrast, it has a bigger effect.

Mainly because he didn't have much money. You can make something look a lot better in black and white than colour sometime.

Why was Season 6 Episode 1 of The Walking Dead in B&W?

I have to agree. It's not artistic to use black and white - it's annoying. And it makes the movie look very old and out of date. Not like a classic old movie, just old. People - do not reply that I just don't get it and it's artistic and makes a statement, etc... Black and white pictures and movies are horrible. And to anyone that thinks black and white pictures make a person look more beautiful or sophisticated - no, it does not.