In theory, everything is clearer in black and white. Most people try to reduce important issues this way. Two sides. Pro/Con. Black/White. But when we analyze any issue, we see that it has much more depth and breadth, that the issue is full of gray areas and certainly some colorful sides we might never have imagined upon first glance.
While Clerks is a black and white film, it is certainly populated by a colorful cast of characters who present issues that are anything but strictly black and white. Why film such a colorful cast and their controversial, sometimes offensive discussions in black and white? Wouldn't color film stock better illustrate the various shades and hues of these characters' lives?
In class, we have discussed personal prejudices against black and white films, and we have read what the experts think about it. While Kevin Smith made the decision to use black and white film stock based on the limitations of his budget, arguments can still be made about what the lack of color adds to or takes away from the film. Based on what you now know about visual design and cinematic use of color discuss the benefits or detriments of Smith's choice to use black and white film stock in light of its contribution to one or more narrative element (plot, character development, or theme).
The plot of the movie is very basic, It is about two guys that work and play hockey together, one is very responsible and the other not so much. The decision of Kevin Smith leaving the film as black and white adds to the simple and basic aspect to the story. There could have been chances to go back later and colorize the film, but sticking to his guns Kevin has left this movie alone for more than 15 years. I do believe that adding color to this film would draw from the interest of the movie and would have a chance to hurting the film. The theme I would say is just the life of an ordinary convince store worker and the problems that he has in a day. He is treated as a push over by the store owner and some of the customers that come in. The characters that were chosen for the film are some that you would see on a daily basis in life. There are those that are very out spoken like Jay, and those that speak on when the time is right to leave us with just a little bit of enlightenment, known as Bob. Which Bob is not only a supporting character but he writer and director of the film Kevin Smith. So I believe that keeping the film in black and white keeps the interest on the plot and less on what is going on everywhere else. This is a great example of how someone on a low budget can still make a popular movie, which still gains notoriety in society today.
ReplyDeleteClerks the rude, black and white comedy directed by Kevin Smith portrayed the life of two average, ordinary guys who are best friends and work at different stores right next to each other. Everyone knows that director Kevin Smith produced Clerks in black and white not because of artistic reasons rather that he was broke and running on a low budget. After analyzing the film, Clerks would be a totally different film if Kevin Smith would have instituted color into the film after release. Some people probably would have liked it better to experience all of the different shades and hues of color along with the rude humor of the star characters Dante and Randall. But if the audience would put aside their personal prejudices, they would see that black and white better develops the characters and contributes to the plot. Without color, the audience is more in tuned with the dialogue of the characters and can better understand the main characters of the film. In my opinion, color would make the audiences’ minds stray away from the rude humor of the characters, which made the film.
ReplyDeleteI believe if Director Kevin Smith would have released the film in color, it would have damaged the theme of the film. All throughout the movie, the characters are every day, ordinary people who are just putting in their hours at work. In my opinion, color and its wide use of different techniques would have ruined the overall element of simplicity. These are not characters who are trying to save the world from aliens, they are two guys stuck at work who hate almost every individual that walks into their doors. So by using black and white, the audience gets a better feel for the everyday, basic workday of Randall Graves and Dante Hicks. Clerks was an excellent example of how film doesn’t always have to focus on the special effects and different aspects of color in order to be successful in the film industry.
Color film could perhaps color the character’s lives. Color however, distracts the audience from the plot and everything going on in the movie. When a movie is in color, the audience is more inclined to pay more attention to the character’s surroundings than the characters themselves. If the film was in color more people may want to watch it but they would not get as much out of it. They would not get as much out of the plot, the characters or the theme because they paid more attention to the minor details of the movie that didn’t matter as much in the very end.
ReplyDeleteThe use of black and white film stock adds to narrative element. Because the movie is in black and white, it forces the audience to pay more attention to the plot, character development and theme. It forces the audience to pay attention to the plot because we are not distracted by the color. Color seems to make everything stand out where black and white does not make small details stand out as much so we focus on what is going on in the story. Being black and white makes the audience pay particular attention to the characters and how they develop. The characters are about the only thing we need to pay attention to because the minor details that show up in color film aren’t there to distract us. Black and white does not really help the theme much because themes are present in color film. Audiences pay attention to the theme in color film and black and white. If a theme is presented the audience can grasp it because theme is a concept, not really something we can see.