B&W Movies

How did german expressionism effect black and white cinema? How did black and white enhance film noir? How does black and white enhance other genre's?

German expressionism highlighted high contrast and abstract imagery, becoming a great influence to the monochromatic cinema. Because of the lack of color, the brain naturally focused on the shapes and lights used in the frame. This high contrast characteristic of the German expression became later known as Film Noir. Black and white was especially effective in Film Noir because it forced the filmmaker to be more selective in their artistic choices. The unrealistic appearance of monochrome emphasizes the heightened  reality the film is trying to depict. On the other hand, the connection between black and white and the 1900s create a reality that can be very beneficial for science fiction movies. Horror movies are also effective in monochrome in that it can reflect the paranoia of the character.