Valuing Monochromatic Film

World-renown movie editor A.J. Edwards' cinematic talk explains the beauty and merit behind monochromatic filming. Edwards speaks to how he used black and white film to create a more dynamic sensory experience in his latest film, The Better Angels, that captures the early life of President Lincoln.

To film The Better Angels, Edwards surprisingly opted for a black and white aesthetic despite the heightened use of special effects, bright colors and CGI in today's filmmaking. Edwards says he chose a monochromatic color scheme because it keeps the viewer's eye more focused on details, the story line and the sensory experience. He says, "With color the image is much busier. There’s much more to take in. There’s more specificity to it. Black and white immediately abstracts things and makes symbols out of it so that man or woman suddenly isn’t as specific."

This return to black and white filming is a circular return to a nostalgic and timeless film era.