black and white film—a monochrome film or motion picture:
- He submitted a strong script that led Fox to substitute color film and wide screen for black-and-white and the conventional small-screen ratio.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase black and white—(U.S. diners) chocolate soda with vanilla ice cream:
- Ever since a Philadelphia soda fountain manager whipped up the first “black and white,” ice cream floats have been a favorite of sweet tooths of all ages.
black film—
1. a film typically featuring the dark, seedy side of the big city:
- French critics saw the five films as a group and, noticing a common theme of pessimism and darkness, called them film noir, or black film.
2. a film with predominantly black actors:
- The words are revealing; for this is a black film, not only with a mostly black cast but also with a black director, Mario Van Peebles.
Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase black comedy—(also: dark comedy) a film that takes serious subject matter (such as death, war, suffering, etc.) and addresses it in a humorous fashion, even when it may seem inappropriate:
- Frank Sinatra stars in a black comedy about the danger of extreme left and right wing politics.