MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Do modern films have "style"?

Do modern films have "style"?

posted 6 years ago by [deleted]
20 replies | jump to latest

I'm a big fan of old movies especially film noir. I love black and white and how the style of the films as well as the black white help with immersing myself into the world on my screen.

I like how the men and women interact in the films and the romance and how storylines aren't spelled out like in modern films.

So it made me start thinking. Do modern films have a style to them?

For the sake of this thread let's call classic films from the beginning of film to the 1980's.

Modern being everything that comes after.

Is it I am just not a big fan of modern films and that is why I don't see any style?

[–] Stratego (30574) 6 years ago

Maybe they had too much style. I don't necessarily mind movies becoming more realistic and natural from 1970 onwards. But on the other hand, I'm not a real fan of current movies. There's something contrived and disingenuous about their style.

[–] dmac8 (5050) 6 years ago

yes

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

The Others (2001) had style. One of the most gorgeous looking movies i've ever seen.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

People keep whinging about there being too much "style over substance," so movies just throw away style and try to have too much substance. That's my theory.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I can see that. I also notice that imagination is dead now as well. A lot of people complain that "oh that film wasn't realistic, people don't do that" etc etc Well sure they probably don't, it's a film. It is about exploring a theme or concept. It doesn't have to be realistic, in fact it is probably more entertaining and interesting if it isn't realistic.

So now you do have films that are like looking at someone's mundane day to day life and well zzzzz....

[–] actionkamen (23176) 6 years ago

Some have. Greengrass' school of shaky cam and hypercuts, for example.

[–] slimone (7996) 6 years ago

Today's are gross. The last film I saw in a theater was Darkest Hour. I prefer all other kinds of films. . . comedies, mysteries, film noir, all classic films like the Thin Man series for instance.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

A lot of "modern films" are like extended music video's. Montages and just filler where often nothing really happens, same formula's and cliches. And modern horror films really are horrific, more like slasher films.

And story? That is an old fashioned foible.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 6 years ago

Short answer: yes. The Shape of Water is one that immediately leaps to mind, having seen it not long ago and found it to have a lot of style.

Probably yes, it's that you're not a fan of modern film, so you don't see it. But you might want to define style, as you see it.

[–] Jones70 (6582) 6 years ago

movies like snowpiercer, prisoners, the Lincoln lawyer, shutter island, sin city, gone girl, there will be blood, zodiac, assassination of jesse james, the hurt locker, inception, Detroit, road to perdition, dredd, the raid redemption, 127 hours, narc, master and commander, the girl with the dragon tattoo, nightcrawler are all very stylish.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Sin City looks good but it's really boring a lot from film noir. The rest of the films you mentioned didn't leave much of an impression on me.