5 Colourful Movies That Were Almost Black And White

5. Mad Max: Fury Road

The gold and barren desert of the apocalyptic blockbuster had the potential to be a more neutral landscape if the director had his way. In an interview with The Independent, George Miller recalled how an orchestra played the soundtrack to a black and white print of his film Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. He was struck by the experience and weighed up whether or not to capture Mad Max: Fury Road in less vibrant hues.

The studio, however, rejected the idea, much to Miller's dismay. He complained that the stylistic choice of black and white seemed to be only acceptable with art house movies, but eventually agreed with the studio about Fury Road requiring more saturation its first time out. However, the downhearted director asked the film's colourist Eric Whipp to craft a collection of black and white scenes anyway. The result impressed him so much that he demanded they include the altered copy on the Blu-Ray release.

Fury Road's dynamic shades played well with audiences and critics alike. It scored six Oscars and was nominated in the Best Cinematography category. Miller's beloved black and white (or 'chrome') rendition of the movie was also released in theatres several months after its Academy Award wins.

While the multicoloured make-up of the riders remained intact for the initial premiere, Miller's heart definitely leaned toward a monochromatic masterpiece.