10 Best Black & White Films Of The 21st Century (So Far)

Cold War is centered on the tumultuous love story of Wiktor and Zula in post-World War II Poland. The two of them are very different, but develop a strong attraction to one another. They are consistently pulled apart and brought back together again over the course of time, and the circumstances of life provide difficult obstacles for them to maneuver.

There is a magnificent quality of beautiful sadness all throughout the film, and it's made so impactful because of the performances by Joanna Kulig as Zula and Tomasz Kot as Wiktor. In addition, the gorgeous manner in which Cold War was shot by cinematographer Łukasz Żal adds to their captivating energy.

Żal's work is stunningly elegant while remaining relatively simple, and his efforts earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. The black and white imagery serves to both place the story more firmly in the post-WWII era and also highlight the timelessness of concepts like love and heartbreak.