Black and White TV Shows: ‘Ripley’, ‘Feud’ and ‘Sugar’

In Netflix’s “Ripley,” characters repeatedly draw attention to the colors of the world around them. The blue tint of a painting; the purple paisley pattern of a robe. These vivid details, which could be attention-grabbing in any other show, ring a bell in “Ripley,” simply because the show is shot entirely in black and white.

Intentionally saying these colors out loud acknowledges what’s missing from the frame: both the visual vibrancy and the moral character of author Patricia Highsmith’s protagonist, legendary con man Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott). Black and White serves this narrative purpose well, as Tom’s desire for the life of wealthy playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) becomes increasingly twisted and violent – which is exactly what writer/director Steven Zaillian and cinematographer Robert Elswit intended.

“Steven was very clear that the lighting in ‘Ripley’ would reflect part of who Tom is and that the world he lives in was not only monochromatic, but also very contrasty,” says Elswit. Variety. “That black and white photography would give the audience a sense of fear and suspense and mystery and all the other things that remain with us from the history of black and white images, all the way back to forever.”

Removing color to draw character and emotion from every shot is a match for Italy’s ’60s-set “Ripley,” but it’s not the only show to do it this season — just the only one to do it from start to finish do. Elsewhere, the monochrome palette is used more sparingly, but just as effectively. The third episode of FX’s resurrected anthology series “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” recreates the 1966 Black and White Ball, presented by writer Truman Capote, in meticulous, monochrome detail. Apple TV+’s Colin Farrell-led “Sugar” reintroduces audiences to the noir genre through a sinister black-and-white opening scene before color seeps into its world.

“Feud” cinematographer Jason McCormick says shooting in black and white requires relentless effort from every level of production. When done right, it adds a versatile depth that isn’t always accessible to color-packed sequences.

“I think it strips it down and subconsciously puts you in a different kind of headspace,” he says. ‘You suspend reality. And just for me, when I photograph it or take photos myself, I feel like it focuses you in a different way. You see shapes and shades of gray. It’s about composition. You can play with it.”

Unlike “Ripley,” the use of black and white in “Feud” serves a diegetic purpose. The series documented Capote’s (Tom Hollander) famous 1966 masquerade event by Albert and David Maysles, the filmmaking duo behind other films such as “Grey Gardens.” The episode’s perspective is almost exclusively through the lens of their camera, anchoring it in a specific cultural moment. The film was shot at the Plaza Hotel in New York, where the real ball took place, and McCormick says he chose a smaller monochrome camera to maximize the potential for voyeuristic spontaneity. The set was also minimally lit, with the main light attached to the top of the camera for a spotlight effect that cast extremes of light and dark on the subjects.

“You light the environment as you would at an event, while taking into account period-correct lighting and camera sensitivity,” he says. “The nice thing is: what difference does it make if we shoot at a high ISO? If there is a lot of it [visual] noise, it should be a grainy 16mm documentary from 1966. That’s the beauty of photographing with a monochrome camera. It’s definitely a few steps more sensitive, so I was able to embrace it.”

But embracing it at this point requires months of preparation to ensure the space reads without the context of color. It required complete synchronicity with the production and costume design departments to ensure their colors would register in black and white, McCormick says. In “Ripley,” Zaillian spent months exploring locations in Atrani and across Italy that similarly added interesting visual textures like cobblestones, ancient walls and landscapes to each shot. The characters also become their own canvas for experimentation.

“We wanted details on all kinds of surfaces, even faces,” he says. “Faces become another playground because you are not distracted by skin colors. And no one is perfect. Even with makeup, you can take a face and it becomes a landscape for lighting, and you can exaggerate it and control it and also make it feel like the space is lighting them in a slightly unrealistic theatrical way.

Although “Ripley” was shot largely on location, there were sets that were harder to highlight for black and white, such as the apartment of Dakota Fanning’s character Marge and a crucial death scene shot on water.

“There is not a piece of furniture, a wall or anything else that has not been assessed for texture and contrast,” says Elswit. “And outside you organize the show based on the weather and the time of day. Shooting something with a front light with the sun shining on you versus shooting the same scene with clouds or backlight, it all feels different, especially in black and white.”

“Sugar” was a different story. Fernando Meirelles handled the black-and-white opening of the private detective series in post-production, editing clips of classic Hollywood noirs into each episode.

“Fernando wanted to start that opening in Japan in black and white, as a kind of return to [Akira] Kurosawa films, and it also feels a little alien,” says executive producer Audrey Chon. “It just added a whole different dimension to the show and to Sugar’s character.”

But the value of black and white for these shows is the same regardless of the method. By removing color from the image, a whole new world of consciousness literally opens up for the viewer. In this extreme darkness and blinding white tones, more can be hidden – something Tom Ripley would certainly appreciate.

“With black and white you can get away with murder in ways that you can’t if you shoot in color,” says McCormick. “It’s inspiring.”