11 Great Technicolor Movies Across History

One of the great joys in my life is watching older movies. I love seeing storytellers of the past use all the tools available to them to capture an audience’s hearts and minds. And I love watching technicolor movies because they really pop off the screen.

I decided to make a list of my favorite technicolor movies for you to check out.

Let’s dive in.

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1. The Wizard of Oz

Directed by Victor Fleming, this is the movie I think most people have seen that they identify with Technicolor. It’s so bright and colorful. Pure joy.

2. Vertigo

This Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece uses its bright color to tell the story. Vertigo‘s use of green and red is famous for its dramatic layers and depth.

3. Barry Lyndon

Stanley Kubrick made a lot of amazing movies, but this one just stands out to me for how it uses light and color to bring a real and surreal nature to British aristocratic life.

4. The Adventures of Robin Hood

Michael Curtiz and William Keighley directed this classic story that looks like it’s out of a fairy tale. It just feels like you ‘re on the adventure, too.

5. Leave Her to Heaven

One of my all-time favorites, this colorful noir uses its brightness to add another layer to the dark deeds within the story.

6. Black Narcissus

I just saw this Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger movie on nitrate at the Academy Museum last year, and it blew me away. Such a lush and welcoming movie that turns into a terrifying story through the use of color and sound.

7. Niagra

My all-time favorite Marilyn Monroe movie, and one I go back to often. Henry Hathaway directs this movie where looks really can kill you. and the blonde hair and blue eyes of Marilyn have never looked better on screen.

8. Amarcord

The Fellini movie looks like a painting in every scene. The colors are vibrant and the costuming is unforgettable.

9. The Red Shoes

You can’t make a list like this without Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. And for this one, I have them on here three times. This movie is defined by its colors and dancing.

10. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

This movie is almost three hours long, and many actors in the movie portray several different roles, and yet I still walk away from this Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger film talking about just how beautiful every scene looks.

11. All That Heaven Allows

There’s something about a Sirkian melodrama that just looks better in Technicolor. You feel every emotion more. Every word matters more when it’s spoken with these backdrops.

Summing Up Technicolor Films

Now that you have this list of technicolor films to watch, you better head to the library or the Criterion closest to see what you can find.

These are just my personal preferences, there are a ton of great movies out there utilizing this process.

I want to know your favorites.

Let me know what you think in the comments.