Black-and-white film is clarifying. Videos shot in crisp, black and white remind us that color, while entertaining, is often a distraction. Contrasts between light and dark, motion and stillness, artful blurriness and intense focus—all of these are enhanced by a grayscale presentation. The Ready Steady Die! clip for “Vent” is just the latest example of the penetrating, candid quality of black and white filmmaking. Though we aren’t shown much more than the hands and faces of musicians Morgan Visconti and Sam K., every gesture they make is magnified, and every frame is heavy with emotion. By the end of the clip, you’ll feel as though you know these two well. And that’s a reversal for Ready Steady Die! and a telling progression in what has become one of the most ...
