Prime Video, which premieres the New Marvel series, does this by allowing you to choose if you want to see Spider-Noir in black and white or color. In a strategy that is not common in the world of television, although it is common in cinema, the platform offers two different formats to enjoy this production starring Nicolas Cage. Given this, it is logical that you ask yourself: Is there any real difference between the two options? Well then, I resolve your doubt.
Unlike other series where the only question is whether to start watching them or not, with Spider-Noir, you will have to make an extra decision. With the first season of eight episodes available in full on Prime Video starting this Wednesday, May 27, it is very possible that before hitting the Play button, you are wondering whether to choose the experience in “Authentic Black and White” or opt for the version “True-Hue in Full Color”.
However, before revealing if there is any real difference between seeing Spider-Noir in black and white or color, it is essential to understand the context. The series takes us to the dark New York of the 1930s, where Nicolas Cage plays Ben Reilly, a cynical private detective who is not exactly going through his best moment and whose alter ego is The Spider, the mysterious superhero who watches over the safety of the city in the shadows, although he has not done so for a long time after a personal tragedy.
Spider-Noir in Black and White or Color: Which is the Best Version for You?
The existence of this double format is due to a request from the actor himself. In an interview with Esquire, the interpreter revealed that Amazon was very nervous at first about the idea of launching an entire monochrome project. It was Cage himself who proposed the definitive solution: «It doesn’t have to be just black and white. You can also do it in color, because this is for all ages». However, for the viewer, it makes it clear what their favorite format is: “I designed my performance specifically for black and white, and I’m glad it looks that way”.
That said, you should know that beyond aesthetics itself, there is no difference between seeing Spider-Noir in black and white or color. That is, you will not find a different story, unpublished scenes, or an alternative montage depending on the option you choose. The footage, dialogue, and plot are the same from start to finish.
Authentic Black and White
- Advantages: It was conceived this way by the original creator, Pray Uziel. In academic terms, it almost seems sacrilege that with this story, viewers don’t bet on him noirin a title in which his own name determines his monochromatic nature. The contrasts, the marked shadows of the faces and the settings… stop merging fully into the atmosphere of New York from the 30s, Spider-Noir, it should be seen in black and white.
- Disadvantages: One of the main handicaps lies in the low contrasts from most home televisions (especially LEDs), and therefore, dark scenes become more complex to decipher. On the other hand, the superheroic side of fiction and powers is lost; action scenes and special effects look less impressive.
True-Hue Full Color
- Advantages: It has greater definition on the screens and helps separate the character from the background. The «True-Hue» is not a conventional coloring; it works like a retro tribute to Technicolor that highlights and elevates the lighting and costume design work of the action. The actress Li Jun Li, who plays Cat Hardy in the series, has positioned himself in favor of this way of seeing the series.
- Disadvantages: Betraying that purism so much of film noir, diluting the classic atmosphere and losing, among others, the idea of how the superhero camouflages himself in the shadows.
This is Very Good, But Which One Do I Choose?
The version “Authentic Black and White” of Spider-Noir gives you the possibility of watching the series as the classic film noir of the 40s and 50s. Everything seems much more mysterious and dangerous, generating one more oppressive atmosphere that is not even suitable for a plot that involves gangsters, corruption, and private detectives.
As for the version “True-Hue in Full Color”, suffice it to say that you will gain enormous richness in detail, in addition to being able to fully enjoy the colorful powers of the villains or the neon lights in Cat Hardy’s club. This way you will get a much greater visual spectacle —especially if the HDR from your television, although in exchange you will lose that mysticism and the special touch that only black and white is capable of providing.
Do you want some advice? The best thing you can do is watch half of the first episode in black and white and the other in color. Only then will you be able to appreciate the difference between both versions and opt for one of them, because this is one very personal preference.
Color Marked the Design of the Series?
In fact, the way of rolling Spider-Noir for both versions to be released, he came to the condition that the more artistic side of the performance would be. “We had some incredible cinematographers who, together with the director, showed us what the shot they were preparing was going to be like, and the stage looked black and white. So you could feel the feel and atmosphere of the scene you were going to enter. That, without a doubt, reinforced you and made you understand that it was a very particular style that you had to live up to. That was incredibly useful to me”, he encourages himself as well as Abraham Popola, the actor of Tombstone.
It also evidently affected costume design. “I think we all found out we were going to have a color version a little later. So we were doing all the costume fittings. We would go to the set and see everything in color, obviously, and I thought to myself what a shame that people couldn’t see this, and everyone would say: “Oh, but it’s going to be beautiful in black and white”. Yes, but all the work behind making the colors so vivid… And, of course, when they told us that we were also going to have a color version, it obviously made us very happy. But it was incredible. The amount of work and detail that went into the texture…”, he says to Li.
“And there are also some easter eggs. For example, the colors of Flint, what he’s wearing. What I wear when I’m with Flint compared to what I wear when I’m with Ben. So you start to realize that there is a lot more work behind it”, the actress suggests. “In fact, [the costume designer] Trayce Gigi Field told me that the idea was to make both versions. So she had to work on choosing a wardrobe that would work for both of them. And that’s where she deserves all the credit, because she and her team found a way to make sure the costumes, materials, colors, and textures made sense for both versions”, she celebrates Popola.
“We also have to make it clear that Spider-Noir is not limited to being shot in color and then converted to black and white. They thought about every element of the set, even the makeup… For example, yes, Cat Hardy, I was wearing red lipstick, which would look black in black and white, so we had to choose shades that complemented each other. That they would look good in the color version and at the same time fit into the composition that would be seen in the black and white version. So it was very, very difficult to have to do it in both versions”, he concludes Li, excited about the result.
My Favorite Option
In my personal decision, the virtues of enjoying Spider-Noir in black and white surpass the care and affection with which Amazon has taken care of the color version. After seeing the pilot in the classic option, I tried the second route, “True Hue,” to appreciate the beauty and level of detail of the design of the artistic production. But I ended up going back to some achromatic chiaroscuros that represent the essence of the series, both in the general tone and in the dramatic arc of the characters.