What were the big developments in film?

[♥ J a i m i e ♥]

I've always noticed that I can really tell when a film was made by just....the quality of it. The sound. The picture.
Not the special effects. I mean the film itself. Assume a accurate period drama with no special effects whatsoever. I can still tell by watching it if it were made recently, in the 80s, in the 50s (even if in colour) or whatever.

Now...Why is this?
I know I've heard with modern stuff there's a move away from film and onto digital work...but for earlier films?
Why is there such a difference?
Where are the lines?

 

[TravisS]

There a lots of things that will subconsciouslly date a film, even an accurate period piece. Technical elements like the sound recording of the dialogue, the amount and style of location shooting and even plot elements.

Some older films that have not had any remastering done on them will show their age, especially if they are old prints that have been shown many times on TV over the years. A properly remastered film can look in some ways as good as new i.e. a recent showing of Zulu on Film4.

There will always be other things like concurrent fashions effecting the appearances of actors and especially actresses - look at pretty much any Hollywood historical made in the 30's or 40's and the women are a dead giveaway.

Other factors would be current social issues and elements of sex and race. These will always make their way into a plot and the makeup of any film and still do (look at the recent Robin Hood).

 

[imported_nobody]

Technicolor to Eastmancolor. In Technicolor, everyone wore 7 inch thick make up. Looks different.

Move to Panavision, with smaller lighter cameras, so the style of movies changed in early 1960s.

When Dolby TM came out, the soundtracks changed.