The Movie of To Kill a Mockingbird Why did the director purposely film this movie in black and white?

The film was filmed in black and white in order to give the characters the definition and not the scenery.  While it is critical to the film to see the small southern town, Lee did not want the film to reduce the significance of the characters.  She wanted Atticus to be viewed with the respect he need.

The other reason was the film like the town was divided in the two colors which set the tone for the story in general.  It was a good choice because the film style made the film all the better and more captivating.