I wonder if there were critics expressing their displeasure with color movies when black-and-white movies were the norm? I could see some of the same arguments working. "When you see a black-and-white film your mind automatically adds color", "It adds nothing to the experience", "It can be a distraction".
Absolutely. Some European film critics held this view until recently.
I recall one of Finland's former leading critics, a man who used to teach cinema history in the country's leading film school, listing his favorite films of all time in 1996, when the art form turned 100. His list included a single color film, and he made special note of that: "This film demonstrates that it's possible to create a film where color is not a distraction but an essential element."
