Scottie's post over in the Top Indie thread got me to thinking about movies I've seen (and like) that have that Indie feel to them, even if they had big budgets.
As a fan of classic pirate movies, the one that comes to mind for me is
The Black Swan (1942) Shot in 1942, director Henry King wanted to save film stock, so he instructed all cast members to try to get their scenes on the first take. 38 scenes were shot and printed on the first take!
This was not for budgetary reasons. This film had a huge budget, with stars of the day such as Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Laird Cregar, George Sanders and pirate movie must-have Anthony Quinn. In addition, the fx budget was huge and the result was some of the most spectacular and intricate swashbuckling filmed to date.
So, this big studio backed star-packed film was shot with something of an Indie style, in direct contrast to modern Hollyweird shoot, shoot, shoot to the polished perfection only a large expenditure of film can buy. One thing that bothers me in modern movies is that you can TELL they were done over until "just right."
Others?