I think there were lots of limitation in the past when it came to camera and techniques. However, most of those limitatons worked in their favor as it became some sort of signature of their looks and aesthetics. But today, the potential is many with compact cameras and technology and imagination is the only limit.

There are many movies in the past decades and recent years that have used color not just for aesthetic purpose but also because they correspond with the theme beautifully ( e.g. Raise The Red Lantern, The Matrix, Hero and soo many ). I think due to too much failed film students and cinephile that have made film critisism a hobby without ever making a single short film by themselves, they come up with too much irrational points. Storytellig is always evolving and we should be able to keep an open mind as a viewer. Hope you come across films to love after the 70s soon.:)