![]() ![]() This development was disappointing on several fronts, but it did mean there was one less obstacle preventing films in unorthodox aspect ratios from getting presented in their proper formats. Unorthodox aspect ratios are no longer a niche entity, they’re being seen in multiplexes across the nation.Īlso of note is a change that occurred across 20 in certain domestic movie theater chains, most notably Cinemark, discontinuing the practice of adjusting their screens to cater to a specific movie’s aspect ratio. Whereas Elephant never played in more than 38 theaters in 2003, A24 sent out The Lighthouse in its 1.19:1 aspect ratio into 978 theaters at the end of 2019. ![]() A24’s recurring distribution of titles shot in this manner is especially important to note given that the studio typically puts its films out in hundreds of theaters. Titles produced and/or distributed by A24 have made especially extensive use of the format, with titles from the indie studio ranging from A Ghost Story to Mid-90s all making use of unusual aspect ratios. Since 2014, movies that have filmed and projected in unusual aspect ratios have only become more common. The same year as Ida, The Grand Budapest Hotel, which became the highest-grossing film of Wes Anderson’s career and a Best Picture nominee, also used a 4:3 aspect ratio for one of its segments. Two titles from Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski ( Ida and Cold War) may not have become box office juggernauts, but their widespread acclaim and Best Cinematography Oscar nods not only normalized the use of old-school aspect ratios but added an air of prestige to them. The connection between critical/award season glory and these old-school aspect ratios only grew stronger in the years to come. In addition to indie trailblazers like Arnold and Reichardt, the 2011 Best Picture winner The Artist was captured in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, to solidify the film being in line with the silent era features it was emulating. Rather than just being a gimmick, Meek’s Cutoff showed how unusual aspect ratios could be used for weighty thematic purposes. That focus was on how trapped women and indigenous people were in the days of American settlers traveling westward for new land. By using the more cramped 1.33 aspect ratio, Cutoff was creating a visual extension for the movie’s subversive focus. RELATED: Robert Bresson's 'A Man Escaped' Uses Editing to Create a Spiritual FilmĬutoff was an especially interesting use of the format, as its aspect ratio inherently went against many 20th century Westerns shot in either CinemaScope or the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. A year later, Kelly Reichardt stepped up to the plate and proved this was no one-off fad with her Western feature Meek’s Cutoff, also captured in a 1.33 aspect ratio. Andrea Arnold was at the forefront of this movement with her British film Fish Tank (released across the globe in 20), which was told in an unorthodox 1.33:1 aspect ratio. A handful of filmmakers began to embrace the possibilities of that classic Academy Ratio. But then, at the start of the 2010s, something started to change. ![]()
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