The numbers speak clearly. Oppenheimer, after recording the best Italian debut for a Nolan film, continues to rack up impressive numbers at both the local and international box office. However, not all cinemas are full. The audience decided to give preference to a certain type of hall. The best possible? Yes, but above all, someone who is able to guarantee that the vision is similar (at least as far as possible) to what was intended by the director and conveyed through an advertising campaign that emphasized the importance of watching the film in IMAX cinema. Case Oppenheimer This is not unique, but rather a trend in modern cinema. And, as we will see in the following paragraphs, the choice in favor of such specific formats from time to time hides various motives. Before we begin, however, it’s useful to clarify the format Nolan has chosen for his latest work, and the differences compared to the more classic format we might see in our favorite drive-in movie theater, for example. In many cases, cinemas use digital format called DCP – which replaced more classic films – with a resolution of 2K or 4K. When you go to 70 mm instead the resolution comes to 12 thousandreaching even I 18k with IMAX 70mmambitious format chosen Christopher Nolan which required the production of black-and-white films specific to the format.
Format like vintage effect
However, the variety of formats is not a result of modernity. Since the birth of cinema, various types of cinema have appeared. L’academy, Cinemascope, Cinerama or Panoramic, are just a few of those who have made big screen history. Their origin can be found in the necessity that forced cinema to rely on technological progress in search of ever higher quality or the introduction of new features (such as sound). However, today, when the quality threshold is more standardized, the decision in favor of certain formats or tools is a choice that almost always hides a certain meaning. Take Tarantino for example. For implementation The Hateful Eight he chose Ultra PanVision 70also known as MGM Camera 65. This is a special format created to further expand the projection aspect ratio to 70mm. Simply put, to further increase the immersion of the image. Behind this type of choice lies, on the one hand, a technical and narrative necessity. In The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino wanted the audience to be in the cabin with these characters to share their sense of claustrophobia and anxiety. On the other hand, however, he hides a passion for vintage. Ultra Panavision 70 is a historical format that was used to create some great classics such as Ben Hur. And given that we’re talking about Tarantino, that is, a film history buff who in this sense imposes an obsessive control on his career, it’s hard not to think that he wanted to experience the thrill of using those cameras and lenses.
Format with metanarrative function
But when it comes to using certain formats, we can’t help but talk about Xavier Dolan and his mommy. The film by the Canadian prodigy, winner of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, is 1:1 format which we all know well as it is typical of Instagram posts. In Mommy, the use of this aspect ratio aims to heighten the claustrophobia and, above all, the sense of oppression experienced by Steve, the boy at the center of the story. When at a specific moment the main character’s mental and emotional state changes, he expands the format with his own hands. It was as if hope had lightened the weight of the world on his shoulders. While the notes and verses of Oasis’ Wonderwall resonate – after all, Dolan has every feeling accompanied by the right pop song – Steve feels alive again, and so do we. And this emotional process is driven precisely by the choice of format and its variations, which acquire metanarrative value. Without him, the scene would not have such an impact on the viewer.
A format that will return theater to the center or break the concept of cinema
However, the choice of certain formats or techniques can become a declaration of intent or a desire to force the viewer to live a specific experience. At the 80th Venice International Film Festival, director harmony Corinne presented his new film Agro Dr1ft. In addition to presence Travis Scott Among the actors, interest in the project was aroused by the technique with which it was made. Agro Dr1ft really filmed entirely with infrared cameras (and then adjusted in post-processing to make it easier to view). The provocative choice comes from Korine, who is said to be interested in experimenting to try to understand what comes after the movie. For now, however, the results do not appear to have encouraged the Lido public to such an extent that, according to more than a few several viewers refused to watch (although the film still deserved ten minutes of applause). Meanwhile, however, Corinne wasted no time in calling the new Call of Duty video game trailer: “better than anything Spielberg has ever done”. Generation conflict? Maybe. Meanwhile the director Spring Switches He seems ideally at the head of a revolutionary movement that wants to take cinema to a hyper-technological approach, be it infrared or artificial intelligence facial replacement.
The intentions of directors such as Christopher Nolan, James Cameron or Volume Cruise as a producer-actor. They have made every effort to create their works using the highest technology available and the most spectacular and exciting formats. But with a clear goal: to attract the public to the cinema. Step away from streaming platforms and our home or daily screens. Because only in a cinema – perhaps IMAX – will we be able to enjoy these films to the fullest. Cinema is a singular experience that cannot be experienced anywhere other than the theatre. Closer, if we want, to the idea of a concert. And, as the data shows, it turned out to be a winning choice.