Aspect ratio refers to how the image appears on the screen based on how it was shot–the ratio of width (horizontal or top) to height (vertical or side) of a film frame, image, or screen. Dating back to Thomas Edison’s equipment, 1.33:1 was for a long time the typical aspect ratio for film. The ratio 1.33:1, which was dubbed “Academy aperture” in 1932 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, soon became the first standard ratio in film, and was used until the 1950s. (The ratio 1.33:1 is the same as the 4:3 ratio of a television screen.) During the 1950s, developments in wide-screen formats and aspect ratios were introduced, including 1.65:1 and higher. Other anamorphic systems, such as CinemaScope and Panavision, have an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, while Cinerama had a ratio of 2.77:1. The aspect ratio for 70-mm. films is 2.2:1, and letterboxed videos for wide-screen televisions usually have an aspect ratio of 1.77:1 (or 16:9). Standard 35-mm. films have an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (normally 1.66:1 in Europe).
So 4:3 is the size of the television screen that myself and people my age grew up with and the standard format of a VHS tape. Even if the movie was filmed in another ratio, like 1.85:1 it was pan & scanned down to 4:3. To better show my example here is what happens to scene from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope when it is scaled down.
This is why all us video store geeks would always recommend that you rent the widescreen version if it's available because that is the format the director wants you to see when they filmed it. Lately though I've been wondering if widescreen really is the best way to watch a film.
The Evil Dead, the VHS I bought first that got me back into VHS tapes was originally film in 1.33:1 or 4:3 on 16 mm film, however it has since been released on DVD and BluRay in widescreen editions, look what they did to the picture to make it widescreen;
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| Original 4:3 |
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| Widescreen version |
See how Scott's head is cut off as well as more of the original image. We've all been conditioned to think that bluray is the best version you can watch movies in. That maybe true for new movies and televisions shows that were filmed since bluray players were introduced in 2006, but older films or low budget films that were like The Evil Dead, widescreen distorts that directors intended picture.
However, most people don't care about this, they just turn on the television and watch it how it appears on the screen. I'm not saying I'm some snob, but if it's a favorite movie of mine, I'm going to go out of my way to watch it the right way. However today bought a couple VHS tapes for 30 cents and I'll enjoys those films just fine. They were Hamburger Hill & The Hunt For Red October, released in 1987 & 1990 both were filmed in widescreen, and I'm sure these VHS are full screen or 4:3 aspect ratio. I have watched both movies in the past numerous times, but I haven't seen them in years.
I'm curious what your preference is?
Until Next Time!
My first widescreen VHS tape was an Anchor Bay release of Halloween. I was astonished by how much of the film had been cut out and how that affected the movie. I'd seen Halloween at least a dozen times before in traditional 4:3, but it was like a brand new movie in widescreen.
ReplyDeleteThe second most mind blowing widescreen discovery was Ghostbusters. There are scenes in the Sedgwick hotel where you only see three of the four Ghostbusters because of the 4:3 ratio. Widescreen really opened up that movie and those scenes and I loved it.
I prefer widescreen and I'll seek it out anytime I can, but I do still have a fondness for the 4:3. I'd prefer for an image not to be stretched to widescreen and I've seen how that has ruined so many great 80's and 90's sitcoms streaming on various services. This is why I prefer to find the DVDs that have the correct aspect ratio or watch on Hulu where I can control it.
I guess, ultimately, I just want to see a movie or TV show however the filmmaker origianl intended. I don't want to see a forced perspective of any sort. I refer back to how the streaming version of Buffy was ruined by "upscaling" and sometimes things are just better off alone. I do wish that streaming services would offer traditional pan and scan versions of old 80's horror movies so they could be viewed the way most of us saw them on VHS.