Panavision's 1957 65mm anamorphic system using 1.25× lenses to achieve 2.76:1 ultra-widescreen. Featured in Ben-Hur and The Hateful Eight.
Technical Details
The system uses 65mm negative film with five perforations per frame, producing an image area of 52.6 × 23.0mm. Ultra Panavision lenses compress the image horizontally by a factor of 1.25:1, significantly less than standard anamorphic lenses with 2:1 compression. For projection, 70mm prints with six-channel magnetic soundtracks are used. The focal lengths of the available Ultra Panavision lenses range from 40mm to 200mm, with each lens specifically designed for minimal anamorphic distortion.
History & Development
Panavision introduced Ultra Panavision 70 in 1957 to achieve an even wider aspect ratio than the already established Super Panavision 70 (2.2:1). The first film in this format was "Raintree County" (1957) starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. MGM utilized the system for prestigious large-scale productions such as "Ben-Hur" (1959) and "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1962). After the decline of the roadshow era, Ultra Panavision 70 largely disappeared by the late 1960s, until Quentin Tarantino revived the format in 2015 for "The Hateful Eight."
Practical Use in Film
Ultra Panavision 70 was particularly suited for epic historical films and Westerns, as the extreme widescreen format spectacularly showcased landscapes and crowd scenes. The chariot race sequence in "Ben-Hur" demonstrated the format's advantages for action-packed widescreen compositions. The workflow required special projection equipment in cinemas, as standard 70mm projectors had to be modified for the 2.76:1 aspect ratio. The disadvantages included the high cost of specialized equipment and the limited number of cinemas equipped to handle it.
Comparison & Alternatives
Ultra Panavision 70 differs from Super Panavision 70 through its anamorphic compression and wider aspect ratio (2.76:1 vs. 2.2:1). While standard anamorphic formats like Panavision rely on 35mm film, Ultra Panavision utilizes the higher resolution of 65mm negative. Modern IMAX formats achieve larger image areas but with different aspect ratios. As a contemporary alternative, filmmakers use digital intermediate processes to achieve similar widescreen effects with conventional equipment, without replicating the authenticity of the analog Ultra Panavision look.