Umbrella term for aspect ratios wider than 4:3, from spherical 1.85:1 to anamorphic 2.39:1, achieved via specialized lenses or sensor masking.
Technical Details
Anamorphic widescreen processes use special lenses with horizontal compression of a factor of 2:1, recording a 2.35:1 image onto 35mm film at 1.18:1. During projection, corresponding lenses de-squeeze the image. Spherical widescreen formats like 1.85:1 use normal lenses and mask off areas of the image at the top and bottom. VistaVision exposed 35mm film horizontally with eight perforations per frame instead of four vertically, doubling the usable image area. Modern digital cameras like the ARRI Alexa 65 or RED Monstro 8K VV utilize larger sensors for native widescreen acquisition without quality loss from masking.
History & Development
In 1953, 20th Century Fox introduced the CinemaScope process with "The Robe," developed by Henri Chrétien. Paramount responded in 1954 with VistaVision ("White Christmas"), and MGM developed Camera 65 for "Ben Hur" (1959). These formats emerged as a response to television competition, aiming to provide an in-theater experience impossible at home. By the late 1960s, 1.85:1 became the standard widescreen format in the US, while Europe largely remained at 1.66:1. Since the 1990s, the anamorphic 2.39:1 format (technically 2.35:1) has dominated blockbuster productions.
Practical Application in Film
Sergio Leone utilized the 2.35:1 format in his Western epics like "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) for extreme wide shots of desert landscapes and extreme close-ups within the same shot. Christopher Nolan consciously switches between IMAX (1.43:1) and anamorphic 2.39:1 in his films to visualize different narrative layers. Ridley Scott favors anamorphic optics for their characteristic lens flares and oval bokeh circles. Modern streaming productions like "The Crown" use 2:1 as a compromise between cinematic aesthetics and TV presentation.
Comparison & Alternatives
While classic 4:3 television corresponds to the Academy ratio, 16:9 (1.78:1) became the HDTV standard. IMAX, with its 1.43:1 aspect ratio, offers significantly more vertical image information than conventional widescreen formats. Ultra Panavision 70 achieves an extreme image width of 2.76:1 but was only used for a few films like "The Hateful Eight" (2015). Modern LED walls in virtual production support variable aspect ratios during shooting, eliminating the need for post-production format adjustments.