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Originally posted by: jimbo
I disagree. Many widescreen fans say this but I think that whichever version shows more of the shot picture. For example in Terminator 3 only the fullscreen version has any nudity. Kristanna Loken breast are not shown in widescreen. Why on earth would the directer not want you to see this. Hell even some effects shots look better in fullscreen. In the making of it showed how they animated the water below the Hunter Killer and talked for 5 minutes on how they did this. When it shows the final shot in 2.35 widescreen the water below the hunter killer is not visible.
Sounds like poor cinematography and bad matte choices to me. Perhaps after filming, the director decided that going further out to reveal the water ruined the focal points of the shot.
The director and cinematographer ultimately decide what belongs in a given frame and what should be thrown out. Just because an open matte transfer shows more of the film negative, it doesn't mean it's better. Good camera work results in tight, well-thought-out composition. Look at any Kubrick film for flawless cinematography; he was a nut for lines, angles, and symmetry. His Academy Ratio composition is genius, and completely destroyed when matted for 1.85:1 presentation. I'm glad Warner released his work in the intended aspect ratio rather than the theatrical aspect ratio. The Shining in anamorphic widescreen would've been awful. It would've been nice to have both versions though for comparison.
If the filmmaker composes a shot for 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 using Super35, removing the mattes for home video destroys the composition. You may see more, but it's not something you were ever meant to see anyway. It also wreaks havoc with special effects, which are usually done in the theatrical aspect ratio only (or close to it). When the film is transferred open matte for home video, special effects shots are typically cropped to 1.33:1 while the rest of the film is opened up.
Anybody here have The Goonies on DVD? I had never seen it in its original 2.35:1 presentation until the DVD's release, and it's a completely different experience. I thought it was awesome when I heard that Warner originally planned to release it as P&S only until Donner got wind of it and insisted it be presented in widescreen.
The director's vision should come first. The wants and needs of an ignorant moviegoing public should be irrelevant. The mighty dollar has the final say in most cases, unfortunately.