What's in a Frame? The strange aspect ratio for The Snyder Cut

    

    Zack Snyder has become a household name in the world of divided opinions. On the one hand, he is a fascinating visual artist with a unique eye for composition and style. On the other hand, he's also aggressively masculine (the toxic kind) and incredibly one-dimensional with his narrative preferences (assuming he has any). While I am not a fan of Zack Snyder or his work other than Watchmen (mostly), I believe that he has talent and skill that is wasted in narrative filmmaking and would be better served in comic book art, which was, at one time, an artistic direction that Mr. Snyder had considered. Mainly due to his tendency to prioritize visual impact over emotional narrative investment. 

    Recently, Zack Snyder returned to the spotlight with his upcoming director's cut of the infamous Justice League film, popularly known as The Snyder Cut. Long story short, Snyder was in post-production for the film when, due to a tragic incident, he forced himself out of the director's chair and away from completing his vision. Prompting another director, Joss Whedon, to step in and completely change the film at the last minute. Resulting in a trainwreck that, while still not coherent, was still somewhat watchable and entertaining, however ironically. 

    While I intend to reserve judgment before watching this film, and I have every intention of watching it for review, there is at least one aspect of the film I believe I can contribute my own two bits about, and that is Snyder's unusual choice of aspect ratio. 

    For those who don't know or may need a quick refresher, the aspect ratio refers to the black bars on the top and bottom or left and right of the screen when watching a movie or television show. It is the proportion of the height and width of the screen used to create the image. Typically, they are identified by a set of numbers identifying the number of units a screen encompasses. For example, an old-fashioned CRT television screen has an aspect ratio of 4:3, as in 4 units wide by 3 units tall. Modern HD and 4K television screens have a native aspect ratio of 16:9, as in 16 units wide by 9 units tall. 

    Now, cinema has a few options for aspect ratios identified by a different set of numbers. For the sake of staying on topic and not getting overly technical, allow me to simplify. Some cinematic aspect ratios have bigger black bars than others. One of the less-discussed qualities of aspect ratios is their ability to enhance the story's presentation. 

    For an apropos example, consider the Amazon Original series, Homecoming. 

    This story about memory loss therapy is told in a non-linear style. The first season of the show jumps between two different periods of time, which is cleverly differentiated by two aspect ratios: The past events are depicted in a modern traditional 16:9 ratio while the present events are presented in 4:3 (roughly). This provides the audience with an easily recognizable visual queue for the two different timelines. It also creates a healthy dose of audience engagement as it causes you to wonder why there are two ratios in the first place. Without spoiling anything for those who have not yet seen it, which I highly recommend you do, the show provides a satisfactory and clever explanation. 

    When different aspect ratios are used properly, it can create a unique experience and enhance the narrative. However, when they are used poorly, they can only distract and frustrate the viewer. 

    Case in point; Transformers: The Last Knight. 

    Setting aside the numerous problems with this movie as a whole, one of its greatest issues is its misuse of multiple aspect ratios. This film was shot on at least six different digital cameras, all of which appeared to have a specific aspect ratio programmed into their framing, and they didn't bother to check or correct this in post-production. I kid you not; in at least one twenty-second scene of the movie, the aspect ratio changed with every sequential shot over a dozen times. As far as I could tell, there was no narrative or technical justification for it other than the filmmakers were too lazy to decide what ratio they wanted before they hit the record button and didn't care enough to decide on a ratio before releasing the film to theaters. If this was an experiment of some sort, it failed miserably! 

    This brings me back to today's discussion because, while I understand Zack Snyder's reason for his choice in aspect ratio for his director's cut of the film, I disagree with them and maybe find them to be just a bit unethical. 

    According to Zack Snyder himself, the reason for this artistic choice pertains to the use of a wonderful film format known as IMAX. 

    Before I venture any further, I would like to say that I love, repeat, love IMAX! Of the many ways to enjoy a full cinematic, theatrical experience, IMAX is the absolute best! It is the largest and highest quality option of celluloid film capture and presentation possible. It is, indeed, an experience. 

    Zack Snyder grew fond of the IMAX format after using it for the infamous fight scene in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. He loved how it could capture the full frame of an image that was as tall as it was wide. And the extra amount of space within the image presents a glorious display when projected onto an IMAX screen, which is typically the size of a small building. In case you're wondering, the best IMAX screen in the Bay Area, at least in my opinion, is at the Metreon in San Francisco. 

    Now, at any other point in time, this creative choice would be much appreciated and bold. It is sporadic for an entire movie to be captured and presented in such a large format. However, given the timing of this film's release, along with its ultimate destination, I can't help but feel as though this choice is a bit misguided. 

    Because of the continued and dreaded impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has gone on for significantly longer than it otherwise might have had the powers that be at the time actually done something about it before losing half a million innocent people to the virus (sorry to be such a downer there), social events like attending movie theaters, especially ones with IMAX, is still not encouraged at this time. Yes, some of them are open and, to their credit, are trying their damndest to stay in business and practice COVID safety guidelines. Even so, it is still a dangerous and potentially lethal activity right now, and I believe it is unconscionable to encourage. And proclaiming that your movie is intended to be best viewed on the big screen when it is potentially deadly to do so is irresponsible and selfish! 

    There's also the fact that this movie, however much you're looking forward to or dreading having to watch, will not only have a theatrical release but will also be made available on HBO Max, the premium streaming service that will feature all future new releases from Warner Brothers for the whole year. While most households today have a modest size television with a decent sound system, not everyone who relies on streaming services for their entertainment watches it on that device. Some of them are watching on their computer, tablet, video game console, and even their phones. Which is the worst screen for enjoying a movie, but I digress. 

    This creative decision, which would otherwise seem bold and interesting, comes off to me as the demands of a petulant child refusing to accommodate his product's present times' safety needs and ultimate destination. While I applauded Zack Snyder for wanting to do something different and hopefully encourage others to do the same, I can't help but feel a lack of good creative compromise. This may be a minor thing to focus on and discuss, but sometimes even the smallest things can have the greatest impact. It could very well be true that Zack Snyder did not intend to encourage reckless movie-going, but based on his reasoning for his creative choices and their timing, it's too difficult not to suspect. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading. 

Stay safe.