MovieChat Forums > America America (1964) Discussion > What's the ratio?

What's the ratio?

posted 15 years ago by SteamshipBooth
8 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone out there know what aspect ratio this film is in?

I would have expected it to be in scope format.

Does anybody know any different?

Help much appreciated...

[–] victor-41 15 years ago

I don't know the correct way to express a film's aspect ratio, but I attended a screening of this film at Film Forum in NYC a few weeks ago and it definately was not widescreen. I also bought a DVD of this film from a seller in Greece which arrived yesterday and it too is not widescreen. I hope this helps.

[–] manu28 14 years ago

French DVD from editor "Wild Side Video" is also 1.33

[–] xofkaos 14 years ago

I know it's been a year since you inquired, but supposedly it was shot on 35mm with an aspect ratio of 1.66:1. A non pan and scan version is extremely hard to find, and it's possible one does not currently exist (Come on Criterion!). I'm actually on the hunt for it right now...

[–] alandavidstein 13 years ago

It was just on TCM, which makes a point of using the correct aspect radio. It appeared to be standard 4:3.

[–] gayspiritwarrior 13 years ago

It's on TCM today, an unexpected but worthy choice for the 4th of July. It's definitely not a widescreen film.

"The value of an idea has nothing to do with the honesty of the man expressing it."--Oscar Wilde

[–] potfilms 12 years ago

The new , restored 35mm print is positively Academy ratio 4:3 and looks absolutely fine that way. An odd decision for Kazan to have used the ratio in 1963 as mainstream cinemas in most of the English speaking world would project in 1.85:1 at the time and 1.66:1 in Europe, with only those cinemas taking care to be flexible using the correct ratio.

[–] sarge-19 12 years ago

According to DVD Verdict it's 1.78:1

[–] whitesheik 9 years ago

I love the "experts" on here. Just because the new 35mm print is open matte does NOT mean the film was meant to be projected that way. Does anyone here actually understand movies at ALL? This film was made in 1963 - there were virtually no mainstream movie houses in the US that could show Academy ratio. This film was shown, as were ALL films at this time, in 1.85 (save for scope and large format). There is no arguing this, and it doesn't matter if some projectionist was stupid enough to show it open matte - that is NOT how the film was framed by Kazan and his cameraman - these people are what is called professionals and they knew how the film would be projected. Unbelievable. The DVD from Warner Archive is, of course, in the correct ratio.