For us as the viewers, it’s easy to overlook film.
Not movies, but the actual material that runs through the camera to capture images.
Unless you’re a camera buff, you may think that all film is the same.
However, this is far from the truth.
The film gauge that the filmmakers use, meaning the width of the actual film strip, heavily
affects the look of the movie, and even the mood and tone.
While many filmmakers have chosen to gravitate to digital filmmaking, some simply refuse
to budge on using actual film.
Filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan have been
strong advocates for keeping actual film alive.
Today, there are just a few major gauges of film.
We have 16mm, the very common 35mm, and the much less common 65mm.
So how do these different film gauges affect the actual movie?
Let’s look at a few films that were shot in 16mm.
Due to it’s smaller size, 16mm usually produces an image that is grainier, which can often
result in what looks like a somewhat dirty texture.
Think about low budget horror films of the 70s and 80s like 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
and 'The Evil Dead.'
The 16mm film lends an unpolished, raw quality that we can feel through the screen.
16mm is also ideal for gritty dramas like 'The Hurt Locker,' 'Fruitvale Station,' and
'The Wrestler.'
Notice how the grainy look of the image enhances the nasty, dirty feel of the film.
However, the softer, grainy look of 16mm can also lend itself to feelings of warmth and
nostalgia.
Films like 'Moonrise Kingdom' and 'Carol' make excellent use of the cozier side of 16mm.
16mm has a lot of personality simply because it is easy to distinguish as actual film.
In the digital age, it is very easy to confuse something like 35mm with digital, but 16mm
always possesses an obvious and unique look.
35mm is the most popular film gauge used today.
In relation to 16mm, 35mm is almost twice as wide and is therefore less grainy and has
a denser, deeper look to it.
Being the industry standard for Hollywood filmmaking, 35mm is used on everything from
subtle comedies to giant spectacle films.
And then there’s the larger, much more expensive 65mm.
This enormous gauge was fairly common between the 50s and 70s for grand and lavish classics.
65mm is crisper and richer than 35mm, and to put it simply, it is the best looking when
it comes to all around picture quality.
Paul Thomas Anderson shot The Master on 65mm because he thought it would help to invoke
the 1950s feel of his period piece.
And maybe most famously, Quentin Tarantino shot 'The Hateful Eight' on 65mm in order to
release a 70mm roadshow and take advantage of the extremely wide ultra Panavision 70
format.
Filmmakers can kick things up an extra notch with Imax 65mm.
Imax 65 is much larger than traditional 65mm and is intended for films that will be screened
in Imax theaters.
Perhaps the most notable example of this is Christopher Nolan’s 'Dunkirk,' which was shot
on both Imax 65 and traditional 65.
An interesting trend that is growing in cinema is filmmakers using different types of film
throughout a single movie.
Danny Boyle used three different styles when filming 'Steve Jobs.'
16mm was used in the grainy, washed-out first act, which takes place in 1984 when Steve
trying to find his way.
The second act takes place in 1988 and Boyle switches to 35mm to enhance the clarity and
give the film a more contemporary look, mirroring Steve’s growth.
By the time we reach the third act, which takes place in 1998, Boyle has ditched film
all together and is using digital cameras, giving the film a modern, polished feel, reflecting
Steve’s technological advances.
The film 'Porto' uses 16mm, 35mm, and even Super 8, which was typically reserved for old home
movies.
The sharp 35mm footage is used for memories of the two characters’ idyllic encounter.
Dingy 16mm is used for the less-than-perfect present day scenes, greatly enhancing the
dreary mood.
And the very low quality Super 8 was used for fleeting memories and small fragments,
giving these scenes a very unsure yet nostalgic feel.
But perhaps the most jarring switch comes in Sean Baker's 'The Florida Project.'
The film is shot entirely on lush colorful 35mm, save for the last few minutes, where
we switch to not only digital, but iPhone footage.
While this was partially due to practical purposes and budget constraints, the jolting
switch to the artificial looking cell phone footage heavily implies that the final moments
are fantasy.
The most interesting thing about about filmmakers choosing a film gauge is that they do so expecting
us not to notice.
The actual film is not supposed to call attention to itself.
That would ruin the illusion of cinema.
But the decision surely affects the way we see a film, and more importantly, the way
we feel it.