As P.T. Anderson preps his adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s pot-fused gumshoe novel Inherent Vice, he’s turned his attention to film stocks and film cameras. More specifically, the 65mm camera Stanley Kubrick used to shoot 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The anonymous report (isn’t it always though) also claims that Robert Elswit, Anderson’s long-time cinematographer, will not be joining the director this time around. I mean, the man is busy, finishing up Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol while prepping The Bourne Legacy.
Cinematographer Wally Pfister and director Christopher Nolan used the format for certain sequences of both The Dark Knight and Inception, attracting a lot of attention/respect from cinephiles across the globe. As films shot on film stock continues to fade out, a small group of big filmmakers keep it alive and thriving (thank you Mr. Tarantino).
65mm, for those who don’t know, is a wide-resolution film stock that’s nearly two times as wide as the standard 35 mm film. This kind of film was first made famous by David Lean and Lawrence of Arabia, which shot on the very expensive, very grand Super Panavision 70 (really 65mm but printed on and presented as 70mm).
This is why when you watch the Blu-Rays of films like 2001 and Lawrence of Arabia the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen are so large. The aspect-ratio is that much wider. Now imagine watching that on the big screen. Or, just watch the hallway scene from Inception to get something of an idea.
This is a grand stock that’s very expensive and virtually un-used these days. And while the director’s apparently got the money now to film both Inherent Vice and The Master, which one is BIG enough for 65mm.
We shall see. [The Playlist via Cigarettes&Red Wine]
What P.T. Anderson should we see at 65mm/70mm?