Translated by AIVersione italiana
Apart from the star-studded cast and the huge budget spent on making it (over 250 million dollars), The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s new film due for release in Italian cinemas on 16 July, stands out from any other feature film ever made thanks to an unprecedented technical choice: it was shot entirely in IMAX 70mm, a technology used throughout the entire film, making it a truly unique work of its kind.
IMAX – an acronym for Image Maximum – in 70mm format uses film that is twice the size of traditional 35mm film. It is the largest film format available today, as well as the one with the highest resolution, capable of projecting images in the expanded aspect ratio of 1.43:1.
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Each frame has 15 perforations and moves horizontally through the projector. This system allows the image to fill almost the entire viewer’s field of vision, offering a sense of immersion that is a world away from traditional formats.
IMAX 70mm projection guarantees extremely bright and sharp images, with a resolution that can be up to three times that of standard digital projection systems. To screen the film, however, specially equipped cinemas fitted with specialised projectors are required.
Christopher Nolan is the first director to have shot an entire film in IMAX 70mm, and there is probably a reason why no one had done so before. As well as the very high costs, this technology presents a number of practical difficulties: the cameras and all the equipment are bulky and heavy, whilst the motors produce such a loud noise that it is impossible to record dialogue whilst filming. To solve the problem, IMAX itself created a special soundproof enclosure specifically for Nolan to be fitted around the camera. However, this solution has further increased the size and weight of the equipment. It is no coincidence that, in images from the set, teams of at least five people can be seen carrying the camera.
How is it different from other films?
Nowadays, almost all films released in cinemas are shot and screened using 4K digital cameras, with a resolution of 4,096 × 2,160 pixels – roughly four times that of Full HD. IMAX 70mm, on the other hand, is an analogue format and, for this very reason, is not measured according to digital resolution standards.
IMAX technology was developed in the 1960s as a format designed for large screens, with the aim of offering a cinematic experience capable of countering the growing popularity of television. It was, however, a very expensive technology; yet it guaranteed a significantly higher image quality, which is why it has remained, over time, a format reserved for special screenings.
Where to watch *The Odyssey* in IMAX 70mm
At present, there are no cinemas in Italy capable of screening *The Odyssey* in the IMAX 70mm film format, and across Europe there are only seven cinemas equipped for this type of screening.
In Italia, however, there are two ways to watch a film in IMAX format. The first is the digital IMAX version, which uses two digital projectors and guarantees a very high-quality image, albeit at the expense of the charm of film. The second involves films distributed on traditional 70mm film, which, however, do not use the IMAX system: the frame, in fact, does not have the orientation or characteristics of IMAX 70mm.
The Italian cinemas showing digital IMAX films are:
– UCI Cinemas Orio, Orio al Serio, Bergamo
– UCI Cinemas Campi Bisenzio, Florence
– UCI Cinemas Porta di Roma, Rome
– UCI Cinemas Verona, San Giovanni Lupatoto
– Notorious Cinemas Gloria, Sesto San Giovanni, Milan
– Happy MaxiCinema, Afragola, Naples
The Italian cinemas screening *Odissea* on traditional 70mm film are, however:
– Arcadia Cinema – Sala Energia PLF, Melzo, Milan
– Cinema Metropolitan, Naples.
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