This is another one of those smaller, juicier bits that make for a great nifty separate piece in itself. In a long-ranging interview to promote Oppenheimer and push the theatrical experience, Nolan talked about several things from IMAX formats and aspect ratios to the length and weight of its film stock. In the same interview, Nolan also revealed where he prefers to sit in the theater, and while his preferences vary depending on the theater’s aspect ratio, it’s definitely not the furthermost row.
When I’m in a theater that’s Cinemascope ratio, I like to be right near the front, middle of the third row. When I’m in a stadium, IMAX 1.43:1, then I actually like to be a little behind the center line right up at the middle. So, a little further back.
That’s certainly going to bring cinephiles one step closer to experiencing Nolan’s movies in exactly the way he intended, right down to the seating arrangement. I won’t be surprised if these seats become the first ones to sell out, now that tickets have opened for sale.
The entire interview is a great read. Among the myriad of IMAX-related topics that Nolan touches on, there’s also brief talk about the black-and-white IMAX film format that the crew had to literally invent for the movie. Nolan previously recalled their reaction to seeing black-and-white footage for the first time. He expands upon it here when recollecting their make-up tests.
We shot a lot of our hair and makeup tests using black and white. And then we would go to the IMAX film projector at CityWalk and project it there. I’ve just never seen anything like it. To see such a massive black and white film image? It’s just a wonderful thing.
Oppenheimer braces the big screen on July 21, 2023. Tickets are now on sale.
