More Picture, Less Intention
‘Open matte’ is a term that describes a specific version of a film, usually for a home video or television release, that reveals more picture information at the top and bottom of the frame than was seen in the original widescreen theatrical presentation. This is possible when a film is shot on a negative or digital sensor that has a ‘squarer’ aspect ratio (like 1.33:1) than the intended widescreen theatrical release (like 1.85:1).
For the theatrical version, the director and cinematographer will compose their shots for the 1.85:1 frame, and the top and bottom of the original 1.33:1 image are ‘matted’—covered by black bars—to create the widescreen image. For an ‘open matte’ release, these mattes are removed, exposing the full, original 1.33:1 image. This was a common practice in the era of 4:3 CRT televisions, as it allowed the film to fill the entire TV screen without having to resort to ‘pan-and-scan.‘
The Controversy: Director’s Intent
While the idea of seeing ‘more’ of the movie seems appealing, the open matte version is often not the director’s preferred presentation. A filmmaker composes their shots with the widescreen frame in mind. The extra information at the top and bottom of an open matte frame is often extraneous and can disrupt the balance and focus of the intended composition. Worse, this extra space can sometimes reveal things that were never meant to be seen by the audience, such as the edge of a set, a light stand, or a boom microphone that was deliberately kept just outside the matted theatrical frame.
Some directors, however, do protect for both aspect ratios during filming. James Cameron, for example, is known for composing his shots so that they work effectively in both the widescreen theatrical version and the taller open matte version for home video, as seen in releases of films like Titanic and Avatar. For most films, however, the matted widescreen version is considered the definitive artistic presentation.