MovieChat Forums > Lonesome Dove (1989) Discussion > Fullscreen or widescreen?

Fullscreen or widescreen?

posted 12 years ago by Melkor_Bauglir
4 replies | jump to latest

I can't figure out if the intended aspect ratio is wide or fullscreen. An unintended fullscreen version (FSV) is usually made by cropping up a widescreen version (WSV) so you have less image that then fits to the fullscreen format. Howevever, according to what I've read, the FSV of Lonesome Dove has more image than the WSV. The WS is cropped from the FSV. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that the FSV is better than the WSV. Maybe the WSV is how the image was intended to look and they just filmed the movie with FS cameras and then intentionally cropped the image afterwards into how they wished it portrayed. The point is, I don't know which is the one the film is meant to be seen in. My DVD has fullscreen and my BD has widescreen. Logically I would assume that BD version is "restored" to the original intent, but sometimes mistakes like that happens. I know some DVDs of Stanley Kubrick's films are released in fullscreen as the restored and intended versions, even though this isn't actually true.

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"A little fermented curd would do the trick"
"It is I, Leclerc!"

[–] lightningcows 11 years ago

Hmm, I'm actually hoping that it is intended for the "fullscreen" picture. I had bought the DVDs at a discount store and I was mentally kicking myself for buying a fullscreen version, but if it was always intended for a fullscreen picture, then I suppose I have less of a problem with it.

[–] carsons-1 9 years ago

It was made for TV in 1989, so I think widescreen 4:3 was the only option until 16 x 9 televisions appeared. The original version was cropped with the new versions; but you can't tell, it looks very good.

[–] Sandoz 9 years ago

It's a trade-off between the two releases.

The first dvd--in Fullscreen--is how the mini-series originally was framed and broadcast when it first aired on CBS. However, the source material wasn't remastered.

The newer release, on both dvd and blu-ray--is a widescreen version that has a cropped image from the original camera negative, and is therefore missing some portions of the original frame. This version has been remasterd and looks like it was shot yesterday.

Personally, I prefer watching a film or TV movie in it's original aspect ratio (in this case, Fullscreen) unless there is a vast improvement in quality (again, in this case, there is an improvement, but I wouldn't call it "vast").

"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered!"

[–] Cult_of_Kibner 8 years ago

It was in fullscreen originally but I remember in the extras of the widescreen dvd the director says something along the lines of "Finally people will get to see it in widescreen" implying he approved of the conversion.