It is a sensation that defies the logic of standard cinema. You are sitting in the dark, watching Christian Bale’s Batman perched atop the Sears Tower, and suddenly, the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen vanish. The image doesn’t just get wider; it erupts upwards and downwards, filling your entire field of vision with a vertigo-inducing clarity that feels less like watching a film and more like free-falling through the Gotham skyline. This isn’t a trick of the mind, nor is it simply a matter of a ‘bigger screen’. It is the result of a precise, technical ratio that has become the holy grail of British cinema projection: 1.43:1.
For decades, Hollywood has trained our eyes to associate ‘cinematic’ with ‘wide and short’—the letterbox format that leaves safe safety zones of darkness on our televisions. But at the UK’s premier projection sites, such as the BFI IMAX in Waterloo or the Vue Manchester Printworks, directors like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve have weaponised the 1.43:1 aspect ratio to create an image nearly three times larger in surface area than a standard auditorium screen. It is a structural reveal that turns the cinema screen from a window into a wall of light, and understanding this number is the key to knowing whether you are seeing a film as intended, or watching a cropped compromise.
The ‘Deep Dive’: Why 1.43 Changes Everything
To understand why Christian Bale looks three times larger in specific venues, we must look at the geometry of film. Standard cinema screens utilise a ratio of 2.39:1 (Scope) or 1.85:1 (Flat). These are wide rectangles. However, the native aspect ratio of the colossal 15-perf 70mm IMAX film stock is 1.43:1. This is significantly squarer, resembling the shape of old CRT televisions, but on a scale that is frankly monstrous.
When a filmmaker shoots with true IMAX cameras, they are capturing a massive amount of vertical information that is typically cropped out for standard cinemas. When you watch The Dark Knight or Dune: Part Two on a standard screen, you are literally missing the top and bottom of the picture—often around 40% of the image. In a venue capable of 1.43 projection, that image is restored. The result is a character scale that dwarfs the audience, creating an immersive intimidation tactic that works perfectly for figures like Batman or the sandworms of Arrakis.
“The sharpness and the depth of the image… projected on those huge screens, is simply the best quality image that has ever been invented. It allows the audience to lose themselves in the movie in a way that no other format can replicate.” — Christopher Nolan, on the 15/70mm IMAX format.
The UK’s Cathedral of Cinema: BFI Waterloo
In the United Kingdom, the hunt for the ‘1.43’ experience leads inevitably to a few specific locations. The BFI IMAX at London Waterloo is arguably the most famous. Housing a screen that is 20 metres high and 26 metres wide, it is one of the few places in Europe equipped to project 15/70mm film or dual-laser digital projection necessary to fill that 1.43 ratio.
When Christian Bale stands on a rooftop in a 1.43 sequence, he isn’t just a figure on a screen; he is a six-storey giant. The psychological effect of this verticality is profound. By filling the viewer’s peripheral vision top-to-bottom, the format triggers a primal sense of scale that wide formats cannot achieve. It simulates how we see the real world—we don’t view life through a letterbox; we see the sky and the ground.
The ‘LieMAX’ Confusion
Not all screens branded as IMAX are created equal. This has led to the derogatory term “LieMAX” circulating among British film enthusiasts. Most multiplex IMAX screens are retrofitted into standard auditoriums. These screens use a ratio of 1.90:1. While certainly larger and brighter than a standard screen, they cannot achieve the towering 1.43:1 height. If you saw Oppenheimer at your local multiplex, you likely saw the 1.90:1 version. You had a great experience, but you didn’t see the full picture.
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| Format | Aspect Ratio | Visual Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Cinema (Scope) | 2.39:1 | Wide strip. Black bars often visible on TV. Significant cropping of IMAX footage. |
| Digital IMAX (Multiplex) | 1.90:1 | Taller than standard. Approximately 26% more picture than Scope. |
| IMAX GT (Grand Theatre) | 1.43:1 | Massive square. Up to 40% more picture than Scope. The true full-frame experience. |
Why isn’t everything filmed in 1.43?
If the 1.43 ratio is the pinnacle of immersion, why isn’t every blockbuster filmed this way? The answer lies in logistics and noise. The cameras required to shoot 15/70mm film are notoriously loud—sounding like a lawnmower starting up. This makes recording quiet dialogue scenes incredibly difficult.
This is why films like The Dark Knight or Dunkirk switch back and forth between aspect ratios. When the action heats up (and the sound effects are loud enough to mask the camera noise), the image expands to the full 1.43 height. When the characters settle down for dialogue, the image snaps back to letterbox. For UK audiences, noticing this ‘snap’ has become part of the thrill of the IMAX experience.
Where to find the 1.43 experience in the UK
If you want to see Christian Bale, or the latest blockbuster ‘monster’, at three times the standard scale, you need to be selective about your venue. You are looking for venues with ‘GT’ (Grand Theatre) certification and Dual Laser or 70mm projection capabilities.
- BFI IMAX, London Waterloo: The classic choice. Often screens 70mm prints.
- Vue Manchester Printworks: The second-largest screen in Europe. Recently upgraded with unparalleled laser projection systems.
- Science Museum, London: Often overlooked for blockbusters, but possesses a genuine 1.43 screen capable of dual laser projection.
FAQs
What exactly is the 1.43:1 aspect ratio?
The 1.43:1 aspect ratio refers to the proportional relationship between the width and height of the image. For every 1.43 units of width, there is 1 unit of height. This is much ‘squarer’ and taller than standard wide-screen cinema, allowing for a far more vertical image that mimics natural peripheral vision.
Can I see 1.43:1 movies at any IMAX cinema?
No. Most local IMAX screens in the UK are ‘Digital IMAX’ with a 1.90:1 ratio. To see the full 1.43:1 height, you must visit a venue equipped with either a 15/70mm film projector or a Dual Laser digital projection system, such as the BFI IMAX or Manchester Printworks.
Does the aspect ratio change during the movie?
Yes. In many films shot for IMAX (like Nolan’s Batman trilogy), the aspect ratio shifts. Dialogue scenes usually display in widescreen with black bars, while major action sequences expand to fill the entire floor-to-ceiling height of the 1.43 screen.
Why does the 1.43 ratio make characters look larger?
It is a matter of screen real estate. By utilising the full height of a massive screen rather than cropping it to a wide strip, the projected image covers a significantly larger physical area. In a venue like the BFI, this vertical expansion can make characters appear dozens of feet taller than they would on a standard screen.
Is 1.43:1 only for 70mm film?
Historically, yes. However, modern GT Laser projection systems (specifically dual-laser setups) can now project a digital image at the 1.43:1 ratio, bringing the massive full-frame experience to digital-only releases as well.