A Dying Art Form: Does film have a future in Hollywood?

“On the surface, The Hateful Eight operates as a kind of homage to John Carpenter’s The Thing” was all the praise I needed to pre-purchase my ticket for Quentin Tarantino’s new movie. The fact that it was going to be shown in 70mm film, accompanied by an overture and intermission, only added to the allure of the event. So, on a cold winter’s night in late December, a couple of friends and I made our way to the Varsity Cinema to see it. The theatre was packed with an anxious audience. The release of any new Tarantino movie has become an event, but its showing in 70mm added an unusual edge. As the overture played out and the opening credits began, The Hateful Eight was unfortunately out of focus. “FOCUS,” yelled an audience member repeatedly, prompting others to run to the projection booth and voice their displeasure. Eventually, the projectionist fixed the issue and the crowd cheered, finally able to properly enjoy the spectacle of a Tarantino movie in 70mm.

The release of The Hateful Eight in 70mm was not an easy undertaking. “We put together 100 different venues in 44 different markets; it truly was a Herculean task,” remarked Tarantino in an interview with Deadline columnist Pete Hammond and fellow director Paul Thomas Anderson. The comments echo the effort it took from the Weinstein Company and Tarantino to release The Hateful Eight in 70mm rather than commit to the now ubiquitous digital format. Its release was a minor win for film formalists, and may suggest a potential future for film’s continued use in Hollywood. But this future hinges on the influence of a few powerful filmmakers as the industry continues to move towards a more cost-effective, digital future. For the past couple of years, film—technically referred to as celluloid—has experienced a significant decline in Hollywood. The bankruptcy of Eastman Kodak in 2012, coupled with Aaton, ARRI, and Panavision’s decision to cease the production of celluloid-based cameras, has greatly accelerated the industry’s shift away from the format. Technicolor’s head of digital productions Tim Sarnoff, defended his company’s decision to discontinue the production of celluloid-based cameras, arguing, “You have to be very pragmatic in this business—move with the times and provide what your clients need.” In a profit-driven industry, it is no surprise that the cost-effective digital format is taking over.

The economic benefits of using a digital format over film are significant. For instance, it costs approximately $1,500 US to produce and distribute a 35mm film print, compared to $150 for a digital print. Other difficulties associated with the film format range from the fact that it is not reusable, to the problems editors and visual effects artists face when implementing CGI (Computer Generated Images). Cinematographer Roger Deakins, known for his work with the Coen brothers, commented on shooting the recently released Hail, Caesar! on film during an interview with Variety, stating, “I don’t want to do that again, frankly. I don’t think the infrastructure’s there.” While more filmmakers are becoming increasingly accustomed to using the digital format, some film formalists—such as Tarantino—continue to support the use of film. Tarantino argues that the push for digital production signals the “death of cinema” in the contemporary period. Director Martin Scorsese makes a similar, albeit less blatant point on film in the 21st century: “No matter where cinema goes, we cannot afford to lose sight of its beginnings,” he says. The creatives involved in the filmmaking process have had the film format taken away from them by the culture corporations in control of the industry, so it’s understandable why a group of them are pushing back.

The problem with preserving film is that the vast majority of consumers do not care. Most of the people I know are more concerned with the movie itself and not the format it’s being projected in. The Hateful Eight is an exceptional case, and is in no way reflective of a shift back to film. Tarantino’s success is more a result of his prestige as a filmmaker, and the support he has from the Weinsteins, than the industry’s desire to maintain its use of film. But, with a push from filmmakers like Tarantino, the film format may be able to carve out a smaller space in Hollywood. While it is now unknown whether either of these movies will match The Hateful Eight’s 70mm release, directors Christopher Nolan and Colin Trevorrow have committed to shooting their next big movies—Dunkirk and Star Wars: Episode IX, respectively—in a film format.

There is no denying the value in maintaining film in the production of future movies. Director Steven Spielberg eloquently stated, “You can watch the grain, which I like to think of as the visible, erratic molecules of a new creative language. After all, this ‘stuff’ of dreams is mankind’s most original medium, and dates back to 1895. Today, its years are numbered, but I will remain loyal to this analogue art form until the last lab closes.” It now falls into the hands of future filmmakers and the audiences that fill theatres around the world. If a push from the creative community continues and the audiences respond positively to events like The Hateful Eight in 70mm, then film will continue to have a role in the future of the medium.