Great film, and really visual. I'm just wondering why the director decided to film it in the 1:37 aspect ration; it's square, like the old style tv screens. Does anyone have any idea what the reason is for that? i just think a wide lens would capture the beauty of this road movie so well..
Fabio Testi is GOD
It's Andrea Arnold's 'signature' aspect ratio - she used it on Fish Tank too.
I think it worked really well in this film because although you're seeing all these expansive, beautiful twilight lanscapes and skylines (which would normally be shot in widescreen) the frame is constricted, giving you a sense of the characters being still kind of stuck in their own heads, their own ways, ambitions, desires, etc despite this transformative experience.
I saw another film the other day called Krisha http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4266638/ which used the same (or similar) aspect ratio - it was about a women suffering from mental illness trying to keep it together during a thanksgiving family reunion.
I don't know if it worked so well. It is a road movie, it's about freedom, and breaking away from the restraints of a depressing, controlled environment. I felt like the aspect ratio gave the film a claustrophobic feel, and those landscape shots would have been stunning if shot in wide scope. Not that I didn't like "American Honey," actually I love it. It's something i can re-watch many times. But I do wish she used the kind of technique that was used in the brilliant film "Mommy," where some scenes were shot with the narrow lens, and other scenes became widescreen, depending on the frame of mind of the main character. If you haven't seen that one yet, I recommend it..
Fabio Testi is GOD
where some scenes were shot with the narrow lens, and other scenes became widescreen, depending on the frame of mind of the main character