To understand the difference, you need to visualize these two specific moments:
Scene 1: The Manhattan Skyline Reveal
Scene 2: The Helicopter Arrival
To understand this version, a quick definition is needed. Most modern films are shot on negative stock that captures a taller image (a "full frame" or 4:3 ratio). The director and cinematographer then designate a smaller, wider portion of that frame (e.g., 2.39:1) as the intended "theatrical" composition. In an Open Matte transfer, the filmmaker does not crop the image. Instead, they reveal the entire exposed film frame, adding significant visual information to the top and bottom of the screen. Godzilla 1998 Open Matte
The Open Matte version of Godzilla (1998) originates from television broadcasts and early home video releases in certain regions, particularly full-screen VHS tapes and DVD editions in the 1.33:1 (4:3) aspect ratio. Notably, it was also used for some HDTV broadcasts in the 1.78:1 (16:9) aspect ratio.
Unlike many "pan-and-scan" full-screen transfers (which crop the sides and move the frame to follow the action), this Open Matte transfer is static and reveals more image at the top and bottom.
Finding this version is trickier than you might think. Here is the breakdown by format: To understand the difference, you need to visualize
It would be irresponsible to write about this version without addressing the irony. Hardcore Toho fans often dislike the 1998 film (dubbing it "G.I.N.O." - Godzilla In Name Only). The Open Matte version amplifies the film's flaws for some, while for others, it humanizes it.
The Open Matte version emphasizes how much of the film relies on humor and human reaction shots. Because you see more of the ground, you see more New Yorkers running. Because you see more sky, you see more of the military helicopters. Some argue this makes the film feel more like Emmerich’s Independence Day (a disaster film) than a traditional Kaiju film.
Conversely, fans of the animated series that followed (which was vastly superior to the film) love the Open Matte version because it preserves the scale of the creature design that the cartoon later utilized. Scene 2: The Helicopter Arrival To understand this
How does a 2.39:1 blockbuster end up in a full-frame, Open Matte format? The answer lies in the DVD era of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
When Godzilla was released on DVD, studios faced a dilemma. Many consumers still had 4:3 CRT televisions (the square boxes). While "widescreen" DVDs existed, many retailers stocked "Full Screen" versions because average viewers hated "black bars."
For the 1998 Godzilla, the "Full Screen" DVD was not a pan-and-scan job (where the editor chooses which 1.33 portion of the 2.39 image to show). Instead, Sony Pictures chose to produce an Open Matte transfer. They went back to the original camera negative and scanned the full 1.33:1 frame as it was shot, then simply centered it for 4:3 televisions.
This means that on that specific DVD release, you are seeing more image than you have ever seen in the theater or on modern Blu-rays. While the theatrical version cuts off at the chin of the actors, the Open Matte shows their entire head and the sky above.
In the theatrical 2.39:1 version, the frame is short and wide. In the Open Matte, the image is taller. For example:
To understand the difference, you need to visualize these two specific moments:
Scene 1: The Manhattan Skyline Reveal
Scene 2: The Helicopter Arrival
To understand this version, a quick definition is needed. Most modern films are shot on negative stock that captures a taller image (a "full frame" or 4:3 ratio). The director and cinematographer then designate a smaller, wider portion of that frame (e.g., 2.39:1) as the intended "theatrical" composition. In an Open Matte transfer, the filmmaker does not crop the image. Instead, they reveal the entire exposed film frame, adding significant visual information to the top and bottom of the screen.
The Open Matte version of Godzilla (1998) originates from television broadcasts and early home video releases in certain regions, particularly full-screen VHS tapes and DVD editions in the 1.33:1 (4:3) aspect ratio. Notably, it was also used for some HDTV broadcasts in the 1.78:1 (16:9) aspect ratio.
Unlike many "pan-and-scan" full-screen transfers (which crop the sides and move the frame to follow the action), this Open Matte transfer is static and reveals more image at the top and bottom.
Finding this version is trickier than you might think. Here is the breakdown by format:
It would be irresponsible to write about this version without addressing the irony. Hardcore Toho fans often dislike the 1998 film (dubbing it "G.I.N.O." - Godzilla In Name Only). The Open Matte version amplifies the film's flaws for some, while for others, it humanizes it.
The Open Matte version emphasizes how much of the film relies on humor and human reaction shots. Because you see more of the ground, you see more New Yorkers running. Because you see more sky, you see more of the military helicopters. Some argue this makes the film feel more like Emmerich’s Independence Day (a disaster film) than a traditional Kaiju film.
Conversely, fans of the animated series that followed (which was vastly superior to the film) love the Open Matte version because it preserves the scale of the creature design that the cartoon later utilized.
How does a 2.39:1 blockbuster end up in a full-frame, Open Matte format? The answer lies in the DVD era of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
When Godzilla was released on DVD, studios faced a dilemma. Many consumers still had 4:3 CRT televisions (the square boxes). While "widescreen" DVDs existed, many retailers stocked "Full Screen" versions because average viewers hated "black bars."
For the 1998 Godzilla, the "Full Screen" DVD was not a pan-and-scan job (where the editor chooses which 1.33 portion of the 2.39 image to show). Instead, Sony Pictures chose to produce an Open Matte transfer. They went back to the original camera negative and scanned the full 1.33:1 frame as it was shot, then simply centered it for 4:3 televisions.
This means that on that specific DVD release, you are seeing more image than you have ever seen in the theater or on modern Blu-rays. While the theatrical version cuts off at the chin of the actors, the Open Matte shows their entire head and the sky above.
In the theatrical 2.39:1 version, the frame is short and wide. In the Open Matte, the image is taller. For example: