The Unseen Godzilla: Uncovering the 1998 Open Matte Version
The most immediate benefit of the Open Matte transfer is the sheer vertical scale. Godzilla is a creature of immense height, and the extra headroom emphasizes his size against the New York skyline.
The "Open Matte" Legacy of Godzilla (1998) The 1998 American reboot of
More Picture, Less Artistry: Most of Godzilla (1998) was shot using Super 35 film. In this process, the camera captures a larger, more "square" image, which is then "matted" or cropped at the top and bottom to create the widescreen theatrical look.