28 Years Later "Cinema Isn't a Pixel Show"

If anyone has ever been around filmmakers, one could note how much similarity they share with casual car enthusiasts. To say they don’t understand what they’re talking about is a stretch, but also, to say they have a pinch of an idea of these concepts is also stretching it. Most people speak of camera features and quality in the same way a car would be discussed in the showroom of a dealership. Just numbers and industry jargon, leaning heavily on the fact that some form of the technology is “new” or “revolutionary”. They’re simply reiterating stock information as if they understand what it means.  But rarely do these people actually comprehend the information they’re regurgitating. They just know it’s new, it’s expensive, and it’s “industry standard”.

None of these attributes can be used to describe Danny Boyle. 

An auteur in the truest sense, he is more like the oil-soiled mechanic at your local auto parts store, buying tape to fix a hose in his decades-old sedan that he couldn’t get $3,000 in a trade-in on. But that car not only stayed mobile for those decades, it will remain on the road for decades to come. Not to mention, it will outperform thousands of others after it. 

These attributes can be used to describe Danny Boyle, but also the entire 28 series. 

It’s easy to write about the use of an iPhone as a cinema tool in a flabbergasted tone, in some pseudo-awe of “ingenuity and creativity” that is no different than the filmmakers on social media. But that’s not the reason why his choice of camera should be considered. 

The 28 series is not, and never will be, meant to have a polished look. It’s terror and suspense rely on the suspense of disbelief that its poor pixel quality warrants. The distorted frame rate, chaotic cutting, and slow-burn pacing are what make those pictures what they are. 

To fall back on my automotive analogy, not every race will need the same kind of car. So the idea that one camera, light, microphone, etc, fits all is just not the case, especially with the concept of artistic perception. This takes us back to the idea that this movie needed to be made with the same approach as its predecessor. The original picture in YEAR was heavily stylized, opting to use odd frame rates and shot on tape. While the sequel, 28 Weeks Later, was a little more polished and traditionally cinematic, fans welcomed this return to low-fi visuals for this movie. This begs the question: Does an industry standard actually exist?

Box office numbers would say otherwise, with 28 Years actually making almost half their budget back domestically within opening week, and actually surpassing their 60 million dollar budget worldwide in that same timeframe. A film’s presentation is half of its identity, as traditionally, this is the motion picture business. And every aesthetic, whether naturally or taught, invokes certain feelings. It is the filmmaker’s job to present their stories in the way their audiences best understand something. Could this particular cinematic mobile phone style have presented, say, “Titanic” this way? I’d reckon not. But could it have presented “Don Jon” in this format? I believe so. 

One must also note that, like its origin, this movie was slow, dramatic, and filled with subtle nuance. And while this particular issue has focused heavily on the team’s decisions in production quality, that in no way, shape, or form takes away from the fact that this movie was masterfully crafted. From its clear visual identity, to its deep understanding of the human experience and the trials of that messy place in adolescence where you are no longer a child, but unsure what being anything else is. This is reflected in a single shot at the start of the film, where Spike chose to leave a toy behind.

Movies are more than just pixel shows. And Danny Boyle and his team reminded us of that this past week. And for that, I’m very grateful for his place in cinema. 

Written by: Jaiden Hord

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