They’re High, Wide and Handsome

Even the most fanatical videophile might object to letterboxed movies. Those black bands at the top and bottom of the screen--which allow a film to be seen in its original wide-screen format on an almost square monitor--can cause video angst.

Yet, for those obsessed with true home theater, letterboxing is the only way to go. What tapes and discs are so good that a viewer can’t help but tolerate the black bars? Look no further:

“Manhattan” (1979): Woody Allen’s tale of love and neuroses among residents of New York’s island borough is the film that started it all. Allen knew that a wide-screen film on television was only half a film, so he insisted that this movie (arguably his best, though “Annie Hall” is his only work to win the Oscar for best picture) be presented in its original format when released on home video. Consequently, there is no such thing as a version of “Manhattan” that is not letterboxed. (Rated R; MGM/UA)

“Jurassic Park” (1993): This picture has only minimal black bands because director Steven Spielberg didn’t shoot his most successful film to date in a particularly wide format. He didn’t want his dinosaurs “squashed” by stretching them out over a Cinemascope screen. It’s one of the most popular films of all time, it’s solid entertainment, and it’s only “a little” letterboxed. This is a good way to introduce younger fans to the format. They’ll be so enthralled by the film that they aren’t likely to even notice it. (PG-13; MCA/Universal)

“Die Hard” (1988): So much happens on screen while Bruce Willis fights terrorists in an office high-rise that you’ll want to see it all: People creeping around corners, wide-scale explosions and the glorious evil of Alan Rickman as the head terrorist. One home video review guide gives this film two stars but boosts it to three if it is seen on the big screen. Letterboxing creates the illusion of the big screen, and this film shouldn’t be viewed at home any other way. “Die Hard” was photographed to take advantage of a wide screen like no other action picture in recent years. With only half a screen, the whole point of several scenes is lost. (R; CBS/Fox)

“Lawrence of Arabia” (1962): There’s a reason why this sort of film is called an “epic.” It’s not just the big stories, big themes and big stars. It’s also the big scenes--huge, sweeping crowds; storming armies on horse- (and camel-) back. The desert is a vast place, and director David Lean shot it that way. Anything but the complete image doesn’t do the film justice. (G; Columbia/TriStar)

“Star Wars” (1977): Watching the letterboxed version is like seeing the film for the first time. The cantina is packed with aliens, not just those standing at the center of the screen. The curve of planets is evident. Swarms of spaceships battle the Death Star, not just one or two. And the hero’s ceremony takes place in a hall filled with hundreds of rebel soldiers. This film brought Panavision back from the brink of extinction by using the wide-screen format to its fullest artistic capacities. (PG; CBS/Fox)

“My Fair Lady” (1964): The London street scenes, the Ascot races and even Henry Higgins’ study all benefit from not being scrunched to fit the smaller frame of your television. This film has been called “the perfect musical,” and it took home eight Academy Awards as proof. Even better, the film was recently remastered for both videotape and laserdisc and now has cleaner, sharper and more beautifully colored images as well as a much crisper soundtrack. (G; CBS/Fox)

“Tootsie” (1982): Dustin Hoffman as an actor who can only find work as an actress is so funny and clever that you won’t want to miss any of it. You wouldn’t want to miss half the dialogue, so why miss half the image? Hoffman is joined by Teri Garr and Jessica Lange in this modern classic, but it’s Bill Murray as his aspiring playwright best friend who steals the show. (PG; Columbia)

“Forbidden Planet” (1956): Once upon a time, the wacky yet indispensable robot, the handsome starship captain who gets the girl and the long-dead, superior alien race were not the film cliches that they are today. “Forbidden Planet” not only starred Leslie Nielsen as a Captain Kirk figure but also introduced Robby the Robot. The vast alien landscape and the 20-mile-deep alien laboratories sprawl across your screen in 1950s architectural splendor with the letterboxed version. (G; MGM/UA)

“Spartacus” (1960): This is not merely a great gladiator film. Its message of the importance of freedom, no matter what the cost, still has power today. You can’t go wrong with Kirk Douglas as the leader of a slave rebellion against Rome and Laurence Olivier as all the evils of dictatorship rolled into one. Director Stanley Kubrick and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (who knew all about the loss of freedom when he has blacklisted in the ‘50s as a suspected communist) made this a film with intelligence and humanity as well as adventure. Besides, a gladiator duel shown in pan-and-scan looks like two guys standing around in funny helmets. (PG-13; MCA/Universal)

“Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994): This is another instance of a film that was only slightly wider than it was tall when shown in theaters, so the home video release is letterboxed with nominal black bands. Hugh Grant absolutely shines as the Englishman trying to decide if he should get married (and, if so, to whom) while all around him others are tying the knot. It was the only comedy of its year nominated for an Oscar for best picture, and rightfully so. Fans of British comedy will want to watch for “Black Adder’s” Rowan Atkinson as the very inexperienced priest. (R; PolyGram Video)