The Forgotten Craft: How Intermission Sequences Were Designed to Enhance 70mm Epics |
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| Written by: Jennifer Diane. Pictures by: Thomas Hauerslev | Date: 14.09.2025 |
 "The
Hateful Eight" at Nordkraft, Aalborg, Denmark. Audience is waiting. 70mm films are known for their larger-than-life splendor and their ability to fully highlight the beauty of natural landscapes. Think of the black basalt landscape of Jebel Tubayq near the Saudi Arabian border, and the spectacular red cliffs of Wadi Rum in "Lawrence of Arabia". For true film lovers, the chance to catch a film that was painstakingly shot or formatted for 70mm film is a true treat. Films like "2OO1: A Space Odyssey", "Oppenheimer", and "Dunkirk" were all shot in large format to offer audiences a more immersive experience. These same audiences are often surprised to know that in the heyday of 70mm filmmaking (the 1950s and 1960s), roadshow presentations offered an extra gift to theatergoers—intermissions that added a memorable touch to the theatrical experience. The Arrival of Intermission Sequences Intermissions may have enhanced the audience’s enjoyment of 70mm films, but they also served a practical purpose. 70mm reels were large and heavy, necessitating the splitting of films into more than one reel. Intermissions gave projectionists the time they needed to change reels physically, and even when more modern projector tech allowed for smoother reel changes, the tradition of intermissions was so well-loved that it persisted, especially for longer films. Of course, intermissions also permitted audiences to rest, use restrooms, and enjoy a short mental pause—something that was appreciated by most audiences, since 70mm films typically lasted for over two hours. Mental breaks are not something new to the world of film. Today, audiences are sometimes given this sweet relief via unexpected comedic touches, found in genres such as science fiction and tech-centered films. One only needs to look at the hacking film genre to find many instances of memorable, comedic pauses in the otherwise serious narrative. For example, classic tech films and series like "The Matrix Reloaded" or "Mr. Robot" sometimes contain accurate tech scenes interspersed with dubious practices. One example can be found in the now-iconic "The Bone Yard" episode of NCIS, which featured two forensic scientists fending off hackers by typing on the same keyboard. The Elements Involved in the Design of Intermission Sequences Each film presented creatives with a brand-new chance of highlighting a film via additional elements such as music overtures, trailers, or curated content, designed to give moviegoers a break or entertain those who preferred to remain in the theater. Overtures were traditionally played at the start of films against either a blank screen or still pictures, and they served to prepare viewers mentally and emotionally for the rest of the film. However, music also served to keep audiences attached to the film, even during breaks, and it is likely that many audience members would choose to remain seated rather than heading outside the theater. Maintaining an Element of Suspense Directors such as Francis Ford Coppola showed how intermission sequences could be used to give audiences a welcome break from epic-sized films. In "The Godfather" (1972), the director sought to have an intermission directly after the scene where Michael Corleone assassinates Sollozzo and McClusky, but producer Robert Evans decided against it, since he believed it would disrupt the film's powerful momentum. He thought the scene was too powerful and refused to let the audience “off the hook” emotionally. A Thwarted Intermission "The Godfather Part II" was a totally different story, as it included an intermission after young Vito Corleone kills Don Fanucci and returns home to tell his infant son Michael how much he loves him. The intermission was later removed from many prints but restored in Blu-ray editions. It begins when the camera fades to black and the film’s stunning score begins to play. Francis Ford Coppola initially hoped to include this break, as the film lasted over three hours. However, just days before the release, it was decided not to include the intermission in theatrical prints to avoid detracting from the film’s intensity. As noted by the Los Angeles Times’ Leslie T. Zador, however, because the film was an epic, much more so than the first film, “it needs an intermission, the same as an opera or a multimillion-dollar Broadway musical.” Music and Mood The nature of intermissions varies greatly from film to film. In the 1980s, for instance, it wasn’t uncommon to view a movie like "Scarface" on television and to encounter a 15-minute intermission comprising only a red screen with the word “intermission” and a 15-minute countdown timer. Back then, there was no ability to pause live TV, and if films were over two-and-a-half or three hours long, an intermission was typical. Intermissions in movie theaters often had a bit more thought in their design. One of the most famous intermissions occurs in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962). The break occurs around two hours and nineteen minutes into the film, after Lawrence is promoted to major and his superior, General Edmund Allenby, lies to him to appease him, secretly worrying that Lawrence has “gone native.” The intermission features a black screen and the stunning musical score by Maurice Jarre, which heightens the film’s expansive feel and intensifies emotions at key moments in the narrative, while also lending power and emotion to an otherwise minimalist intermission. |
More in 70mm reading: Movie Roadshows: A History and Filmography of Reserved-Seat Limited Showings, 1911-1973 "Oppenheimer" at the Savoy "The Hateful Eight" 70MM Film Print and Projection Details 2001: A Space Odyssey Essential Presentation Procedure “The Brutalist" About the 70mm Prints Bill Lawrence in Conversation in70mm.com News Peripheral Vision, Scopes, Dimensions and Panoramas in70mm.com's Library Presented on the big screen in 7OMM 7OMM and Cinema Across the World Now showing in 70mm in a theatre near you! 70mm Retro - Festivals and Screenings |
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Intermissions
in Modern Cinema Although intermissions are harder to come by these days, some directors, such as Quentin Tarantino, pay homage to this small treat for the audience by utilizing them to break up long films. Quentin Tarantino, who has a passion for Westerns and movies from past decades, included an intermission in his 2015, 70mm film "The H8ful Eight". The film has a four-minute overture and a 12-minute intermission, right after Samuel Jackson’s character shoots Bruce Dern —a rather exciting cliffhanger point of the film that ensures audiences are keen to return from their break. A Chance to Socialize Intermissions can be designed as social experiences. Today, it is common for live theater to be broadcast live in cinemas across the world, or for celebrated films to be broadcast simultaneously in different theaters. These events, which attract audiences with a specific interest in these iconic films, often have wine and cheese intermissions, offering audience members the chance to meet and discuss the movie they are watching. These intermissions, overlaid with music from the film’s score or from the era the film is set in, are a wonderfully immersive social opportunity for those with shared passions. Intermissions were designed to give audiences a break from long roadshow films. However, clever directors and theaters have sometimes designed more immersive experiences, either through music or through social events. Most audiences will agree that having time to pause, stretch one’s legs, or enjoy a snack is ideal, since films deserve one’s full, undivided attention—and sometimes, a break is needed to achieve this goal. |
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