BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Coolidge Corner Theatre is only one of four theaters in the world currently showcasing the new film “One Battle After Another” in VistaVision.

Created and designed by engineers at Paramount Pictures in 1954, VistaVision is a film format that runs film horizontally through the camera instead of vertically which results in a higher-quality picture.

“It does feel like you’re watching it through the director’s viewfinder or lens of the camera that was filming it,” said Coolidge Corner Program Director Mark Anastasio.

VistaVision fell out of use once finer-grained film stocks became available and a film hasn’t been shot with the format for over 60 years when “One-Eyed Jacks” starring Marlon Brando became the last to use it in 1961.

However, the format seems to be making a revival of sorts as last year’s Oscar winning film “The Brutalist” became the first film to use the format in decades and upcoming films “Bugonia”, “Wuthering Heights”, and Netflix’s Chronicles of Narnia adaptation have all been shot in VistaVision.

Anastasio says that he is excited to be operating one of the four theaters in the world that are playing the film in the rare format.

“I love that it kind of puts Boston on that great film cities map along with Los Angeles, New York and London,” he said.

Two vintage projectors were donated to the theater from a local museum, and the theater had their projection crew spend an entire weekend setting them up.

“We’ve always had an audience that appreciates film on film, but this is another level,” said Anastasio.

Anastasio says the exhibition of the film in VistaVision came about due to his friendship with the film’s director, Paul Thomas Anderson.

“He sends us things like his Radiohead music videos, we’ll receive prints in the mail with a little note that just says ‘Hey, I made this movie would you consider playing it before your shows’,” said Anastasio.

Anderson, who’s an 11-time Oscar nominee, is best known for his films “There Will Be Blood”, “Phantom Thread” and “Boogie Nights”, the latter of which featured Boston native Mark Wahlberg in one of his earliest acting roles.

“One Battle After Another” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a washed-up revolutionary who must find his missing daughter and face his old nemesis who’s resurfaced after 16 years.

Coolidge Corner currently has multiple showtimes for the film throughout the next week.

For more information about showtimes and tickets click here.

WBZ NewsRadio’s Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.

NightSide with Dan Rea