From the moment it was announced that Zack Snyder’s Justice League would be presented for home viewing in the unorthodox aspect ratio of 4:3, rather than the much more common (and screen-filling) 16:9, people have been clowning on it, especially with the HBO Max-added message assuring the viewer this is how director Zack Snyder wanted it to be presented. Yes, a standard widescreen television has black bars on either side of the frame. And yes, you can interpret this as Snyder unduly assigning himself as much cinematic value as prestigious, modern users of this aspect ratio like First Cow or The Lighthouse — or even any of the actually classical films that used this ratio by default. But in my viewing of The Snyder Cut, I found myself swept into the strange charms of the 4:3 aspect ratio choice, for reasons both practical and creative. I wouldn’t want to experience this film any other way.