To Wes Anderson, each of his movies is a large painting. Just as any artist, the filmmaker has taken it upon himself to exercise creative and artistic liberties as a director creating foreign and somewhat abstract worlds rich in detail, but utterly welcoming. Everything in Anderson's films is theatrical–they aren't meant to be realistic–and that’s apparent in each of his films’ setting, characters’, and the type of actions they perform. Anderson has captivated audiences with his approach for more than 20 years, most recently achieving the near-impossible in The Grand Budapest Hotel by blurring the line between imagination and reality. His ability to generate surreal imagery, both in this film and others, through the use of vivid colors and patterns, well-
developed and quirky characters, amusing narratives, and flawless symmetry, allows the events of the story to unfold like a dream. Anderson has worked tirelessly to create a memorable approach to cinema and today, his name and style have become their own unique genre of filmmaking.
Although he features all types of characters in sundry locations and time periods, Anderson's stories often navigate difficult themes such as grief, self-discovery, loss of innocence, and dysfunction within the human experience, while finding humorous and ambiguous meaning in the splendor of the everyday. His films pack a lot of distinct emotions and random information into a relatively short storyline to create a chaotic but warm feel. These ideas, alongside four other underlying consistencies across Anderson’s body of work, are the primary reasons why these films are so recognizable and undeniably fun to watch.
1) Visual Appearance
Every shot is meticulously arranged in order to highlight the importance of the frame’s boundary as well as the deep center.
Anderson encourages us to look at the outskirts as well as the middle of the screen since the action of the film is equally able to occur here. He is also renowned for using perfectly centered shots, geometric framing, and symmetrical compositions to draw attention to the very act of looking. He uses painted backdrops to create aesthetically appealing scenes that are artistically gorgeous and breathtaking, turning a passive viewer into an active one.
Anderson's branded style begins to blossom after he has arranged his shots. He uses distinctive dusty pallets of pastels and other bright colors to infuse buildings, textures, environments, and fabrics to produce timeless scenes. In The Grand Budapest Hotel, Zubrowka, the painted mountaintop is a striking case in point. His films are known for having highly saturated sets with flashes of red that can be seen as a gesture of love, as well as a hint of danger or a warning. Purple is the most prominent and well-known hue in the movie, as the hotel's personnel is all dressed in purple uniforms which, in this case, indicates their loyalty and dedication to their work. As a result, Anderson's color palette aids him in telling larger-than-life stories that pique our interest in fantasy while also conveying a serious message. Colors are also employed to generate specific sensations in the audience and can have a significant impact on the viewer's mood. Cotton candy skies and the hotel’s brilliant yellow interiors entirely immerse the viewer in the experience.
2) Intriguing Narratives
Anderson transforms seemingly simple ideas into unusual narratives that give a dull plot a unique edge. While most directors attempt to incorporate many characteristics of reality and attempt to immerse viewers in a realistic environment, Anderson rejects the premise that
films must be true to life. He is not under any obligation to provide viewers with a relatable experience. In that sense, his films are extremely self-aware.
3) Dry Writing
Wes Anderson's writing is another famous feature that he infuses into his films. Anderson's films are known for their dry dialogue, which is accompanied by musicians such as The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, and others. The arid and refined manner in which the characters communicate pulls away from the traditional nature of a film and therefore delivers a simpler and more direct plot, allowing the images and outstanding acting to shine.
4) Characters
Despite the aesthetic pleasure we derive from Anderson's films, there is a standout problem with the grand majority of his films. All of his movies feature a well-developed cast that tells an incredible story; it's as though each character is hand-picked to play the part that has been assigned to them. At least a dozen cast members from "The Grand Budapest Hotel" had previously appeared in one of Anderson's prior films. Among
them are, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and others. He says in a 2014 interview about The Grand Budapest Hotel that he hopes “this doesn't distract or feel like cameos in the film because the characters are usually so exaggerated that they stand alone.” While these performers are well-liked and a constant in Anderson's films, they do not provide much,
if any, diversity, which in today’s day and age would be great to see on the big screen.
Despite this minor flaw, Anderson is unquestionably a significant director in the twenty-first century. His films no longer are restricted to only Anderson fans; instead, they are universally regarded as big-budget, Hollywood films that everyone can appreciate.
Features images from Art Repertory Films (ARF, Inc.), Media Photos , Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Spotlight
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