I chose to watch three films by the director Wes Anderson. I picked his work to write about because I had seen The Grand Budapest Hotel previously and found it quite good in a quirky, days gone by way and wanted to see other examples of his work. I also decided on Anderson because he is still working and so it is possible to see how his work and his personal style has been developing and changing.
The first film of his that I watched for this was The Grand Budapest Hotel. This particular film is a particularly bold display of Anderson's signature style of filmmaking which includes quite an element of nostalgia past eras as well as patterns and a highly saturated palette. These elements were, to a lesser extent present in the two other films of his that I watched as well. One of the more distinct elements in this film, its rather ambiguous time period, which looks back to an era not too long ago with a certain nostalgia is classic Anderson. Also in this film his use of a very bold palette is even more pronounced than in his previous works and he couples this brilliantly with patterns seamlessly blended into the scenes.
The second film of his that I watched was Castello Cavalcanti. This film continues his tradition of creating live action films that have quite the illustrative feel and look about them. This choice makes his work instantly recognizable. Another key element of his films are shots where the set has very little apparent depth, even when he is showing the town center, it is filmed in such a manner that it appears to be almost flat.
The last film of his that I watched was Hotel Chevalier. This film again continued with one of Anderson's patterns of using a select cast of big name actors that have worked on multiple films with him. By doing this he has created a select type of character that can be replicated in each successive film since the actors know his style and therefore can better bring those characters quirkiness to life.
Together these repeated elements combine to form films that are readily identifiable as those of Wes Anderson. They show his nostalgia for the past and enjoyment of using saturated color palettes they also show that while his style is evolving, many elements have remained a constant throughout his films.
Very nice, I can see the relationship you're talking about in relation to Anderson's films and his "quirky" characters. Your piece was very easy to read and had great flow, although I am not a personal fan of such a linear writing style.
ReplyDeleteNice job talking about Anderson's heavy use of saturation, pattern and a unique color palette. Maybe talk about his framing and use of one point perspective and how that plays off of his "quirky characters". Also what influenced these stylistic choices? Origin? School? Favorite films or books?
ReplyDeleteI actually chose to watch his films also. I chose the Grand Budapest Hotel, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom. I can see many similarities in his style. Especially in his color pallet. Sometimes he uses a very limited color scheme, and sometimes it can be very vibrant.
ReplyDeleteReally nice, I enjoyed how you set each film and then described it allowing us to see the relation between them a bit easier. Although I would have also mentioned Anderson's constant use of Symmetrical camera shots and stylistic camera movements. Other than that I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a good job providing an analysis of Wes Anderson's films. You made strong observations of his visual style and esthetic choices, however I would suggest providing a deeper analysis of Anderson himself. What leads him to make these decisions on his films? In what way is his personality reflective in his works? Overall a very well thought out and cohesive response.
ReplyDelete