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12 Reasons To Make You Love The Films Of Wes Anderson

18 August 2014 Features, Other Lists  by Alexandra Gandra

Master of visual storytelling, Wes Anderson is an American film director and screenwriter

whose films are known for his unique artistic sensibilities. The geometric concept, meticulous

color schemes, quirky characters and dialogue, dead-pan comedy and camera movements are basic elements to help the audience recognize any Anderson film.

There are other elements worth mentioning that bring attention to his work and leave an

impressive mark on aspiring filmmakers today. Once the viewers discover most of the usuals,

it’s simple to locate other small details and make connections between them. Moreover, the

audience can best understand his characters and stories by being more aware of previously

missed technicalities.

Anderson’s stylistic choices—  being both loved and hated by many — have provoked much

acclaim, discussions and even parodies, and he has become the recipient of in-depth scrutiny.

The list below presents a guide to how film fans can positively view Wes Anderson’s

filmmaking, and how the auteur distinguishes himself through a number of lovable factors

that contribute to making his products so recognizable.

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1. Symmetry

Out of the several identifiable pieces of Wes Anderson’s unique visual style, there’s one

highly effective technique that is directly connected to the human mind and helps making his

films extremely appealing. As opposed to more common techniques — like the rule of

thirds — his use of center-balance or one- point perspective isn’t meaningless. 

Besides other characteristics, like the quirky dialogues, gentle pacing and specific set of

actors, symmetry also plays a role in the most comic parts of his films. Film critic David

Bordwell writes that symmetry can create a ―static geometrical frame [that] can evoke a

deadpan comic quality.‖ This is proven in Anderson’s work, where symmetrical goodness

makes the film more interesting and, simultaneously, amusingly offbeat.

The precision in which he does it — along with other set-ups involving dolly (tracking) shots

running parallel to the action, slow-motion shots, bird’s eye shots (from above), and static

cameras zooming in and out — is certainly one of the reasons why his style is so distinct and

helps build a keen visual harmony.

The video below is from British Film Institute contributor and filmmaker Konada — who

worked on the visual cues of a featurette for Criterion, which appear in Anderson’s other

films such as Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) — demonstrates the immaculate composition in scenes

from Anderson’s filmography by placing a centered white line atop numerous shots from

earlier projects, such as Rushmore (1998) to his most recent The Grand Budapest Hotel

(2014).

In the video below, Konada also shows Anderson’s preference for composing shots directly

from above:

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2. Color Palettes

When watching a Wes Anderson film, the viewer can clearly understand why this particular

director serves as an inspiration to so many designers. Specifically, it’s most noticeable how

much thought he puts into the color schemes, almost branding each film simply through the

use of color.

The impact of clor on his cinematography is outstanding, as one can see in films such as The

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) — which carries a marine-themed scheme filled with

various shades of blue and orange — and his latest offering, The Grand Budapest Hotel, in

which soft pinks and faded browns prevail. Further, there’s a washed-out, saturated effect to

these colors that is clearly another part of Anderson’s influences from the ’60s and ’70s,

supporting his recognizable aesthetics.

Since the premiere of his latest film, the Internet has shown an even bigger interest in this

detail, encouraging the creation of sites and blogs dedicated to his color palettes and visual

style, such as: http://wesandersonpalettes.tumblr.com/ . 

The following video is a presentation of his brilliant use of color, compiling examples all

throughout his filmography:

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3. Music

Art is elegantly portrayed in the perfectly scored scenes of Wes Anderson’s films. Over the

years, Anderson has worked with the same music supervisor, Randall Poster, who helps the

director choose the songs and determine the overall music direction of the films.

Music is almost a character in Anderson’s films, playing a role that  can completely transform

a scene, giving his films a new light, or reducing the sound to a romantic and melancholic

tone. Quite a few tunes are remarkable, such as Seu Jorge’s Portuguese covers of David

Bowie’s songs in ―The Life Aquatic,‖ the opera in Moonrise Kingdom (2012), and an array

of rock songs from the ’60s included in various films. 

Poster, who is usually one of the first readers of Anderson’s screenplays, once commented

that music is elementary in the process of Anderson’s creations, which makes music an

essential part of the film’s development. From the start, the duo decide on what kind of music

genre will predominate, or even particular songs they will use.

In the following video, Anderson’s soundtracks are remixed by Eclectic Method, an audio-

visual remix act, compiling a perfect depiction of the director’s dazzling music combinations.  

The Wes Anderson Mixtape

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4. Recurring Actors

Bill Murray is always the first name to come to mind, having had a role in every Anderson

film except in his debut, Bottle Rocket (1996), and is considered by Anderson ―central‖ to his

movie family. His collaborations with the director started in Rushmore (1998), from which he

received only the SAG-approved minimum of approximately $9,000. (Murray is currently

considered one of the highest-paid actors in the world.)

This eventually led to more films and made for a lucrative collaboration that won Anderson

 plenty awards. The same way they became friends, so have the other most common actors in

his films, such as Owen and Luke Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Anjelica

Huston, Kumar Pallana, and Willem Dafoe.

Anderson first befriended Owen Wilson at the University of Texas in Austin, where they

(with Owen’s brother, Luke), made a short film, which later became the film Bottle Rocket.

This relationship commenced a number of collaborations between the trio — writing included.

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Schwartzman joined them in Rushmore. Nonetheless, most of the great aforementioned

actors are essential to his work and process of immediately distinguishing his films from

everyone else’s. 

5. Family Centered

One of the most prominent elements of Wes Anderson’s screenplays is that the storiestypically revolve around a family. It is uncertain whether or not there is Anderson’s

sentimental value behind these stories, or any kind of reminiscence related to his own family.

There is a specific set of issues present in most families depicted in his filmography,

including parental abandonment, sibling rivalry, grief and unconventional raising of children.

Anderson’s films are unusually character -driven; thus, he places much emphasis on the

character’s background and family. Their dysfunctional glory is one of the primary themes,

making them endure difficulties and later finding some sort of reconciliation.

Several of the auteur’s films even make the family the main conflict of the entire film, such

as The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic (2004), The Darjeeling Limited (2007),

and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). In his other films, though, there’s always the bittersweet

 presence of a family matter as a background. It’s a huge part of what makes his stories so

human and heartfelt, making the audience relate or empathize with it.

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6. Dead-pan Dialogue and Characterizations

The previously mentioned recurring actors are often an inspiration to certain peculiar

characters and dialogues made famous in Wes Anderson’s films. They are usually given lines

that demand comedic dryness and emotional subtlety, which could very well go wrong if it

wasn’t f or the visual techniques that make the audience chuckle every time a character is at

the center of the frame talking with no apparent sentiment at all.

Anderson’s dialogue style varies from understated to matter -of-fact, delivering silly lines in

an expressionless serious way and serious dialogue in an unsettling foolish way. Ridiculous

situations are presented as normal occurrences, and at least one character in each film is

completely obsessed with their current project, which is usually something creative.

Anderson’s characters don’t usually miss an introduction, which is vital to his storytelling.

Usually, there are self-absorbed characters unable to grasp any real understanding of human

compassion and other lives besides their own, and the storytelling is often accompanied by a

narrator’s voice. 

The Criterion Collection has included in their YouTube channel part of ―Introducing the

Tenenbaums,‖ which absolutely describes this topic.

Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in

emotion or body language. It is usually spoken in a casual, monotone

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12 Reasons To Make You Love The Films Of Wes Anderson

18 AUGUST 2014 FEATURES, OTHER LISTS BY ALEXANDRA GANDRA

7. Nostalgia

Either it is represented in children or teenage characters [Moonrise Kingdom (2013) and

Rushmore (1998)], or when showing background information from a character’s past [Grand

Budapest (2014), Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Royal Tenenbaums (2001)], nostalgia is

considered a basic theme.

Anderson’s retroversions in a story are not necessarily flashbacks, but integral parts of the

story. In fact, the portrayed memories are usually tumultuous, sad, and bizarre. They are

either funny or a dramatic revelation. Sometimes they’re historical –  such as grand old hotels.

Anderson uses nostalgia almost as a lesson covered with over-the-top satire, bringing full

meaning to ―return to roots‖ and accepting reality, even with the most awkward past

experiences and adventures. By doing this, he allows the audience to travel to a bygone era

and remember the art, the people, the culture, behaviors and styles that, as we get older, fall

into oblivion.

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8. Adult Children

Children are almost always present in Anderson’s films, yet unexpectedly portrayed as adults,

capable of handling issues and solving problems, speaking like old college professors and

wearing odd costumes that would most likely belong to older people. They are typically

smart and witty, separated from anything that would classify them as children.

As opposed to this, adults are commonly portrayed as the children, starting unnecessary

fights or arguments, speaking in a simpler style, lacking signs of maturity and perception, and

an enormous difficulty overcoming obstacles.

Max Fischer and Herman Blume (Schwartzman and Murray, respectively) from Rushmore

(1998) are the obvious examples in this case, but Moonrise Kingdom (2013) also underlines

this topic well. Even the Tenenbaum children are, evidently, smarter than usual, which

 profoundly contrasts with the father figure in the film.

The topic of parental abandonment (or related issues) usually allows children characters to

develop friendships with older people — who act as mentors, ultimately becoming surrogate

fathers — as they help and keep each other company after an unsettling set of events.

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9. Set Design

Anderson once reported that if he had he not become a filmmaker, he would have enjoyed

 being an architect. Details are, of course, obligatory elements that fill the sets and fit the

characters’ worlds— from paintings to books, photography, music, personal items,

wallpapers, etc.

Set design in Anderson’s filmography is an art, meticulously considered, from tiny

 brownstone apartments to color themes to elaborate costumes. In a way, Anderson makes

everything that usually surrounds a character a portrayal of that same character, defining

 personalities and conflicts, creating unique cinematic landscapes.

Anderson’s visually stunning sets are formulated with the assistance of production and

graphic designers — who have gained more relevance throughout the director’s career— which

is evident in most recent works, such as the preposterous design of The Grand Budapest

Hotel (2014) — where he built from scratch an entire fictional set that had to change with

time.

Here’s a video of Bill Murray hosting a tour of the set of Moonrise Kingdom (2013):

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11. Typography

When examining typography in Wes Anderson’s films, an individual will notice that there’s

one specific fundamental geometric sans-serif typeface: Futura. Apparently, the director has a

slight obsession with the font, making its use consistent in his filmography. Anderson has

mentioned this aspect was inspired by old Italian movies, which he loved in his youth, and he

now uses Futura as a tribute to them.

Typography is an integral part of his films, and is used as transitions, especially via books,

 places, letters, props, etc. His signature font is just another occupied spot on his detail-

obsessed aesthetic, and has gained him a legion of followers and serif-loathing devotees, who

were very upset with his use of a different typeface for Moonrise Kingdom (2013), which

was designed by Jessica Hische specifically for the film.

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There’s a common side to an auteur being associated with a particular font, as it with

Bergman’s and Woody Allen’s use of Windsor. Anderson’s typographical trademark is yet

another extremely pleasing facet of Anderson’s filmmaking. 

12. Strange Clothing and Accessories

Despite what the entirety of Moonrise Kingdom (2013) suggests, khaki shorts are noteverything that constitute Anderson’s fashion in films. Some characters’ ensembles receive

more attention than others, but Anderson’s costuming is undoubtedly a vital characteristic in

order for each character to fit a specific time, personality, or even mission [cue to Life

Aquatic (2004)].

Ridiculous hats and other accessories usually make for great comedy. It’s a way of saying

that these characters’ eccentricities are present on the outside, too, for the whole world to see.

Anderson has also maintained a clear retro influence, including: Adidas tracksuits from the

1970s, famous sneakers from other decades, tweed jackets, fur coats, bags and business suits,among many others. Anderson knows how to work with these items and how to integrate

them into his films because, firstly, he has some sense of style; and secondly, he knows how

to work a color palette.

While Louis Vuitton constructed luggage for The Darjeeling Limited (2007) and Adidas

made sneakers for Team Zissou, Anderson added details such as glasses, random costumes,

monochromatic uniforms, patterns, and — evidently — khaki shorts.

 Author Bio: Alex Gandra is a Portuguese writer and filmmaker.She graduated this year in

 New Communication Technologies from the University of Aveiro and is currently in amaster’s degree in Digital Audiovisual. She spends too much time in cafés writing scripts and

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other kinds of texts you can find at  medium.com/@gandra_le. She’s also writing a book she

hopes to finish some day. 

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