A Beginner's Guide to Wes Anderson

C I N E M AT O G R A P H Y

NER GIN

’S GUIDE

TO

WES AND ERSON BE

by LaurenVaughn

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Laura Vaughn A Beginners Guide to Wes Anderson AUT HOR

TITL E

DAT E DUE

BOR ROW ER’S NAM E

COD E 424- 02

ROO M #

BEG

INNER’S GUIDE TO

WES AND ERSON

NER GIN

’S GUIDE

TO

WES AND ERSON BE

by LaurenVaughn

A Beginner’s Guide to Wes Anderson ©2018 Claire Shin ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This book or an portion thereof may not be reproduced or without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use for a brief quotation in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America First Printing, 2018 ISBN–13: 940-10014612 ISBN–10: 391740X

C I N E M AT O G R A P H Y

P A R T O NE

THE CONTENTS

COLOR (p. 11)

{Paletting & social commentary}

COMPOSITION (p. 30)

{lights, symmetry, & slow motion}

TECHNIQUE (p. 48)

{camera operation & shot quality}

C I N E M AT O G R A P H Y ( p . 1 0 )

P A R T T WO

SET DESIGN (p. 62)

{creating new worlds from scratch}

MUSIC (p. 74)

{nostalgic scores & soundtrack}

SCRIPT (p. 83)

{key writers, themes, & storyline}

P A R T T H R EE

PRODUCTION (p.61)

WES ANDERSON(p. 97) {into the world of the director}

BILL MURRAY(p. 102) {actor: Zissou, Mr.Bishop & more}

EDWARD NORTON (p. 105) {actor: Scout Master, Rex & more}

INTERVIEWS (p.56)

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P A R T O NE C I N E M AT O G R A P H Y

COLOR

{Paletting & social commentary}

F

ilmmaker Wes Anderson has de-

rector’s unique world has a retro quality

veloped a distinct aesthetic style

that casts his films in a nostalgia for a time

that is early recognizable through

that could have been. The muted pink of

his use of striking color palettes. They tell

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL that makes

much about social stratification, construc-

the hotel itself the biggest character in the

tion and the role of family as they relate to

movie; the French mustard that comes to

color in Anderson’s films. Relying on the

define Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot Tenen-

auteur theory, the research related Ander-

baum in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS; the vin-

son’s personal experiences with those of

tage boy-scout green in MOONRISE KING-

his characters and aimed at discerning the

DOM; the marine blue evident in THE LIFE

importance of color as it connects to social

AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU — all of these

structure.

hues are captured in the Wes Anderson Co-

The fictional worlds evoked in film by

lour Palettes Tumblr, which breaks down

Anderson have such a precise coloration —

thwe shades that colour Wes’s world scene

the very particular pastel-hues that paint

by scene with precise accuracy, and also

the skies, drench the buildings and dress

the Movies in Color site, which considers

the characters, render Anderson’s micro-

individual frames of many films, including

cosms almost dream–like. The hazy-hued

Anderson’s, distililng them down to their

lens through which we peer into the di-

myriad different shades.

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THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

T H E R O YA L T E N E N B A U M S

Muted pink French mustard

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MOONRISE KINGDOM T H E L I F E A Q U AT I C W I T H S T E V E Z I S S O U

Boyscout green

Marine blue

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Unquestionably the most laborious efforts in Anderson’s films lie with the pro-

viewer. Anderson says of his film THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS:

duction and scenic designer. From the lavish hotel in THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014) to the unassumingly intricate sub-

I am from Texas, but there were so many New York movies and novels which were among my favorites and I didn't have an accurate idea of what New York was like. I wanted to create an exaggerated version of that imaginary New York.

marine in THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004), his production design is unmitigated

extravagance.

Anderson,

working with designer Adam Stockhausen, comes into a production with a specific color palette in mind and they work off of what colors work well in contrasting the presence of these colors. An interview with Stockhausen revealed the following about the process behind THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL:

This also appears in the pastel-hued sea creatures in THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004). Anderson gives audiences a glimpse of a seemingly perfect

The funny thing is, we started with all this pink, and I think this would be true of any color if you use too much of it, you stop seeing it because it's everywhere and you start taking it for granted. So, we found that we had to add in yellows and different colors to kind of cut it back so you could see it more.

world of “dollhouse perfectionism” hat juxtaposes the somber tone of his content.

This brings about a certain perceived irony in his filmmaking when associating characters and the context in which they perpetuate their “type.” Owen Wilson, a close friend and reoccurring player in the game of Wes Anderson cinema, said in a commentary, “It’s a world that Wes Anderson creates . . . slightly artificial, but I think

Anderson plays with color in his set

within that world the emotions and feelings

and production design in order to create a

are very real.” Anderson is a talented indi-

fantastical world unlike that known to the

vidual in that he can manipulate sound and

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1 Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001)

2 Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) and his crew aboard the Calypso submarine wearing red caps in THE LIFE AQUATIC OF STEVE ZISSOU (2004)

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childhood. His stylistic choices and themat-

continuums. He is an “unrepentant hipster”

ic elements of his original screenplays are

who uses exuberant color tied to somber

portrayed through his lens as if he were a

themes, creating “whiplash juxtaposition”

character. The filmmaker has an avid fas-

for the audience. This visual modality is

cination with recurring themes and inter-

magnified by the contrast of what you see

connectivity in his films. Social structure

on screen with the action that is happen-

is one such large focus, as well as familial

ing. Just as Truffaut does, Anderson tends

structures and intergenerational bonds

to suffuse dark material with humoristic

and rivalries. Much of his work focuses on

interactions. This is apparent especially

parents’ relationships with their children.

in the childish bickering between Royal

Anderson tends to portray a specific

Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and his ex-

social niche of eccentric affluence. These

wife’s suitor (Danny Glover) Henry Sher-

characters are precocious and immature,

man after Richie (Luke Wilson) tries to kill

but not, on the whole, badly–intentioned

himself. The characters in Anderson’s films

problematic fathers also tend to be a cen-

often appear in multiple of his works. Bill

tral theme to Anderson’s work as a whole,

Murray, Angelica Huston, Owen and Luke

while mothers are less of a presence (in

Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman

fact, many have died as a precursor to his

and Tilda Swinton all appear in at least 2 of

films). This is evident in the case of Steve

his 10 films. Anderson grew up in Texas and

Zissou (Bill Murray) in THE LIFE AQUATIC

went to high school with the Wilson broth-

WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004), Royal Tenen-

ers, calling upon them to act in and write

baum, and Herman Blume (Bill Murray) in

numerous films and short film. His mother

RUSHMORE (1998). On the topic of father-

was an archaeologist, just like the char-

hood, Zissou says to his illegitimate son,

acter of Etheline Tenenbaum (Angelica

Ned: “I hate fathers and I never wanted to

Huston), and his father was not very pres-

be one.” It is interesting that all of these

ent after divorcing his mother, just like the

male characters wear red, as if to evoke a

character Royal Tenenbaum1 (Gene Hack-

certain boyish dominance. Zissou has his

man) in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001).

documentary crew wear red headwear2 as

Much of Anderson’s films, in keeping with

he does, for in this case red represents the

the auteur theory, is a self-reflection of his

overcompensation of his insecurities about

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image to transport an audience to other

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filmmaking. In THE DARJEELING LIMITED,

a sense of boyish enthusiasm. Red in THE

the three sons on the quest to find their

DARJEELING LIMITED appears most vi-

mother find themselves at their father’s

brantly in the father’s car — the item about

funeral, with whom they were not close.

which he cared most.4 After his death, his

His red vintage automobile is the only

sons both covet and resent the car because

item that connected him and his sons. Chas

of the void it represents in their lives and

Tenenbaum, Royal’s son played by Ben Still-

how they could never live up to the esteem

er, wears a red Adidas tracksuit from his

of the vehicle itself.

adolescence until adulthood. As we come

This reversion back to childlike depen-

to know his two younger sons, Ari and Uzi,

dency is common in the themes of Ander-

they wear the exact same suit.3 Max, Her-

son’s work. Critics fault him for neglecting

man Blume’s son in RUSHMORE, wears a

character development in light of fantasti-

red hat to his prestigious private school as

cal set design, though his characters offer

he yearns for the affection of his father.

viewers a sense of restraint juxtaposed

Red seems to be a color of longing,

with their lavish settings. Monsieur Gus-

having deep-rooted issues attached in the

tave (Ralph Fiennes) in THE GRAND BUDA-

realm of fatherhood.

PEST HOTEL (2014) is a character of refined

In the case for these three fathers,

elegance, running the nicest hotel in the

they are a main source of conflict in their

fictional republic of Zubrowka. Though, his

families. Even more than most directors,

films do tend to center on childhood, both

Anderson uses costumes as an extension

“literal and prolonged” and the need to

of his characters. Colors and costuming

create communities in the face of familial

foil the neurotic personalities associated

abandonment. It is worldly communities,

in his films. The sense of self-importance

i.e. Jamaica and Africa, in which Margot

garnered by these three fathers has caused

Tenenbaum and her mother separately go

them to be ostracized in some way by their

searching for themselves after they sepa-

families. Their emotional maturity lags be-

rated from the family. Monsieur Gustave, a

hind their perceived triumphs in society

man who trained for years without a family

Royal and Herman are wealthy business-

to become the concierge of the hotel, finds

men; Zissou is a semi-accomplished marine

solace in Zero Moustafa, the immigrant

documentarian. For them, red is a color of

lobby boy also without a family who later

power and security, though it also evokes

becomes his most trusted friend. Anderson

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3 Chas Tenenbaum’s sons wearing red adidas tracksuits in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001)

4 The brothers Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) in front of their father’s red car in DARJEELING LIMITED (2007)

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5 Camp Ivanhoe Khaki Boyscouts yellow uniform detail in MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012)

6 Yellow sky in FANTASTIC MR FOX (2009)

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In THE DARJEELING LIMITED when the

concept of youth.

young Indian boy dies, his funeral rites are

In THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, M.

set against glimmering golden light, stark

Gustave sleeps with older women as a boy-

white vestments and a vibrant town in

ish conquest for wealth. MOONRISE KING-

the background. Socially, the three white

DOM is a film that centers on the concept

protagonists stick out as irreverent Amer-

of lost youth and the rediscovery of it in

icans. Often times he uses whiteness as a

young love. The “moonrise kingdom” is the

framework for social stability. We also see

refuge for which Sam and Suzy, both ado-

this in the familial structure of the Tenen-

lescents, are looking. Yellow is often a color

baum family. Anderson uses deep, rich

of optimism in the films of Anderson, which

colors to highlight the color of the charac-

is apparent in the uniforms of the scouts

ters’ white skin, as we see in the scene with

in this film.5 Yellow is also symbolized in

Royal at the dinner table. “As in THE ROY-

many of his films as a color of peace. For

AL TENENBAUMS, colors in the film serve

example, the sky in THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX

to highlight and reinforce the whiteness of

is yellow when the foxes are happiest.6 The

the main character.” For non-white char-

submarine of Steve Zissou is yellow, one of

acters, Anderson tends to use neutrals to

the only things that brings him happiness

accentuate their skin. Likewise, characters

until he finds the yellow sea creature he

of color often portray second-class citizens

had been searching.

of society. Kumar Pallana, a reoccurring

Color can establish a mood that is in

actor in Anderson films, typically portrays

keeping with the action or environment a

an elderly ethnic man who does not seem

director wishes to portray on the screen. It

to comprehend everything going on. He

brings about this fairy tale-like existence

acts often as a foil for the disillusioned old-

in Anderson’s films because his levity of-

er white gentlemen in his films. This is one

ten times contrasts grim situations. The

such case in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, as

hospital room is bright and bustling with

Pallana’s character, Pagoda, provides a

family members after Richie Tenenbaum

sense of stability and unwavering gump-

tries to commit suicide. Here Anderson

tion for the isolated Royal.

plays with the stress that society places on menial factors–in darkness he presents us with light as a sort of childish optimism.

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constantly positions himself around the

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NOTE ON T YPE This book is set respectively at 8.5/16 in Cheltenham, a typeface drawn by architect Bertram Goodhue and Ingall Kimball in 1896 for the city press. The headings are set in DIN, a version of the typeface designed by Albert-Jan Pool in 1936 for German road and railway signage. Additional typefaces such as Futura. released in 1927 by Paul Renner, and Archer, created in 2001 by Hoefler and Frere–Jones, are included.

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