PROJECTOR: Image of Wes Anderson behind
the scenes on the animated stop motion film Fantastic Mr Fox.
PRESENTER: 1996 marked the launch
of Wes Anderson’s career when his directorial debut, Bottle Rocket, was released at the Sundance Film Festival gaining
attention from the critics due to his distinct visual and unique narrative
style.
VIDEO CLIP: Video trailer of Bottle Rocket
PRESENTER: My research project
looks at the development of Wes Anderson as an auteur across a range of films
from the start of his career to today. The five films central to this
examination that I will refer to throughout this presentation are:
·
The Royal
Tenenbaums
·
Rushmore
·
Life
Aquatic of Steve Zissou
·
The Grand
Budapest Hotel
PROJECTOR: Split screen freeze frame of
Wes Anderson’s movies.
PRESENTER: in this presentation I
will cover:
·
Young years and early career of Wes Anderson
·
Anderson’s quirky directing style and design
·
Character driven narratives
·
Recurring actors and collaborations
PRESENTER: Throughout my
presentation I will seek to establish Wes Anderson is an independent film maker
or a successful Hollywood director through the results of my research.
Young years and career breakthrough of Wes Anderson
PRESENTER: Wes Anderson was born in
Houston, Texas, on the 1st May 1969 to an archaeologist turned real
estate agent mother and an advertising and PR executive father. Anderson is the
middle child out of three boys. His older brother Mel is a doctor and his
younger brother is a writer/artist whose designs and paintings have been
featured in a variety of Anderson’s films. As a child Anderson found
himself consumed by storytelling and although his first ambition was to become
a writer, from an early age he showed a passion for filmmaking. Using his
father’s super 8 camera, Anderson created silent films starring his friends and
family. These films were
his own versions of already existing stories.
PROJECTOR: The projector will display an
image of a super 8 camera to show the audience what camera he used and the
projector will display an image of Indiana Jones to show he made his own
versions of already existing films.
PRESENTER: The divorce of
Anderson’s parents at the age of 8 is described by him as a pinnacle moment in
his life and has in fact influenced his work: presenting the theme of a
dysfunctional family in almost all of his movies. Anderson gathers inspiration
from his surroundings and own experiences to help create his unique narratives.
St. John’s Private prep school was a significant aspect of Anderson’s life and
provided inspiration as well as location for his second feature film Rushmore. During his time at St. John’s Anderson
became renowned for his large complex play productions, which were often based
on well-known existing stories from films or TV Shows. In an
interview with The Big Issue Magazine
Anderson stated, “I feel happier making movies than I ever did going to
school.”
PROJECTOR: The projector will show a
split freeze frame of three movies which made a big impression on young Wes
Anderson: The Trouble with Harry, The Man who Knew too much and Rear Window.
PRESENTER: In the 1980s after graduating from St.
Johns, and whilst working part time as a cinema projectionist, Anderson
enrolled at the University of Texas. It was here that Anderson developed a stronger
passion for filmmaking. With having better access to resources at the college
library and a wide collection of books about movies, Anderson started reading
books about filmmakers. He showed a particular interest in European Art Cinema
and focused on movies in the 1960s related to the French New Wave. One of the first films
Anderson showed particular interest in and encouraged him to learn about
filmmaking was Star Wars, he sought out material and researched into the making
of this film.
PROJECTOR: Will display an image of
a storyboard from the Star Wars films
to show the audience that this film inspired him to learn about filmmaking.
PRESENTER: During his time at the
University of Texas Anderson met his future writing partner and cast member,
Owen Wilson. In an interview in
1996 Anderson said to the AMC Blog that him and Owen Wilson first encountered
whilst:
PROJECTOR: “doing a
playwriting class together: this thing where everybody, about nine of us, sat
around a table and discussed plays. And I always sat on one corner, not really
at the table, and Owen sat in another corner, not really at the table and we
never spoke the whole semester.”
Presenter: After this class
Anderson and Wilson gradually became friends due to their love of writers and
movies. With this shared passion for filmmaking they both realised that it was
an option they could explore together. Soon after they became roommates and
started creating short films.
PROJECTOR: An image from the movie
Bottle Rocket will be displayed.
PRESENTER: In 1993 Wes Anderson and
Owen Wilson released their first official short film “Bottle Rocket” at the
Sundance Film Festival. The movie was received successfully and attracted
attention from industry veterans (Polly Platt and James L Brook) and ultimately
brought Anderson to Columbia Pictures. Due to the success of the short film Wes
Anderson received funding of 5 million dollars to make a feature length
version. Semi-retired producer Polly Platt and Executive Producer
James L Brook, who is known for mentoring new talent such as Matt Groening and
Danny DeVito, guided Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson as well as helped to create
the movie. The feature is a comedy and focuses on aimless rich kids who try to
reinvent themselves as master thieves. This kind of film is ideal for
festivals like Sundance as it supports and promotes low budget independent
films.
VIDEO CLIP: Trailer from the movie Bottle
Rocket.
PRESENTER: this low budget
independent piece of filmmaking established Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson as a
screenwriting duo and propelled them through two more projects (Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums).
However the feature length film wasn’t a commercial hit within
mainstream cinema and failed at the box office but it did in fact gain a cult
following, including Martin Scorsese. The support and demand from this
cult following allowed them to go on and create more quirky independent films.
In the book The Rough Guide to
Film, Richard Armstrong states “When
asked by a journalist to name “the next Martin Scorsese”, Scorsese himself
picked out Wes Anderson.” In an interview with Esquire
Magazine Martin Scorsese explained that,
“Wes Anderson has a very special kind of talent. He knows how to convey the
simple joys and interactions between people so well and with such
richness.”
PRESENTER: At the time Anderson’s
feature was considered astonishing as it showed an allegiance to the 1960s and 70s
American New Wave film movement and already showed signs that Anderson was
aware of who he was as a director.
PRESENTER: When writing about Wes
Anderson, Matt Zoller Seits makes an excellent remark:
PROJECTOR: “Bottle Rocket didn’t just signal the start of a career, but
the birth of a voice.”
PRESENTER: This is an excellent
remark as it is totally accurate, as there is no one
quite like Wes Anderson. His is a unique auteur who has brought something
different to filmmaking.
But it wasn’t until the release of his second feature film Rushmore that Wes Anderson defined his
style as an auteur and director. Although Wes Anderson was considered new to
filmmaking at the time he was traditional in the sense that he was responsible
for the whole process of filmmaking.
Right from the beginning of Rushmore
the audience are aware that this is an original film, through the use of a
French New Wave inspired montage at the beginning of the narrative showing all
of Max’s after school curriculum activities (including “The Bombardment
Society”) and the continuation of the theatre curtains covering the screen
whenever the story changes to a new month. Rushmore benchmarked a visually
compelling storyteller.
PROJECTOR: Will display the text “Anderson’s
Quirky directing style and design” to identify the next section of my
presentation.
PRESENTER: According to Film
Comment Magazine, Wes Anderson is “the most original presence in American film
Comedy since Preston Struges” . I agree with this point, Anderson has
the ability to create a quirky character driven narrative and present it in an
even quirkier directing style that has never been done before by any other
directors.
When talking about his way of
directing and creating films Wes Anderson has in fact described himself as an
auteur.
PROJECTOR: Will display a direct
quote from Wes Anderson, “I have a way
of filming things and staging them and designing sets. There were times when I
thought I should change my approach, but in fact, this is what I like to do.
It's sort of like my handwriting as a movie director. And somewhere along the
way, I think I've made the decision: I'm going to write in my own handwriting”
PRESENTER: Anderson’s choice of
visual style and unique design has provoked much discussion over the years not
between critics but fellow peers. In an interview with Milena Canonero (costume
designer) in the book The Grand Budapest
Hotel by Matt Zoller
Seits she stated this about Wes Anderson’s style, “ his work had evolved into a sophisticated, highly personal cinematic
style. Wes is not only a film director, but an author. Like a great painter,
his work is very identifiable, and unique to him. His visionary world is very
inspiring; I completely submerge myself into it.”
Factors that contribute to
making a recognisable Anderson product are:
·
Use of anamorphic wide screen: A peculiar
trait of Wes Anderson’s work is using wide screen for close up shots. His first
picture to be shot in this format was Rushmore. In the book Wes Anderson Collection, Anderson described why
he preferred shooting in a wide frame:
PROJECTOR: “I
think for me it’s about this big image, that shape it just a great shape for
telling a story.”
PROJECTOR: Will display three screenshots of an
anamorphic screen to show it is a recurring trait in his films.
·
Symmetry: The arrangement of props and characters in front of
the camera is evenly balanced on each side representing a mirroring image. This is a signature style of Anderson’s
work and when seen on screen the audience immediately noticed they are watching
a Wes Anderson movie.
PROJECTOR: Will display an example of symmetry used
in a Wes Anderson film.
VIDEO CLIP:
Running to get the train scene from The
Darjeeling Limited: 1’27”
·
Tracking shot: The tracking shot creates energy and essentially
gives Anderson’s movies momentum, producing a lively atmosphere even at times
of sadness in the narrative. The Darjeeling Limited includes a
lot of tracking shots throughout to maintain the sense that the protagonists
are on a train and are constantly moving.
VIDEO CLIP: Let me tell you about my boat scene
from Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: 1’30”
·
Long takes: Anderson frequently uses long take usually whilst
there is a voice over, in the clip above Anderson uses a long take to show the
audience all the rooms on the boat whilst Bill Murray’s character explain the
function of each room. Anderson also frequently uses a take/double take
technique where he will show a character and will then quickly pan to another
character, followed by a pan back. This long continuous motion is usually shot
using a hand held camera. An example of this is in Rushmore when Miss Cross and Max are
having a conversation through the fish tank.
·
Palettes: each individual film has an original distinctive
colour scheme that reflects the mood and setting of the narrative. If you look
closely in every shot there is a trace of at least one colour off the palette.
PROJECTOR:
Will display an image along with a colour palette for a few films. (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Moonrise Kingdom)
· Slow motion: a director’s
trademark usually located at the end of his films. This technique is feature in
all but one of his movies, the Darjeeling limited.
VIDEO CLIP: The last scene
from The Royal Tenebaums showing the audience how it changes from normal speed to slow motion.
PRESENTER: These stylistic devices
give his movies a distinctive quality and in fact create a feeling of a
self-contained world.
PROJECTOR: Will display the
subheading “Soundtracks”
PRESENTER: Due to the 1960s and
1970s influences on Wes Anderson the sound tracks on all of his films consist
of music from this era, as well as one band or artist, which dominates each
soundtrack. according to IMDB Wes Anderson wanted the soundtrack for Rushmore to be entirely made up of music
from The Kinks, however they decided against it.
VIDEO CLIP: Clip from Rushmore featuring the song “I am Waiting” by The Rolling
Stones: 2’40”
PROJECTOR:
Split screen freeze frame of some artists on Anderson’s soundtracks: Devo features in the Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Kinks featured in Rushmore and A Charlie Brown Christmas
featured in The Royal Tenenabaums.
PRESENTER: Due to being set in the
early 1930s, The Grand Budapest Hotel is the first of his features to
not include music from the 60’s or 70’s. Instead the soundtrack featured a
score composed by Alexandre Desplat who chose to only use an orchestra. Wes Anderson didn’t use popular music in this feature to create the sense it
is set in the early 193os in Eastern Europe.
SOUND CLIP: Theme music from The Grand Budapest hotel - 30
seconds then fade out.
PROJECTOR: will display an image of
The Grand Budapest Hotel poster.
PRESENTER: All of Anderson’s films
take place within a particular era, even if the time period is not directly
acknowledge, the set design and backdrops are significant for notifying the
audience that this is the period of time they are being emerged into.
VIDEO CLIP: Lobby Boy Interview
scene from The Grand Budapest Hotel – 1’19”
PRESENTER: At the beginning of this
scene we are immediately transported back in time not only through the use of
an old-fashioned camera aspect ratio but also through the use of the
attention to detail in the mise en scene. In the opening medium close up shot
we are hit with vibrant pinks and purples giving it a European sort of style.
Even though it is winter from the snowfall in the background we get the impression
that its warm due to the bright lighting, this is especially noticeable in the
tilt up shot showing the front of the hotel. When the protagonists enter the
hotel a tracking shot shows a luxurious lobby (wide staircases, marble pillars)
decorated with grandeur furniture from the early 20th century. The
lobby is the definition of perfection; there is not a single thing out of place
even the employee’s look pristine in their purple uniforms. As the audience we
gather that this is the place to be, by having rapid-fire dialogue between the
characters we get the impression that it is very busy and popular. Although
this scene is very short we are already aware of the location and era of the
film due to Wes Anderson’s attention to detail in the mise en scene.
PROJECTOR: Will display the text
“Character Driven Narratives” to identify the next section of my
presentation.
PRESENTER: In an interview with the
guardian Anderson stated,
PROJECTOR: “I wanna make a story about characters, their experiences but at the
same time I wanna do something about their world.”
PRESENTER: Anderson as an auteur is
a creative force to be reckoned with and his character driven narratives and
irregular narrative structure highlight his creative vision.
PROJECTOR: Split Freeze frame
displaying images of a few characters from Anderson’s films.
PRESENTER: Although all of Wes
Anderson’s films are fast-paced comedies, there are certain moments, which
contain more serious themes, such as: parental abandonment, grief, adultery,
sibling rivalry and loss of innocence.
VIDEO CLIP: Dinner Scene from The Royal Tenenbaums
PRESENTER: A main theme, which is
consistent and is at the centre of every Wes Anderson film, is family. The Royal Tenenbaums is the
best example for reflecting family dynamics.
PROJECTOR: Image of The Royal Tenenbaums will be displayed.
But did this recognition shift
Anderson from an independent director to a Hollywood filmmaker?
After the release of The Royal Tenenbaums, Anderson
had no luck with producing a box office smash. However he spawned a loyal cult
following especially among college students. It wasn’t until 2014 that Wes
Anderson had his greatest commercial success with the release of The Grand Budapest Hotel,
$59,0730773 at the box office, and earning dozens of award nominations
including 9 Oscar nominations and four wins. Even though the film was
a success at the box office it was still dispatched as an independent film and was
given a limited release.
PROJECTOR: Will display the text
“Reoccurring Actors and Collaborations” to identify the next section of my
presentation.
PRESENTER: Over the span of
Anderson’s career, nearly two decades, he has managed to accumulate a regular
ensemble of actors, ranging from high profile Hollywood stars to unknown
newcomers, who have consistently appeared in many of his projects.
PRESENTER: Anderson’s second
feature film Rushmore, again
co-written with his former university of Austin classmate Owen Wilson,
introduced the first appearance of Bill Murray in a Wes Anderson film. Both
critic associations of New York and Los Angeles declared him as Best Supporting
Actor for playing the character of Herman Blume, a cynical industrialist who
isn’t satisfied with his multi-million dollar company and so befriends the
protagonist of the narrative Max Fischer. Since this movie was
released Bill Murray has appeared in every Wes Anderson film to date.
In an interview with Esquire Magazine Bill Murray enlightens
us on why he repeatedly works with Wes Anderson:
PROJECTOR: “We are promised very
long hours and low wages. That's pretty much it. It's this crazy thing where
you're asked to come and work a lot, and you lose money on the job, because you
wind up spending more in tips than you ever earn. But you get to see the world,
and see Wes live this wonderful, magical life, where his dreamscape comes true.
So, if we show up, he gets to have all his fun, and I guess it's because we
like him that we go along with this."
PROJECTOR: An image of a table
showing actors who have collaborated with Wes Anderson numerous times.
PRESENTER: The long list of talented thespians
continues E.g. Anjelica Hutson, Willem Dafoe and Jeff Goldblum to name a few.
And it doesn’t stop there Anderson is always constantly building up his repertoire
of actors. Most recently he has cultivated Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton
(both appearing in two recent ventures, Moonrise
Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel). Wes Anderson tends to use the
same actors for all of his movies as he has already built a strong relationship
with them and because they share the same creative vision as him.
PRESENTER: So with this high
calibre of acting talent how come Anderson isn’t a success at the box office?
PROJECTOR: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou movie poster will be
displayed.
PRESENTER: At $50 million dollars,
his biggest budgeted movie ever, The Life
Aquatic with Steve Zissou was an extensive flop. Its critical
reception was also less favourable than his previous films. This is reflected
in the overall gross of the movie, $24,020,403, less than half of its
production value. I think the movie was a flop because the critics
and audience struggled to know what to make of it as it is something very
quirky that they hadn’t seen before. However, Wes Anderson doesn’t have to make
it big at the box office in order to be successful.
PRESENTER: Even though
the actors involved in the movies could essentially lose out on money while
working for Wes Anderson, they do get to go on a journey of a life time,
visiting different places, delving into whimsical and definitely quirky worlds.
PROJECTOR: Will display the text “Conclusion” to notify the audience that
my presentation is coming towards an end.
AUDIO CLIP: The life Aquatic with Steve Zissou shark Attack theme- 30 seconds then fade out.
PROJECTOR: My hypothesis “Wes Anderson independent director or Hollywood
filmmaker?” will appear on screen again
PRESENTER: Throughout the years Wes Anderson’s has become known for
quirky, humorous and distinctively styled ensemble films. Although at times he
has come to the attention of big studios and Hollywood production companies, he
has still remained loyal to his roots as a filmmaker and produce movies he
wants to make with a collection of people who share his vision. In my opinion
Wes Anderson has thrived as a filmmaker and been able to create extraordinary
independent movies in a way where he doesn’t have to sacrifice his ideals,
method and style for the sake of directing crowd pleasing, big budget
productions. So he will always be and independent thinker producing independent
films.
