Some of you may have seen this Kogonada video about Wes Anderson's centered framing and symmetry, and if you haven't I recommend checking out kogonadas channel for some other cool videos.
Now this video shows different clips from Wes Anderson movies with a line drawn down the middle to show how centered they are. It comes off as revelatory, with some comments even saying things like "It is so awesome that you could find the pattern of this unbelievable director , actually my favorite, wes anderson , so special in his own way" . . . .
My problem is Wes' style and use of symmetry is not only blatanly obvious, it's obnoxious (imo). You could just as easily run that center line over any of his movies and come up with an hour and a half long video for the internet.
For some reason, Wes Anderson occupies a weird pedestal for the general public. He is mainstream and accessible, yet has a quirky style with obnoxious framing, grandios dialogue, and 'fun' color palettes. Because of these quirks, the gen public lauds him and acts like he is an arthouse director or someone totally weeeird. In my lower level cinema class, 90% of the class listed Wes Anderson as one of their favorite directors, usually next to Tarantino.
What I'm getting at, I suppose, is that Wes Anderson is the artsy director of basic people, for lack of a better term (I'd say plebs but some may take me to seriously ;) )
Basic people see these quirks and color patterns and hear the 'fun!' fast dialogue and go "wow he's so artsy, what a creative genius." Without the flair, his movies tell rather dull or at least predicatable stories. The Grand Budapest Hotel, for a recent example, is your average cat and mouse chase with a "surprise!" predictable twist at the end. This happens every time an Anderson flick releases. People love it and hype it up as amazingly funny, creative, quirky, etc. but I always hate it.
That being said, I respect Anderson's vision; he clearly has mad love for the French New Wave and has an idea of what he wants to do so more power to him, But I have no idea why the general public seems to think of him as one of the best directors out there, because there are hundreds more talented and interesting than he (opinion). So he can maintain a consisitent, centered, frame, sure, but that distracts me more than adds to the film.
What do y'all think about him? Oh and before anyone says it, no, watching your favorite Wes Anderson movie will not change my mind.
I have the complete opposite opinion of you. Have you seen Bottle Rocket? It is his first film and completely lacks the grandiose Anderson visual aesthetic. Still has Anderson dialogue. Compared to mainstream cinema he is weird. Tarantino's quirk is his storytelling format. Anderson's is his visual style which personally I appreciate as totally unrealistic. Movies have a burden of being 1:1 representations of reality, what you through the lens is, excluding cgi, an accurate representation of reality. Wes Anderson deliberately break this through his visual style. They are meant to be a false, idealized reality. For example in The Grand Budapest Agatha is described as having a birthmark that looks like Mexico and in the movie it is literally in the shape of Mexico. Everything in TGB is exaggerated because it is based on storytelling of Zero, not reality. I think he is one of the best directors out there because 1. Obviously. I like his movies and find them enjoyable on every successive viewing. 2. He has a unique visual style that he has mastered. 3. His dialogue is different and interesting. When Suzy asks Sam if Snoopy was a good dog and Sam says "Who's to say?" Man that just connected with me I love it. 4. He writes original screenplays which I appreciate. I feel like I'm just rambling and I dont think there is anything that will change your mind. If you don't like the style of his movies you will hate them because they are drenched in his aesthetic. I also think that just because his style is bold and in your face doesnt make it bad, just polarizing.He is mainstream and accessible, yet has a quirky style with obnoxious framing, grandios dialogue, and 'fun' color palettes. Because of these quirks, the gen public lauds him and acts like he is an arthouse director or someone totally weeeird. In my lower level cinema class, 90% of the class listed Wes Anderson as one of their favorite directors, usually next to Tarantino.
I have not seen Bottle Rocket, but I don't think it matters regarding my problems with him. What he made in the beginning may be different, but his current output is what I am exposed to and where I take issue. i may love Bottle Rocket, it's on my list to watch. Wes is piggybacking off of the French New Wave (which he absolutely loves) with regard to visual style and alerting the viewers to the fact they are watching a movie. I don't mind paying homage to the New Wave, I just think Wes is waaaay too heavy-handed. I respect your taste , he's just not my cup of tea I suppose. I'm more of a dark, mysterious, brooding type. Gimme movies that just show despondent frenchmen smoking cigarettes for 3 hrs and call it a day haha
Good guess ;) Seriously though, French films feature more on-screen smoking time than any other nationality
You've never seen Amélie Poulain? I don't now how well it translates because the dialogues is just genius but the cinematography is amazing too. I have to re-watch it. Maybe be do #movieclub french movies next?
#movieclub for French movies would be my dream come true! Do you speak French? I'm asking because of your comment about how Amélie's dialogue translates into English
Hate to piggyback, but I have a Letterboxd! What's your user? Follow me if you'd like.
Oh man, French film is my spirit animal! And no, I don't have a letterboxd, but I just googled it and it looks like something I want to have lol I suppose you have one?
Oh lord, where to begin?? First thing you need to watch, is Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard. This is posterchild movie for the French New Wave and is responsible for influencing countless other filmmakers and new wave movements (Czech new wave, American new wave,etc.). Wes Anderson is a HUGE fan of the French New Wave, so if you want to see many of Anderson's influences just dive into this era (late 50's to mid 60's). I am happy to write a bigger list of New Wave must-see films if it interest you :) Other phenomenal French films. Blue is the Warmest Color directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. This 3hr drama centers on Adèle, a 15 yr old discovering her sexuality. This film won the Golden Palm at Cannes in 2013 and is a beatifully shot, emotional and moving story. Highly recommended and my favorite of 2013. Irreversible by Gaspar Noé is a very interesting film dealing with time, revenge, and love. Starring Vincent Cassel (of La Haine fame ;) ) this movie tells the story of a man seeking revenge in reverse order. One of my all-time favorites. Disclaimer: This movie is violent and there is a disturbing rape scene which may be hard to watch. If you are a fan of horror or gore, then check out French New Extremism!!! A movement from the late 90's to mid 2000's featuring lots of violence. My favorite films from this movement are Inside, a home invasion movie that is badass and scary, and Martyrs. I cannot recommend Martyrs highly enough, it is brutal, thoughtful, mindbending, and actually has a good amount of brain food for a horror movie. Honorable mention is Haute Tension a slasher flick with one hell twist. If you want something back on the artsy front, check out the Three Colors trilogy!!! Made by a Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski (say that 3 times fast!) but the first and 3rd parts are in French because France helped produce the films. This trilogy is absolutely amazing, and has some great performances, my fav being Juliette Binoche. For a weird Sci-fi type go check out Mauvais Sang from Léo Carax. It tells the story of near-future Paris where an AIDS like virus is infecting people who have sex without being love (gasp!). Or you could watch Carax's most recent film Holy City Motor which is one of the weirdest but most fascinating releases of the past few years. These are only a few suggestions, lemme know what you like or what genres you'd prefer and I could probably help out more :D
Blue is the Warmest Color is an incredible film, it's unsettling at times but I really enjoyed that. I need to add everything else on your list as I haven't seen it. La Haine is great, Amelie is great, but there's one set of films that I can't help but but-in to recommend to Zurangatang in addition to yours: Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, these two films star Gerard Depardieu and Yves Montand, two of the most notable actors in the history of French cinema. It's more of a period piece than anything else, but the acting, dialogue, and settings are incredible. It revolves around the tension between rural and urban France, when a taxman decides to take up farming in rural France and is faced with opposition from two traditional rural Frenchmen.
First and foremost I would recommend Lars von Trier. His development of Dogme 95 with Thomas Vinterberg has led to some absolutely phenomenal movies and performances. You should start with Breaking the Waves (1996) which tells a dark, immersive story of a rural Irishwoman, Dancer in the Dark (2000 w Bjork!) is an experimental musical that will crush your soul, or anything from his recent Depression trilogy (Antichrist, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac) which are some of the most ambitious works of recent times imo. All of his work is amazing because I'm a fanboy but he is definitely polarizing. I would also suggest the Dardenne brothers. Their films hold much more substance than a Wes Anderson film but with so much less fluff and flashy visuals. The Kid With a Bike or The Son are both great places to start. Their most recent film, 2 Days 1 Night, features Marion Cotillard in her best performance. Richard Linklater, too, is a fantastic director with a lot more to offer than Anderson. His Before trilogy are all great, A Scanner Darkly is an 8/10, Waking Life is interesting af, and Boyhood is ambitious as hell. I love Linklater. His writing alone triumphs over Anderson's try-hard goofy dialogue, but I may be biased. Let's go and say the Paul Thomas Anderson is the better Anderson too. The Master, There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights, what else do I need to say? I also think Céline Sciamma is a very interesting contemporary directress. Her movies deal with gender, sexuality, and feminity for the most part, but her vision comes alive in her movies without repeatedly tapping you on the head saying "See? See that? Look what i did!" Those are a few good ones off the top, but I could go on for ages about awesome contemporary directors!!!!!
No problem! If you watch any of these lemme know what you think!!!
I've actually heard that comparison before! You can definitely tell you're watching a PTA flick in the same manner you can tell you're watching a WA one, albeit in a totally different way. I just think PTA tells more developed, or maybe more interesting, stories
Wes Anderson gets a lot of hate for his stories, with people saying theyre all about the same thing which is absolute bullshit imo. I mean to compare PTA and WA more all of PTA's movies are about relationships between people and how they evolve the plot is just background as opposed to movies like Jurassic Park where the plot is main point and the characters relationships, while important, are secondary. The crazy thing, to me, is WA movies are the exact same as PTA aside from their style. Idk they seem to be very similar directors to me.
Hmmm interesting idea, but I'll have to agree to disagree with that 2nd to last sentence. I wouldn't say their films are the exact same. I think both directors use the same outline for their work, but those 2 outlines are fairly different. And i think the screenplays alone are too different to make a huge comparison like that. Both directors favor wildly different styles of dialogue which is an important distinction, even if the plots are similar
Thanks for sharing your take on Wes Anderson, I enjoyed reading your post. If I understand correctly, your main problem with Anderson is that you think there's not enough substance behind his style. You can make this claim for other directors as well - Jim Jarmusch comes to mind, for example. However, I think in their cases, style is substance. You can enjoy Anderson's films as popcorn movies and they work fine, they don't need to be complex or overly original for that. I think you can also look at the way his films depict the world and which thoughts might be behind this depiction, and for this his style is key.
Honestly, my main problem is not his technique or his style. It's the horde of followers he has earned himself with that style, which isn't his fault tbh. If a director has a vision and wants to make movies his/her way, I'm all for it. I think being in a lower-level cinema class just gave me an overdose of Wes FANderson's (i made that up, pretty clever) and I was already annoyed with him before but now I'm on a divine mission to rebel against him or something. Yea, i don't like the guy's movies, but I also completely agree with you when you say his style is his substance. And Wes knows it too, that's why he does it, and it's a cool exercise in mise-en-scène and set control. Thanks for your comment! It's always nice to hear fans of Anderson explain their side to me
The dude does one thing and does it well, but that's really about it. In my opinion, he has no scope. Every movie is the same old schtick. A lacquer of yellow laid thick over the story of a dysfunctional family. The third act drags its feet unbearably slow every time, and each movie lasts twenty minutes longer than it should. Don't get me wrong: I like Wes Anderson. He makes entertaining films. But that's really about it. He's no savant, and his style, like you said, is easily digestible, which is why he's so successful for an "art house" director. And as for the whole "centered" video concerning his films, that's really the icing on the cake. Do we really need a video to explain something as obvious as symmetry within the cinematography? It's so in-your-face in every single one of his films that providing a video deconstructing the style seems... Pointless.
This comment makes me so happy haha finally someone who understands me!!!! Especially that last part, it's almost patronizing to highlight the in-your-face style of Wes
I'd say that you're sort of right that his style is pretty obvious, and it sort of just sounds like that's something your not in to, especially since I see you're fan of the subtleties and "frenchmen smoking cigarettes." I'm not going to try and convince you to like Wes Anderson, he has a very specific style, and, as always, to each his own. However, you have to acknowledge that as a director he is (mostly) consistent with his style, and that is very impressive. To brand yourself almost by a single frame certainly makes him an auteur director, something that I'd say is sought out by most directors. His dialogue is snappy and appeals to my sense of humor, but even if it doesn't to yours, you should again be able to appreciate it. As far as his stories are concerned you're right in that they are usually pretty plain. I watched/listened to an interview (sorry, don't know the exact timecode) with him just yesterday where he talks about his stories for a bit. He basically says that a lot of his stories aren't structured with a definitive plot in mind, and a lot of things just sort of happen. He also says that Grand Budapest is his first to follow a specific structure, and I'd argue that it did it well. These are DEFINITELY his most stylized films, and in my opinion Moonrise Kingdom is definitely the worst. I know you said that watching my favorite won't change my mind, but if you're looking for a break from his aesthetics, then I really would suggest watching Rushmore. It's certainly stylized like the rest of his films, but not nearly as much. It's also Jason Schwartzman's breakout role, so if you like him there's another reason to watch it.I have only seen Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and Grand Budapest.
I totally respect Wes for his auteurism and adherence to style. He was heavily inspired by French new wavers who did similar things, and I am definitely impressed with his ability to maintain that throughout a whole film. It still irks me, though, and honestly it's the fan club that gets me so worked up haha oh well :) And Rushmore* is on my list of movies to watch but I think it's fair to say his output for the past 15 years is vastly different, aesthetically, from Bottle Rocket or Rushmore
I was very in to Bottle Rocket when it came out and quickly became a fan of Wes Anderson's work. He hasn't had a film I disliked, but there have certainly been some I appreciated more than others. For me, Royal Tenenbaums is about as good as a film gets. The acting from Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston and Danny Glover alone is worth seeing it. I love the characters, they're all larger than life, absurd and yet there's nothing overtly unbelievable about them. Those people could all exist. The attention to detail in the film is amazing and most importantly, I find it to be very, very funny. When I first saw that film, I left the theatre having laughed, cried and having been in awe. It's an amazing piece of work in my opinion. He's also one of those directors that I'm close to in age and therefore, I feel like his art is progressing in accordance with my own understanding of the world of art and film. I dig him.
Definite props to the acting in Royal Tenenbaums. Probably the only time Luke Wilson will every make me cry lol I think there is something to be said about vibing with a filmmaker, or any artist really. Once you find someone who seems to get you and make movies or art that just seems made for you it's unlike anything else. I'm glad you love Wes Anderson so much, and it seems like you are aware of why you like him too, which I think is putting in more thought than the average person (god I sound like a douche) as to why they like an artist. For me it'd be Lars von Trier. No matter how much people hate on him I can't help but love everything he does, so I guess he is my Wes Anderson!
I suppose I'm a double plebeian then, because I generally like his films and I'd never even noticed how centred they were, it totally escaped my attention. I agree with you that Grand Budapest Hotel was all style, no substance; but how can you not like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou?
I actually haven't seen the Life Aquatics. I have only seen Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and Grand Budapest. Some say I need to see Rushmore and LIfe Aquatic before I judge, but his output for the past 15 years has been rather consistent so I don't think I'd like Life Aquatic. I really dislike Anderson's writing style and storytelling, plus his sets are silly to me. Don't worry, everyone is a pleb in something, it's no smirch on your character ;) But also, whatever you like to watch is totally cool, I'm just a flustered elitist sometimes.
also I swear I'm not a dick in real life, Anderson just gets me ranting lol
No worries! I commented with a more detailed post, but I'm with you in being annoyed at all the Wes FANdersons (credit to you ;)), but I can say the same about PTA and Tarantino, too. I always joke with my fiancée about film students only knowing PTA and Tarantino, and I kid you not, in a class of 50+, when asked their favorite director, the only three responses were PTA, Tarantino, and Spielberg. Very frustrating. Are you on Letterboxd? Join if you're not, and follow me! Here's the link to my profile
I just made a letterboxd thanks to Zurangatang's suggestion, so consider yourself followed :D And yea I am 100% in agreement with you and your fiancée about film students and "best directors" lol