We were
asked to watch 3 movies by any particular director. I chose Wes Anderson, a
director who I was already somewhat familiar with. His films left me with lot
of observations of repetition.
Wes Anderson
has made many films that some of which, I was familiar with already. The titles
of his, that I chose to watch and observe were, The Grand Budapest Hotel,
Moonrise Kingdom, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Awesome narratives and personal/quirky
character designs and personalities. These were just two of a few things that I
found the movies to have in common with one another. Although I think that the
aspect of these films that I appreciated most was the Set Design(s).
The set
designs in all of theses films were very unique into how they fit into the
narrative. For example, in The Grand Budapest Hotel, you can see how
spectacular and grand (no pun intended). all the architecture is. Another scene
that is a good example is when the two protagonists are on the train together
and they are scene in a blue snowy landscape. This scene really sets the
intended mood by the director. Also the outdoor environments and Anderson’s use
of color within the backgrounds to emphasize different points of the narrative
is an incredible aspect to the set designs. For example, all of the landscapes
in Moonrise Kingdom are beautiful and gran, especially with the “Khaki Scouts.”
The scenes start to become more surreal though. There is a scene in particular
where Edward Norton is jumping over something like a small bridge and he looks
like a cartoon. The Landscapes in Fantastic Mr. Fox are, for lack of a better
word. Fantastic. It’s dream like outdoor landscapes and detailed intimate
indoor scenes are great for making the narrative that much stronger and at
points, advancing the plot.
In
conclusion, Wes Anderson’s movies have lots of things in common from character
personalities and cast, to cinematography and use of color. I found the set
designs to be among these things. The set designs were incredible in these
three films and strengthened the narrative so much more.
