Wes Anderson is among Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shayamalan as one of the film industry’s best and most creative directors. Best known for his films The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), the critically acclaimed award-winning director has developed a style uniquely his.
Anderson films are typically whimsical and have a rather unusual sense of humor, though they often deal with much deeper issues and what actor Ralph Fiennes describes as “very serious themes and quite serious emotions, in fact.”
Aesthetically, Anderson is well known for his deliberate attention to color palette through sets and costumes, as well as his intense attention to symmetry when setting up scenes and shots.
This distinct style places Anderson under one of Robert Sternberg’s categories of personality psychometrics for creatives — aesthetic taste and imagination.
Anderson himself has acknowledged his aesthetic taste and style: “I certainly don’t feel like a part of any establishment because I do feel kind of like I’ve got my own style and voice,” he says.
He doesn’t mind having his repertoire of films connected through his style, though. Purposefully avoiding these stylistic preferences would have to be a deliberate act, and at the end of the day, Anderson says, “I think I would rather just do what I love.”
This also sheds light on Anderson’s motivations. Though he does have external factors that motivate him, like money and renown, Anderson is also intrinsically motivated because he simply loves being a director and choosing how to tell the stories he wants to tell.
As Studio Binder puts it, “The Wes Anderson style is Wes Anderson himself. A hard working, thoughtful human who is focused on his imagination. His visuals are an extension of his own psychology.”
Anderson’s cognitive and creative processes combine collecting and the unconscious. Many of his films draw on his experiences as a child, especially the film Rushmore, which was filmed at Anderson’s own high school.
Though some of these references are explicit and intentional, Anderson admits many of them are not.
“There’s some degree to which whatever is coming from my imagination is inspired by my background and my own psychology,” he says. “Without me controlling it or choosing to, I’m in the movies.”
Anderson’s newest film, The French Dispatch, is set to release in 2021.
I love Wes Anderson's directing style. My favorite film of his is Moonrise Kingdom. I appreciate how aesthetically pleasing his films are. Now I know that they are pleasing to the eye, but also maybe to the subconscious? I think it's cool that his experiences as a child are subconsciously reflected in the films, and I think it's good that these references aren't always explicit to audience members. That allows room for viewers to analyze the movie based on their own experiences. Very cool post :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Wes Anderson's style and like many of his movies. It was interesting to read that some of the inspiration he draws upon from his past and childhood isn't always a conscious choice or style. I also think it is interesting how distinct his movies are due to his aesthetic, even if watching two movies that are completely unrelated, you can tell they're both Wes Anderson movies from the color aesthetic that he sets and follows in each of his movies. Great post, very interesting to read about his aesthetic and motivation.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Wes Anderson's movies growing up, so I found this post pretty interesting. I always thought it was very cool that his visual style is so distinct that you can see it is a Wes Anderson Movie from the trailer. I also thought it was interesting that he draws a lot from his childhood in his movies, as this is clearly demonstrated in movies like Moonrise Kingdom. The themes and style really captured the feeling of childlike adventure and made the movie really fun. Overall, this was a great post and very interesting to find out more about Wes Anderson
ReplyDeleteWes Anderson’s filming style has always been so magnetic to me. The use of mono-chromaticism and pastel colors makes every frame feel warm and inviting no matter the content of the scene. The attention to symmetry made each movie unique and aesthetically pleasing. It seems to me like Wes Anderson had an innate sense of what he found beautiful before he began directing. He constructed pieces of art that pleased him and soon realized that his appeal to visual aesthetics pleased his audience too. It’s interesting that this unique style of filming is a favorite of so many students in this honors class. We all had collective experiences of enjoying his films despite being completely different people with different likes. Whether it’s drawing from his personal experiences or imagining something completely new (or both), Anderson has a special ability to create engrossingly beautiful cinema.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding that Wes Anderson exists in his own bubble of creativity forces a new perspective when you watch his films. Many times, I watch movies by other directors and I can clearly see the inspirations and clichés they snagged from elsewhere, but with Anderson, everything feels fresh and unique. I firmly believe his intrinsic motivation is what makes his movies so enjoyable-- the viewer really gets to see what his own creative mind wants them to, and not what "hollywood" wants them to see.
ReplyDeleteWonderful article!