DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

CONCLUSION

 

 

Fig. 17. The Characters of Wes Anderson from "The Wes Anderson Collection" (Seitz)

 

With almost no exceptions, the films of Wes Anderson run on very similar visual and narrative themes. The famous patterns, symmetry, composition, soundtrack and mise en scene create the signature visual style of his work, while his narrative themes create his signature blend of comedy and drama, joy and pain. 

 

Nearly all of his films are set in a privileged bourgeois environments, which results in his characters being withdrawn from reality and only existing in their worlds, absent from any real issues (Browning 117-123). The relationships that they form, and the problems they encounter within those relationships are largely a result of the characters' disconnection from reality and their true selves. The protagonists are usually driven by ambition, rivalry, ego, grandiose and privilege. The exception to this is Moonrise Kingdom and Fantastic Mr. Fox. In these two films, Anderson attempts to portray characters from poorer settings, with the disfunctionalities of a humble and less privileged lifestyle. the shallowness of his characters is present in all his films however. Both the protagonists and supporting characters are archetypes and mere reflections of their environments, rather than fully developed, round characters.  A lot of critics hail this as the biggest culprit of Wes Anderson's work. Despite the perceived flatness and a cartoon-ish nature of the characters, the relationships between them are usually rooted in deep emotional connections (or lack there of), which offer a powerful look into real-life relationships. The viewer needs to employ a different way of spectatorship, in order to find the real emotions and the real love or suffering amidst the highly stylized environments and dialog. 

 

Even if a lot of the characters in his films are archetypal, or caricatures, Wes creates with each of his films a unique world that mixes fantasy with reality, action with cartoons and always offers an enjoyable visual experience. The narrative motifs are also plentiful and continuous in his portfolio. A lot of his films are about dysfunctional families, usually with an egotistical patriarch in the center. Nearly each film has a sort of impresario, who stands behind a grand plan and takes all other characters on journeys of discovery and reconnection. Usually, there is powerful contrast of life and death and joy and pain. In a lot of the films we have examined, mourning was a catalyst for improving or creating relationships. The sharp contrast of the quirky, playful and colorful world and the themes of death, suicide, mourning, disconnection from reality, depression etc. is what makes Wes Anderson not only an excellent visual director, but also a revolutionary screenwriter and auteur. 

 

According to critics and some film scholars, auteur-created films have a variety of limitations (Browning 158). Among these are repetitive themes or a lacking in certain areas of production. Both of these issues apply to the works of Wes Anderson and to some represent the core of his greatness, while to others they sympolize the pitfall of the director and his work. As we have learned, there are many themes running through Anderson's body of work, be it his usuall ensemble of cast, visual themes, or the relationships his movies portray. Watching the entire repertoire of Wes Anderson in a short span  of time, one feels as though they are watching one long movie, or at least a series of stories existing within the same, made-up universe. 

 

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.