Director Profile: Wes Anderson

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 25, 2006

Ever since Bottle Rocket, I have found myself to be a big fan of Owen & Luke Wilson. Shortly after the mild success of Bottle Rocket, I was introduced to the man who was responsible for their Hollywood careers.

Wes Anderson has provided a fresh and original mix of films to an industry that has been sorely missing originality and personal touch. With an auteuristic style that most people might compare to Paul Thomas Anderson or Spike Jonze, Anderson seems to follow the path of a different generation. Anderson epitomizes what one would call an auteur, due to his directorial style and superb character writing.

The auteur theory states that the director fuels the creativity and direction of a film, while undoubtedly leaving their own trademark throughout their work. Much like many classic filmmakers, you can assure that each minute detail has the most momentous purpose in Anderson’s films. Anderson’s avid involvement in the casting, wardrobe, sets and screenplay prove that each film is meticulously formed into a masterpiece after careful attention to detail. Anderson stated in an interview done by the Criterion Collection that:

What I’m more inspired by is something that happened to me or someone in my life who had a strong effect on me, or a novel, short story, play or a movie where the characters moved me, or where I was swept up in it

Each character seems to be a poem in and of themselves. Some characters are full of life and serve as symbols of hope and vitality, while other characters are filled with regret and discontent. In short, each film is influenced by pieces of Anderson, and each film provides a very personal look into the filmmaker and his writing cohorts.

Wes Anderson’s style is what truly sets him aside from other film makers. His trademarks can quickly distinguish one of his films from anyone else’s. Anderson’s trademarks are subtle, but appear in every one of his films:

1. Beginning with Bottle Rocket, Anderson placed many of his childhood and hometown friends into prominent roles. Friends of Anderson include Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Andrew Wilson and Kumar Pallana. As a side note, what most people don’t know is that Owen Wilson is much more talented than most people credit him for. He and Anderson both co-wrote Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, as well as The Royal Tenenbaums.
2. Bottle Rocket also features another trademark that is still present within his films, using the names of his friends for lead character’s names. For instance, the name of Owen Wilson’s character Dignan was inspired by childhood friend Brian Dignan. In the case of The Royal Tenenbaums, it was childhood friend Brian Tenenbaum who lent his name.
3. An underwater scene, needed in every Anderson film.
4. An ending that changes camera speed to slow motion.
5. Peanuts (aka. Charlie Brown) references

When viewing more than one of Anderson’s films, one can quickly come to appreciate both the personal references and attention to detail. The Royal Tenenbaums is a perfect example of such a claim. Each piece of wardrobe and each set is planned, down to every minute detail. Many of the characters wear either the same exact type of clothing or similar clothing from the 1970’s. This both symbolizes the emotional rut that the family has been in for decades, and stresses the eccentricities of each character. When paging through the inserts of the Criterion releases of Anderson’s films, you can see that Anderson illustrates exactly how he wants each character to look, act and speak. Bill Murray once stated in an interview that Anderson was one of the easiest directors he has ever had to work with because every detail was already planned and the film was already complete in Anderson’s head.

We at Film School Rejects will be reviewing all Wes Anderson films this week, starting with Bottle Rocket and ending with The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. If you have seen an Anderson film, have fun! If you have not seen an Anderson Film or hated ones that you have seen, I hope this and our reviews can provide a bit more insight into the beauty of Anderson’s films. Also, if you love Anderson’s films… Check this out:

Read more articles by Brian C. Gibson