The director, who instantly makes the audience feel that his films are Wes Anderson's production, successfully reflects this feeling with the various techniques and color choices he uses.
World-renowned American director Wes Anderson has been attracting attention in the cinema industry for years with his original style of films. He takes care of every detail of his films, from costumes to music choices. We examined Anderson's unusual and colorful world for you.
Who is Wes Anderson?
The famous director, whose real name is Wesley Wales Anderson, opened his eyes on May 1, 1969, in the state of Texas, USA. His mother, Texas Anderson, was an archaeologist, and his father, Melver Leonard Anderson, was an advertising company manager. Apart from Wes, the couple had two more children, Eric and Mel. His parents divorced when Wes Anderson was 8 years old, an event that affected Wes at an early age so the theme of 'family' always played a big part when he started making movies.
School life
While studying at Westchester High School in New York, St. Johns High School, Anderson began staging theaters at his new school. He even wrote the movie Rushmore, a turning point in his career, inspired by this school.
While studying at the University of Texas, she meets Owen Wilson. In 1996, they released their first feature film, Bottle Rocket, with his fellow actor Wilson, whom he will frequently feature in his films in his directorial career. Anderson, who did not attract much attention with his first film, managed to attract attention with his second film Rushmore and became the focus of praise. He is still one of the prominent directors of the cinema world with his unique style since he started to be known with Rushmore.
He has a total of ten feature films, including two short films and The French Dispatch, which is expected to premiere this year. In addition to these, he continues to direct the television commercials of world-famous brands. The director generally prefers to work with the same actors. In addition to Bill Murray, with whom he worked in all his films except Bottle Rocket, Owen Wilson 7, Jason Schwartzman 6, Anjelica Huston 5, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe and Edward Norton are also in the cast of 4 films. Let's get to know Wes Anderson's films briefly under this title.
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Anderson's first feature film. The crime-comedy movie starring the Wilson brothers Luke and Owen Wilson is on Martin Scorsese's list of the 10 best movies of the 90s. Coming out of a mental hospital, Anthony (Luke Wilson) joins his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson) and begins to commit crimes.
Rushmore (1998)
Max Fisher (Jason Schwartzman), who attends a private school called Rushmore, is the school's most active student. Max, who has been the founder of most clubs as well as taking part in all activities, is a student who unfortunately could not achieve the success he wanted in his studies. One day, she falls in love with a teacher at school and finds herself in the middle of a love triangle.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Despite their young age, it presents the childhood and adulthood of three talented siblings. Chas (Ben Stiller) is a math and business genius, adopted Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a playwright, and Richie (Luke Wilson) is a famous tennis player. The Tenenbaums were abandoned by their father when they were younger. Their father, Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), decides to return when their children grow up. However, he sees that there is no trace of his children's old talents anymore. The film, which has Oscar and BAFTA nominations, has 1 Golden Globe award.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
The film is about the events that revolve around an oceanographer, Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), who is famous for his documentaries, and his team. Zissou returns to the high seas with his crew to take revenge on the shark that killed his business partner Esteban during the filming of his latest documentary.
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Three brothers, who have not seen each other since their father's death and are not on good terms, go on a long train journey in India. They aim to both reconcile and find their mother, whom they have not seen for a long time. Anderson's 13-minute short film Hotel Chevalier, starring Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman, tells the story before Jack Whitman, one of the three brothers, joins the train journey.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Animated film by Anderson using the stop motion technique. Mr. The character named Fox is voiced by George Clooney, and Felicity Fox is voiced by Meryl Streep. A fox, Mr. Fox starts stealing food from the three farmers every night. Realizing this, the farmers agree that they must teach the fox a lesson. Mr. Fox loses his wife's trust as he hides his newly bought house and the fact that he started stealing it. Starring George Clooney and Meryl Streep as the voice actors, the film received two Oscar and BAFTA nominations and one Golden Globe nomination.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
The 12-year-old scout Sam and his friend Suzy, who met during the movie theater play in 1965, decide to run away together. They wander around the island they live on, thanks to Sam, a scout, and eventually camp on a beach. Learning that they have escaped, the police, scouts, and Suzy's family search everywhere for these two children. The film has Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations, including one each.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The film, which we can describe as one of Anderson's most successful films, was inspired by the notes of Stefan Zweig and adapted for the big screen. It tells how the Budapest Hotel, which used to attract everyone with its magnificent structure, has now turned into a hotel that almost no one visits. Film; He has 4 Oscars, 5 BAFTAs, and 1 Golden Globe.
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Anderson's second stop-motion animated film. Due to the problems they cause, it is decided that all dogs in Japan will be removed from Megasaki city and kept on a garbage island. A 12-year-old boy named Atari decides to go on a journey to find his dog. The film was nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe.
Wes Anderson's Pastel Color Palette
Anderson uses a different color palette for each of his films. It offers a visual feast to the audience by using these color palettes in costumes and decors. These colors, which are not in chaos and almost integrate with each other in every scene, are an indicator of meticulously created color palettes. It is possible to say that these palettes form parallels with the stories Anderson tells in his films. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou movie, which is about an oceanographer and his team, is usually a movie dominated by blue tones. The Darjeeling Limited reflects the colorful atmosphere of India. The Moonrise Kingdom, on the other hand, contains scenes with mostly earth tones, especially yellow, in parallel with its story about the Boy Scouts.
Signature Techniques Used by Wes Anderson
Anderson has made a mark in the memory of the audience with various shooting techniques, especially symmetrical framing. In addition to the symmetrical frame, the director; Also known as a tracking shot, the viewer frequently uses camera movements such as slow motion, zoom, bird's eye view, pan, and tilt shots. You can watch a video with a compilation of symmetrical scenes below.
The French Dispatch (2021)
The long-awaited new Wes Anderson movie The French Dispatch. Due to the Cannes Film Festival, which was canceled last year, the film premiered at the festival to be held in July 2022. Its cast includes Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, and Timothee Chalamet, whom we are accustomed to from Anderson films.