Why Do Wes Anderson Movies Look Like That?

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Wes Anderson's unique style has been the subject of many video essays, but in this video I wanted to take a look not just at the elements that make up that style but at why Anderson is drawn to those elements and the role they play in his storytelling.
References:
- Interview with Matt Zoller Seitz: • Matt Zoller Seitz, Lis...
- The Darjeeling Limited Criterion Edition (With Commentary): amzn.to/36B0eaZ
- The Wes Anderson Collection: amzn.to/3lcuooY
- The Grand Budapest Hotel Edition: amzn.to/3cTXQNB
- David Bordwell on Planimetric Composition: www.davidbordwell.net/blog/201...
- David Bordwell on Wes Anderson as a Brand: www.davidbordwell.net/blog/201...
- Wes Anderson American Express Commercial: • Wes Anderson: American...
- David Lowery Short Film PIONEER: • PIONEER (2011) | dir. ...
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
3:25 I. The Unreality of Flatness
6:35 II. Against Naturalism
9:05 III. "Well in this case literally."
14:12 IV. The New Sincerity of Wes Anderson
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#ThomasFlight #Movies

[@ThomasFlight]

If you enjoyed this video here's a playlist with all my videos on Wes Anderson: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2qXdq1rbdCaoLM

[@praisejesusrepentorlikewis6218]

Repent to Jesus Christ! “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ H

[@aristotlewasnotafanofplato3661]

Outstanding video essay. Detailed, nuanced but also thorough. Thank you.

[@noodlepotreal]

@@praisejesusrepentorlikewis6218 shut your damned mouth

[@HarmanSingh-oy3rr]

watching wes andersons movies feels to me like im reading a novel and imagining the story in my head

[@aburlingham0915]

This is beautifully said.

[@munirshemsu6994]

Perfectly put

[@jesslovely5365]

Watching a wes anderson movie feels to me like a hipster smiling like a psychotic clown is stabbing me with a pastel colored knife.

[@Cheezy_Bunz]

@@jesslovely5365 what

[@busyrand]

Well said...

[@eleiraeel]

Wes Anderson movies always look like dioramas to me. Things that could fit in a shoebox. And it makes everything feel hand made and touch-able, so you can more easily spot the craft.

[@Jesse__H]

yeah, dioramas is a good comparison.

[@TheHedgehogGiraffe]

Yeah! They always strike me as little (or huge, in his case) dollhouses.

[@stalemurfies2031]

Yeah you can see the evolution after fantastic mr foxe especially, he began directing like everything was a diorama

[@bingbongabinga2954]

Book pages are flat. The words are made 3d. The backrounds are the pages. Everything else pops up. Wes is just reading.

[@vlax12]

In his movies I have feeling human is telling me a story. Every time I listen/watch that story something is a bit different almost as if it is told by real person every time and that includes some imperfections and slight change of details. Everything seems organic but not real at the same time. Very pleasant experience IMHO.

[@DeadReckoner]

His colour grading is so unique, too. I think it's another "anti-naturalism" instrument in its pastel-like, selectively over-saturated approach. I love it.

[@noahdoss1967]

This video ignores the big point of Wes Anderson’s color choice. Everything is over-saturated, mirroring his incredibly over-saturated archetypes. An artist in a Wes Anderson movie is nothing but the tropes of an artist, whereas an artist in real life will do many things that don’t scream artist tropes, Wes Anderson will never pass up an opportunity to make blues bluer, greens greener, and artists artsier

[@svansy]

Reminds me of cookies 🍪

[@luthiermatt]

Agree. The color pallets and un natural lighting in Anderson's films are striking.

[@boxsterman77]

Asking just for education because perhaps I have some color concepts wrong: how can something be both saturated and pastel?

[@theemilianob]

@@boxsterman77think pastels but instead of subduing them you make them more vibrant

[@Zarastro54]

My friends and I noticed that Wes Anderson films also often have a general aesthetic in the setting. Rarely is a time period explicitly stated, and everything often has this vague air of semi-retro, 1970’s yet somehow also contemporary vibe to where it is virtually impossible to discern a date. We have lovingly dubbed this setting “Wes Anderland” whenever we see it, a timeless, surreal world filled with warm pastel colors where you feel like you are in a tableaux, but not entirely off put by that fact.

[@joekreissl4499]

I know exactly what you mean. So many shots have this beige saturation which gives it a sepia vibe.

[@kingdingaling2469]

Well said

[@uncarbonatedmilk_]

Exactly! I think in a lot of his films it's because of the (the very well done) limited colour palette and the use of music from that sort of time. Another reason to love his work :)

[@midshipman8654]

another example of this that I have enjoyed from tv instead of movies is Batman the Animated series from the 90’s. it has a vague “20th century” feel to it, but its not specific. it could be anything from 1920 to 1990 without saying as such.

[@Zarastro54]

@@midshipman8654 Yeah Batman TAS (at least the earlier seasons) had a really unique retro-future vibe with a lot of inspiration from Art Deco and the prohibition era.

[@katelynpringle5506]

Wes Anderson has ultimately decided that if you’re going to make a movie, you might as well make everything look as beautiful as possible. A move which I support.

[@jothishprabu8]

David Fincher says fk off

[@goblincomic4522]

Klaus is pure example . Every scene is work of art , Just pause a random scene and you get yourself a desktop BG

[@StevenPaulFrancen]

Katelyn, and Goblin, I concur! Well said!

[@DeflatingAtheism]

It's a very soundstagey kind of beauty. Terrence Malick might have different ideas.

[@kebman]

I just want to comment on this.

[@Purpleturtlehurtler]

I always felt like Wes Anderson movies were paintings brought to life.

[@machematix]

Exactly. And nobody complains "you can see the brush strokes"... Sure, realism is a style in art, but it went out of fashion hundreds of years ago in favor of more expressive art where the brush strokes are an important part of the painting. Van Gogh makes a field of wheat far more interesting and emotional than if it was a photograph or a painting done in realism style.

[@atlf3357]

This is it. This is the comment. This sums everything up.

[@validore1]

I’ve always heard of Wes Anderson being an outstanding director and until I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel just recently I didn’t realize just how amazing he is! It’s as if you can pause the movie at any time and take that picture and frame it. He creates such perfect fantasies and they are paintings brought to life! I’m on my way to going back and watching all of Wes Anderson’s films.

[@antarcfroze]

Damn this description is exactly like what i thought. It was amazing to look at the first wes anderson movie I've ever had. Grand Budapest hotel. It was exciting to follow

[@Kannan_50]

Hi

[@busyrand]

Wes Anderson's style is flat out charming. His films are an escape. It feels like I'm a kid engulfed in a huge tale.

[@jacobp8294]

So true. Very few films totally enrapture you within the story, yet all of Anderson's films manage to.

[@boxsterman77]

That’s it. Charming. I’d add that his highly-stylized version of reality is also whimsical.

[@celieboo]

Wes Anderson films always give me a sense of nostalgia for a community that I have never lived in.

[@spindriftdrinker]

Yes, and yet we all know that nobody has ever lived in any kind of community like a Wes Anderson film. Especially the Royal Tenenbaums.

[@clintgolub1751]

There’s an actual very specific Welsh word for this which has no direct English translation; “Hiraeth”- intense and poignant longing, desire, or nostalgia for a home, time, or place you’ve never experienced. Kind of like Middle-earth & the Shire to us LotR fans as depicted in Peter Jackson’s films.

[@happygucci5094]

Yup- this.

[@jackdriskill4345]

Wes Anderson sucks ass

[@cilantrobasket7694]

To be honest, I think that Wes Anderson should direct more Roald Dahl adaptations. Just imagine a Wes Anderson Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

[@plamoretti673]

Yes!!!!! I’d pay $50 to watch that before I die.

[@thegentleartoffisticuffs6983]

Wes Anderson could be Willy Wonka

[@krapfantasy]

yes any of the books would be right up his alley

[@thehawknelsonfreak]

STOP OMG

[@davidkonevky7372]

charlie and the chocolate factory has enough remakes already tbh

[@rafindeed]

The thing that screams Wes Anderson to me is his colour choices. very rich colors contrasting with another, even if its could, it feels warm.

[@ryanhurst3859]

yeah I was surprised color choice wasn't mentioned in this video

[@handsomesquidward5160]

This comment! Especially in The Grand Budapest Hotel

[@jeremybrown9611]

Cold*

[@thegrayyernaut]

I think Thomas decided to talk about the angles instead of the colors because a lot of people already talked about the colors.

[@ShatteredGlass916]

Basically a lot of orange

[@mikefortier7081]

They say actors are never supposed to look into the camera but that 70s show and Wes Anderson both did it perfectly

[@kaydgaming]

That 70s Show was so experimental for a mainstream sitcom. Especially in its first season!

[@CinefreekProductions]

I have to add Jonathan Demme's films to that list. He has a trademark that has his actor look directly into the lens.

[@mikefortier7081]

@@CinefreekProductions and Stanley Kubrick too

[@hedgeearthridge6807]

It reminds me of Wallace and Grommit, how they have fingerprints on the clay. It's common to do it without leaving fingerprints, but if I remember right they decided it kinda didn't matter and people didn't really care if it did or didn't, and like Wes said it left the literal fingerprints of the artists on the work, making it more personal.

[@clintgolub1751]

I love that Aardman Animation was also intentional in that stylistic choice 🙏

[@dacasman]

I've always wondered why every single Wes Anderson film gives me a weird feeling when I watch them. A feeling that's hard to describe but it's kind of like I'm watching a fake movie. Or a movie within a movie. Or maybe even a movie made by somebody who has never seen a movie, but has done hours of research on what movies are with nothing but written word.

[@johannestonnies7898]

Haha, so true. I always feel like his movies are kind of the imagination of someone childlike who is getting told a story.

[@cherryjuice9705]

A story, in a story in a story

[@elijahjakobsen7898]

great description

[@rexcardew7469]

I could not have said it better myself

[@koshfrey9724]

Wes anderson has a rare talent. In GBH i laughed at the opening bookshelf scene. Just a shot of a bookshelf. It's funny. It shouldnt be but it is.

[@johnstajduhar9617]

I've not even watched a whole Wes Anderson movie, but I know instantly when I'm looking at one. Every frame of his films looks like a painting that would be in a weird antique shop.

[@Zeverinsen]

You should.

[@lolaurabc]

I have always thought the flat paneling feels almost as if we are looking into a doll house, always facing perpendicular to the walls. It does have that playful childness to it

[@seanfitzgibbons1127]

Can u explain how in the shot of the Grand Budapest Hotel at 6:11 is Planimetric Composition? I thought everything needed to be a 90 degree angle and that doesn’t seem to be at on.

[@wyattrowe8396]

@@seanfitzgibbons1127 It is explained as that scene is shown. He allows the camera to tilt up and down as long as it remains perpendicular

[@extrasupercoolbeans]

His movies are like reading a storybook, his characters are exaggerated and the settings are so beautiful yet so constructed I just love it all

[@minobg79]

When you mentioned that most people interested in filmmaking like his movies, I suddenly realised why. When you watch Wes Anderson movie, you can watch it as a story, but because of his shooting style and technique, it also works partialy as a documentary about making the very same movie you are watching. And that is very interesting to me.

[@ThomasFlight]

Jean Luc Goddard once said every film is a documentary of it's actors performing the script.

[@gildardorodriguez4356]

I don't understand why people feel like it. It's not like you have to watched them back to back on the same night. Djaerleen Unlimited is the only one I didn't like, it may be too white for me.

[@sc0408]

of course, one of the main reasons why Wes Anderson's films are "like that" is its cinematographer ROBERT YEOMAN. most people think that amazing stills are because of the director alone when in fact its the cinematographer who brings every single frame to life

[@minobg79]

@@ThomasFlight I don't like this definiton somehow... feels almost like actors are meant to be random "testing subjects" in some weird experiment - being the script in this case. :)

[@minobg79]

@@sc0408 I agree, but knowing how detailed and close to the final look most of Wes Andersons storyboards are, it is hard to argue that he is the main mastermind behind not only the story, but also down to the very specific artistic and visual details, such as composition of the frame, color scheme etc.. He basicly draws the full comic book, which is being transformed into movie.

[@JasminLeblanc]

For me, the Wes Anderson style™ was never about the visuals but about what it conveys emotionally. A weird mix of melancholy, sincerity and an embrace of life's absurdities.

[@denkindonuts7186]

i could agree with that; to me, the plot is less important in this style of film making (indie euro art bs) especially for wes anderson, i think his films tell a story jsut with the composition itself, not with actual dialogue or written plots. In fact, in his films many fo the story lines are nto even directly stated, just implied and it is up to the audience to discern a subjective interpretation of the story. (take the french dispatch for example.)

[@RobinsMusic]

@@denkindonuts7186 just like ghibli (to a lesser extent)

[@nicolasbls1738]

Well it's still about the visuals too x)

[@pennypowell249]

Very apt interpretation, IMHO.

[@Master_Yoda1990]

I have to disagree, it's very much about the visuals as much as it's about the story and emotions, however realism isn't the priority, but more of he views cinematography similar to art instead of just a visual aid of immersion imo. The flat perspective and symmetry of his movies feels like a portrait or pictures on a novel to set a scene.

[@matthewwright9143]

His visual aesthetic really pairs well with the deadpan humor that characterizes the dialogue, sometimes in the most subtle way.

[@waltermidi]

the use of reoccuring actors throughout all his films also gives to this theory, like going back to a local theatre where you grow to love the actors just as much as the characters they portray

[@drew2794]

One of the many things I love about Wes Anderson films is the theatrical feel. I think this has to do with the mentioned "unreal flatness" which reminds me of the sets and backdrops found in plays and musicals.

[@iamjameschang]

Yeah 100%. It's almost like he's giving a nod to cinema AND theatre, it's why I love his work.

[@GuyNamedSean]

That's exactly what drew me toward him in the first place.

[@doctorwholover1012]

Yes! I feel like Wes Anderson’s style would be perfect for adapting stage to screen, because his style already evokes the idea of existing within the world, like you could reach out and touch the characters, but also keeps you constantly aware of the “fakeness/unreality” of it due to how hyperstylized it is. Like, the fingerprints left in the fur, that to me is a variation of seeing the background characters/stagehands move furniture pieces on and off stage, or seeing someone do a quick change right in front of you. It’s like sharing the backstage with the audience, showing them the curtain and what’s behind it, and I adore it 👀

[@debodatta7398]

I ADORE WES ANDERSON, though the part of his vision that needs like 2 SPEAKING minorities per movie and mostly only white WASP actors and storylines and even filming an movie in India had the caste of Indians be almost entirely be background characters with nothing to say or do beside be "whimsical" for the whites who imperially bulldoze everyone around them while only thinking about themselves until the child scene but even then it continues on.

[@90ejb]

​@@debodatta7398Kind of like Woody Allen in a sense.

[@motherlove8366]

Tbh I felt like the “story being told” aspect of Grand Budapest added some emotional weight to the movie when-for example-the movie lingers for slightly too long on a shot of the lobby-boy’s to be wife. It’s the lobby boy telling the story and we later learn he lost his wife, hence his unwillingness to move from that shot.

[@moriartythethird5709]

I got that vibe very much. Went back and watched it a couple of months ago and was like "that's right the older gentleman is Zero" and when I continued to watch with that in mind, it really felt tailored to the way the fictional character would tell it.

[@motherlove8366]

@@moriartythethird5709 I'm glad we agree and that somebody else noticed. It's a splendid movie. Another part that makes this even more obvious is when the story is deep in its narrative and then stops as the older gent has to wipe a tear off his eye. Always hits.

[@beemoney19]

For me it's the girl that bookends the film, the one with the book who makes the pilgrimage to The Author's bust. Because I've had that feeling before when reading a book, of wanting to connect more personally with the author of it, to soak in everything about the mind that came up with that narrative. And so this movie becomes a beautiful love letter to the idea of connecting with a soul so far removed from your own that the worlds you inhabit are completely alien to each other, and yet the emotions still resonate.

[@Tlll123]

By constantly telling audiences it’s a story, what it really does to notify people it’s something that happened ‘before’, no longer here, with some thin linkage to current, but in the end will disappear in time. It plays a big part in the nostalgic style and theme of almost all WA’s movies

[@fjive9935]

the grand budapest hotel is technically about a woman reading a book about the author telling her a story about how he was told a story by the hotel’s owner

[@oceanpettigrew9285]

my favourite thing about wes anderson films is that it really truly feels like they were created by a group of people who have so much love and care for film as an art form

[@krypticunlimited6925]

In terms of color, costumes, and backround settings, Wes Anderson as a film maker is like Tarantino without the violence and profanity

[@sleep6837]

I'd say his visuals are actually what he's the absolute best at. I see Tarentino films and immediately look for those amazing needle drops and that signature, profanity-filled snappy dialogue. Don't get me wrong, Tarentino films aren't shot poorly by any stretch, but it's Wes's distinct use of pastel colors, symmetry, that 4:3 aspect ratio, and that whimsy that just drips from every frame that just makes me instantly know, 'Oh yeah, Wes did this one'

[@ignaciodiaz919]

But even some Wes Anderson's films have moments of gore that catches you off guard. Like the fight against the guards in The Grand Budapest Hotel

[@theemilianob]

@@ignaciodiaz919it was jarring

[@mm8436]

Idk why but I feel a sense of nostalgia with all his movies

[@DearDextra]

I know right? its feels like memories I never even had.

[@bissytilton9692]

I’m pretty sure that’s purposeful. His style as mentioned in the video makes the ordinary feel fantastic, thus evoking a sense of magic in the everyday that we felt in childhood but don’t usually now. It’s like reading or watching a memory of a film or book from when you still believed in the possibility of magic in this world.

[@debodatta7398]

I ADORE WES ANDERSON, though the part of his vision that needs like 2 SPEAKING minorities per movie and mostly only white WASP actors and storylines and even filming an movie in India had the caste of Indians be almost entirely be background characters with nothing to say or do beside be "whimsical" for the whites who imperially bulldoze everyone around them while only thinking about themselves until the child scene but even then it continues on.

[@ProfessorPesca]

@@debodatta7398 That really must have upset you to have to post it under every single comment on here.

[@Mr.Marbles]

the colors are often kinda off like on old film and the objects are often old. like old monitors, old wallpaper, old clothing etc. so obviously it looks nostalgic

[@jesseblack2285]

It’s so weird to think Wes Anderson is a Texan. He just screams euro vibes

[@DeflatingAtheism]

Judging from "The French Dispatch," he knows his market.

[@lapetit3m0rt]

as a texan i think it fits so well

[@jonb3167]

You've obviously never been.

[@jhenning499]

@@jonb3167 Have you? Probably not.

[@oscarwilde9581]

He has strong Austin vibes

[@NKA23]

I am a stage actor and fascinated by Wes Anderson's style of movie making, because it's so similiar yet totally different to what many of today's theatre plays are like. I am used to this kind of self-awareness and the emphasis on the story being constructed and formalized, showing the director's hand working, instead of hiding it, but it's amazing to see somebody doing that as a movie director.

[@bookaufman9643]

In a Wes Anderson movie you get that perfect reflection of OCD. Everything is posed like childhood toys in perfect situations with a wonderful sense of organization. I have OCD and when I watch a Wes Anderson film it's like I can finally relax. I love his movies maybe even more than I love the coen brothers films. It's art and it's uniquely the directors vision. It's a vision that I find to be beautiful.

[@Prin_Cess_007]

Watching his movies lessens your compulsions somehow? How’s that?

[@bookaufman9643]

@@Prin_Cess_007 it's the way his screens are organized. There's something very relaxing about it for me. A place for everything and everything in its place.

[@ST4RSH4PED]

fellow ocd haver here love his 4:3 films because they’re so equal and even and justified and they’re framed so wonderfully nothing is left out/ misplaced my favourite is the title card of all the food from the french dispatch

[@canobenitez]

@@ST4RSH4PED funny, I think that's the one I dislke the most, minus the scene with Léa Seydoux naked, damn!

[@brunodent8843]

I had a Wes Anderson zoom masterclass at my film school and the moment he finished answering the very last question, his analogue phone went and he answered it, ending the masterclass. Pure Wes Anderson timing- his life is like his films just like what he said on phone in the Darjeeling Limited commentary is just like a line out of his films

[@creativeorstrange]

That’s cool. Out of curiosity, what film school do you go to?

[@ali-ds5vx]

i think we may go to the same school 😳

[@callumosullivan7546]

@@creativeorstrange lsa in london

[@callumosullivan7546]

@cm. CG unnecessarily rue

[@brunodent8843]

@@IJBiermann yeah he takes it with him wherever he goes. No jokes- it was on zoom.

[@Vexmybeloved_]

Wes Andersons movies always kinda have that Uncanny Valley feeling to me. Like the movies are set in our world, but somehow it just always feels... off.

[@lil_jong-un6668]

He created his own universe in his film.

[@TheLeedgelodge]

I'm glad I'm not the only one

[@exosvocals2526]

100% agree

[@vb8428]

That's an intentional aesthetic by a number of filmmakers to unsettle you

[@debodatta7398]

I ADORE WES ANDERSON, though the part of his vision that needs like 2 SPEAKING minorities per movie and mostly only white WASP actors and storylines and even filming an movie in India had the caste of Indians be almost entirely be background characters with nothing to say or do beside be "whimsical" for the whites who imperially bulldoze everyone around them while only thinking about themselves until the child scene but even then it continues on.

[@5thhorseman498]

I love Wes' films. It's like watching a moving picture book. Each image is set up like a single picture with characters moving in and around. I do agree with this style of filming only use for specific stories. This wouldn't work well for an action film like the Matrix or a Bond.

[@Jane-yr2cg]

What I like about Wes Andersons style is the dream like quality to them, how they are constructed. I’m very visual and his movies feel to me like how my own dreams feel like they happen when I wake up. The first time I saw one of his movies, it felt like he had come into my dreams and made a movie that was styled exactly like how I remember my dreams. I just love how he styles each scene. I know a lot of people don’t get it, but it’s very endearing to me. Sometime I will even dream about the movie after I’ve watched it and the difference between the movie and my dream is that I’m in it, as an additional minor character.

[@TheSigp220]

I would really like to see Anderson take on the genre of horror. I've always thought that he could add a serialist element to the world of what might be perceived as insanity. Like a René Margritte painting incarnate. It sort of goes hand in hand with the "This Is Not A Pipe" fourth wall bending style.

[@fairyxe5693]

there’s an snl skit on this! :)

[@TheSigp220]

@@fairyxe5693 link me?

[@3mmy341]

wouldn’t mind seeing him give a try on a live action Coraline remake

[@carsonskjerdal473]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZenenSQeNx7h6c

[@denkindonuts7186]

i could imagine wes anderson creative the msot disturbing yet comforting gothic horror fiction film ever. imagine an adaptation of frankenstein. i can see anderson bringign frankenetein to life in a way we havent seen before; he would turn him so human jsut by composition and dialogue it woudl be crazy

[@ClementineHepburn]

Can’t wait for The French Dispatch ...

[@rickardkaufman3988]

It's coming out next year.

[@ClementineHepburn]

Rickard Kaufman yes ... I’m not sure if Ennio Morricone wrote the music for this movie or Wes Anderson just borrow it from his previous work...

[@ji3519]

Rickard Kaufman ugh yes me too. Wes is my favorite director

[@ClementineHepburn]

Justin I of course, W. Anderson and P.T. Anderson is the two greatest directors of our time ...

[@ji3519]

Burkes&Burroughs not as familiar with PT Anderson’s work. Any recs besides TWBB?

[@natashatuskovichcoworking]

It's like he creates a stage on screen to heighten the unreality and encourage the audience to buy in to not only the story, but the act of being told a story.

[@abrahamtellez592]

14:32 Couldn't be less true. I think the ending of The Grand Budapest Hotel hits especially hard just because of this. Peeling back the layers of storytelling reminds you that the stories reflect what's inside of us, like, yes, we were just watching a movie, but the feelings the characters felt are all true things that we have experienced, and in this ending it's particularly beautiful because we feel the Zero's sadness and melancholy, the author's nostalgia and gratitude to Zero for telling him his story, and then the shot of the girl is us taking in all those borrowed feelings and the pain of having to let go of what in the end, is just a story, and for as much as we'd like to hang on to those feelings, we just know it must come to an end.

[@eligrimes7909]

The fantastic Mr. fox tie in was beyond clean. The “fingerprints on the screen” analogy encompasses the entire Wes Anderson style and you dropped it on us in the last sentence. Top tier video as always

[@sainthuckelberry]

I've always thought Wes Anderson is just Kubrick making children's novels.

[@ThomasFlight]

Surprisingly accurate. Although I wouldn't say _just_

[@travisspazz1624]

Damn, just blew my mind!!

[@abdimojo8794]

Wow that's "just" occured to me but now I see that comparison.

[@kayEnt3rtainm3nt]

Fun fact: AI was first a Kubrick project based on a childrens short story that Spielberg took over after Kubrick's death. So I guess that would be the most literal example of what you mentioned. Great comparison though!

[@thasleeena9978]

I thought something like that too, Kubrick's movie is more mature and both of their movies are so pleasant for the eyes, the color palette and visuals are so good

[@sagevoyage]

To me, Wes Anderson movies feel like those I Spy books that were around when I was a kid. They were such rich detailed displays that I would get lost in and just enjoy looking at them. I get the same vibes from Anderson movies

[@applejayz1987]

The best way I can reason my love for his style is like how I love vhs, vinyl, polaroid, and cartridge games: They're so much more tangible.

[@Stroheim333]

Wes Anderson would be the perfect choice as the director for a live-action version of Tintin.

[@jothishprabu8]

Nah That would be spielberg

[@Stroheim333]

@@jothishprabu8 You have never read the Tintin comic books, dear.

[@jothishprabu8]

@@Stroheim333 Actually I have and also watched the cartoon. After watching Spielberg's animated movie, I was convinced that he is the perfect director to make a Tintin film. His approach is more Commercial and mainstream. Someone like Wes who makes Very particular type of Drama films isn't fit to direct something of that large budget.

[@tovelo9317]

I love this.

[@Stroheim333]

@@jothishprabu8 Dear, you need to read the original again, not view Spielberg's action nonsense. And then you compare the original with Wes Anderson's style -- of course it is a perfect match.

[@asdf072xxp]

"I've had a rough year, dad." "I know you have, Chaz." That line gets me ever time. It's so unexpected and moving. I love Wes Anderson's dream-like style, but it's those moments that make his films great.

[@zoeysheldon5634]

That's probably one of my favorite moments from the movie. It's moments like that when Anderson's style fades away and you're left with only the characters to pull you in and they do. But only for a moment or two before you're back to the Wes style.

[@yano9164]

This is quite possibly my favorite line in any W.A. film.

[@Violaphobia]

... Why? Do you find it profound, insightful, poignant, anything?

[@brothertothefox5146]

@@Violaphobia wondering the same. I think maybe they're just talking about the context surrounding it.

[@W1NGXER0]

I truly enjoy Wes Anderson and his "self consious" way of film making. He's a story teller, and he's clearly not ashamed of that.

[@jerro95]

The Grand Budapest Hotel was the first Wes Anderson film I've watched or remembered more vividly. I noticed the scenes were filmed in that specific way, and enjoyed it since it was something different from how other movies were filmed. Now I gotta watch more Wes Anderson films.

[@brunodent8843]

I also think the film’s script is very clever. When Gustave occasionally breaks from his precise and thought out way of speaking by swearing unexpectedly, for example when he says “Oh fuck it,” Wes is essentially winking at the audience because Gustave’s dialogue is just as perfect and artificially constructed as the film, so breaking from this in such a vulgar, unexpected way is the film’s way of almost satirising its own artifice.

[@ThomasFlight]

I talk about how his dialogue plays a role in his style in my Wes before Wes video!

[@danielr3522]

I'd never given much thought to why Gustave says some of the things he says, I just really enjoy hearing phrases like 'You must never be a candy ass' coming out of Ralph Fiennes' refined British mouth xD

[@debodatta7398]

I ADORE WES ANDERSON, though the part of his vision that needs like 2 SPEAKING minorities per movie and mostly only white WASP actors and storylines and even filming an movie in India had the caste of Indians be almost entirely be background characters with nothing to say or do beside be "whimsical" for the whites who imperially bulldoze everyone around them while only thinking about themselves until the child scene but even then it continues on.

[@emmalee1374]

@@debodatta7398 okay YES. i love him too i think more so after watching isle of dogs i’ve noticed he has some weird thing with race, specifically asian culture. i cant explain why but it rlly rubs me the wrong way and feels pretty disingenuous coming from a white director and a probably majority white crew

[@eins2001]

@@emmalee1374 ohhhhh here we go, the moot race card has been played.

[@rockyroad7345]

The Grand Budapest Hotel was a visual feast. Every frame is a perfect painting.

[@nicksurfs1]

His films feel like something my friends and I could shoot if we tried hard enough, they seem achievable along with their beauty. That’s part of why I like them. They don’t feel pretentious, they aren’t showing off, they’re just trying to be what they are

[@itsrtvbaby]

His film style is the CLOSEST to depicting how I view my dreams.. Absolutely stunning...

[@fables4564]

I personally LOVE it when they tell me “this is going to be a story”. It allows me to let go that the film is going to be “super realistic” and opens my mind to seeing film as an art form. I then can immediately submerse myself into the story, no matter how weird it may be. I can spend the whole movie Absorbing everything instead of asking myself “what’s going on” or “when does it get good” for 30-45 minutes of the film.

[@brothertothefox5146]

or you know, like everything else in the art world (except Off-White) you can just see where it takes you and how it makes you feel?

[@manicpepsicola3431]

This is exactly how I feel it's nice

[@GreatWhite00000]

It also imediately allows you to doubt what's being said/shown and draw your own conclusions for the narrators might be unreliable

[@Zeverinsen]

Wes Anderson movies have always looked like they're acted out on a theatre stage to me. The use of framing and perspective combined with the sharp colour contrasts in his movies, are always so striking to me. I really love the way the camera movements always makes me feel like I'm in the movie, watching these people doing things. I didn't know anything about The Grand Budapest Hotel, but the unique colour contrasts pulled me in, and the direction and story made me stay. You could say that the "flatness" ironically creates its own type of depth. And I love it!

[@snerdterguson]

One of the most distinctive filmmakers in history. There is just no one else that makes movies with his aesthetic or have his subject matter. I mean, what other director ever is gonna make Royal Tenenbaums or Rushmore? I think my personal favorite might be Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Its just so quirky yet heartfelt. I feel like its one of his less popular films, but I think it was brilliantly made.

[@sofiejorgensen9422]

Since nobody is talking about how good this video is, I will. It just looks like so much work and it's just so great to look at. Everything works so good with each other and is planned and executed so well.

[@user-vu2yb1gy4l]

We should talk about how giving priority and attention to aesthetics is something so praised regarding Wes Anderson, but commonly criticized regarding Sofia Coppola. I like them both, both have made films I enjoy so much and are dear to my heart. However it's something important to point out and discuss.

[@Maniafilia]

Probably bc Coppola have a """"femme chic soft""" and Anderson is """"indie cool vintage sensitive guy"""". Is just bc ppl hate what they see as women aesthetic, but if a men does it is soooo awesome. Anderson is more roccoco if u want than Coppola, and I'm sure af that if she do it like that ppl would complain.

[@Gingersnaps_the_pumpkin_kitty]

Would you recommend me one of her films..? I'm not really a film obsessed person but films shot in more "unique" ways like some of wes andersons fascinate me and it makes me wanna try watching more films.

[@Maniafilia]

@@Gingersnaps_the_pumpkin_kitty I don't like Sofia Coppola films actually, not bc the aesthetic, but bc the toxic troops and the problematic narratives. So I can't recommend a movie of her. What I can recommend that have particular aesthetic given the fact that dats what u like is the movie "The fall" (Tarsem Singh), also the movies of Darren Aronosfky (try with The Fountain), the TV shows Pushing Daisies and Hannibal. The show "A series of unfortunate events" have a strong Anderson vibe, haven't see it, but my couple did and love it. And in general not Hollywood or USA movies have a different way of filming that could see as unique if u are not used to see movies. South American, Asian and Middle East films are pretty different, u could give them a try (and their animations, not just live actions movies, like Persepolis)

[@Gingersnaps_the_pumpkin_kitty]

@@Maniafilia alright thank you, and I have seen the series of unfortunate events, it's pretty good~ but I'll check the others out, I just struggle to find interesting live actions. Thank you~

[@irasemaromero3624]

@@Gingersnaps_the_pumpkin_kitty The Beguiled is the one that comes to mind first, or Lost in Translation

[@ineffablemars]

every frame of his movies looks like a painting.. he understands that realism SHOULD be thrown out the window when making a movie. Movies should give a sense of awe and wonder.

[@relaxvibefocus2672]

With this new trend on social media, I needed this video. Now, I’ll be watching ALL his films.

[@SallyB_23]

For me, it's not just Wes's visual/cinematography quirks that make his movies so unique, it's also (and, for me, just as importantly if not more so) the writing and dialogue. I LOVE his dialogue so much, it always makes me feel like I'm reading a wonderful book.

[@_Catrix]

Something tells me that if Wes Anderson had directed The Polar Express, it would've been 10x better.

[@GRAITOM]

Woah.... Your 10000% right.

[@runningwithscissors1524]

Oh, YES. I’ll make a petition right away.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Yeah. Probably so.

[@thebighurt2495]

Step #1: Bad CGI is out. Stop Motion is in.

[@pravkdey]

@@thebighurt2495 hell yea dude. Tom Hanks seems like he'd gel well with Andersons' directing

[@iiiiitsmagreta1240]

The idea of the creator being a character in the story didn't occur to me as a reason I might love Wes Anderson's movies until now, but that would also explain why I love Terry Pratchett's books so much. Actually, in a bizarre way they're fairly similar - both Anderson movies and Pratchett books are buried in so many layers of satire and artificiality and self-awareness of their own medium, and yet they all contain profound truth and emotional heart that in some ways transcends that. Anyway. Thank you for doing this, you've introduced me to a new way of thinking about Wes Anderson's body of work. Considering the sheer amount of Anderson video essays out there, that's no small feat :)

[@ThomasFlight]

Thank you! You have me thinking it might be time to dive into Terry Pratchett’s work. :D

[@firiel2366]

It's never a bad time to dive into Terry Pratchett ❤️ (my advice would be to start with Going Postal, Mort, or Guards, Guards!, rather than the actual 1st book in the Discworld series)

[@debodatta7398]

I ADORE WES ANDERSON, though the part of his vision that needs like 2 SPEAKING minorities per movie and mostly only white WASP actors and storylines and even filming an movie in India had the caste of Indians be almost entirely be background characters with nothing to say or do beside be "whimsical" for the whites who imperially bulldoze everyone around them while only thinking about themselves until the child scene but even then it continues on.

[@lookoutforchris]

@@debodatta7398 you've cut and pasted this exact same comment in three different threads in this comment section. Fishing for something or just virtue signaling? 😂😂😂

[@TheJedRides]

This is really well done, and I commend you for how well you've organized the presentation. That said, it is worth mentioning that the impact of the look of Wes's films, the result of his deliberate style, is absolute charm. Incredibly, for me the films somehow become instantly nostalgic, such that I often find myself teary eyed as I watch them, as though I am being delivered a package of memories I had long ago forgotten. It's amazing, really, the way he pulls this off.

[@heinrichlombard6416]

I absolutely adore his work. Thank God there are still people like him who produce art.

[@enzoperrin2788]

i feel like Wes Anderson movies are perfectly constructed, especially when tragedy happens within the movie. for example, in royal tenenbaums, when royal passes, you're not completely sure how to feel. there's all these mixed emotions that bring you to a stand still and your heart almost drops but then you're happy but you also want to cry. everything comes together in such a beautifully chaotic way that it seems to catch you by surprise. and regardless of your emotional strength, you always seem to cry when those tragic things happen, not only because you're sad, but because every emotion hits you at one moment and you're unsure how to respond, so you break down and cry.

[@boahneelassmal]

Wes Anderson movies are minimalistic while overflowing with detail incorporated in such a subtle way that you just not notice them. Reading the Anderson Collection Grand Budapest (fantastic book; the amount and love to detail in that book alone is mind blowing) has shown me how much I've still missed after watching the movie more than ten times.

[@xintellectualllx]

This analysis was so well-done and accessible. I’ve only seen a few of Anderson’s films and was able to enjoy every second of this. Bravo!

[@bumblingberry]

I love this kind of composition, a lot of details in & around the backgrounds. Sometimes I pause a Wes Anderson movie and just take in the scene before resuming.

[@Caballeroshot]

This comment reminds me of the South Park episode where they smelled their own farts....this comment is exactly that!

[@FilGelabert]

I've always loved movies that feel like movies, to me, that's the whole point of movies: to show things unlike real life. But maybe that makes me sound like a pretentious asshole lol. Incredible video man, you put to words why I love Wes' movies so much.

[@ThomasFlight]

Nah, if that's what you like, own it. I think people sound pretentious when they think that's what everyone should like, or look down on people for not liking what they like.

[@Purpleturtlehurtler]

@@ThomasFlight that's the beauty of art.

[@tocatafugue]

You might like the French New Wave, or German Expressionism for that matter

[@debodatta7398]

I ADORE WES ANDERSON, though the part of his vision that needs like 2 SPEAKING minorities per movie and mostly only white WASP actors and storylines and even filming an movie in India had the caste of Indians be almost entirely be background characters with nothing to say or do beside be "whimsical" for the whites who imperially bulldoze everyone around them while only thinking about themselves until the child scene but even then it continues on.

[@marcogianesello6083]

@@debodatta7398 give it a rest, writing bullshit dozens of times in every thread doesn't make it not bullshit, get that filthy way of thinking out of your brain if you want to remain a decent person

[@frandecc]

I feel like Wes Anderson is actually trying to teach young filmmakers and directors how to make his own characteristic style of films. They all feel like tutorials

[@SaintMartins]

He ripped of the style of French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

[@inluminance]

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you for creating this. I see even more now why I love Wes Anderson’s films so much. His director style matches the audacity of his characters and story telling. The boldness is so inspiring🙏✨

[@AlienToppedPancakes]

2:00 Reminds me of the Thor Ragnarok commentary where Waititi's little daughter walk in just to say she doesn't like his movie.

[@rickardkaufman3988]

But likes Hunt For The Wilderpeople because of the skux life.

[@robbiebrown7938]

This is best, most thoughtful, and intelligent discussion of Anderson’s aesthetic. Thank Thomas for making it.

[@7249xxl]

His movies always feel like a stylized memory. Something you memorize and your brain has slowly morphed into something near perfect.

[@cyn2612]

His movies always felt like you are watching a play in a broadway theatre production, i love it 😊

[@Happy_Shopper]

Watching his films is the one thing that makes me feel like a child again and I make sure to savour each new one I watch.

[@_cherry_soda_]

Watching a Wes Anderson film feels like looking at one of those miniature models.

[@felixkobia1634]

Yeah this is it

[@tere218]

Really really lovely analysis and breakdown of his style. Thank you! For a film lover but honestly someone who doesn’t have the language to describe what you’re describing - this made it very comprehensive to understand and I feel like I can enjoy Wes’ movies more. Thanks for the uploads

[@Coastfog]

I think we can all agree that his style is absolutely unique. And isn't uniqueness one of the pillars of true art?

[@Samuellalduhzela]

I like the sincerity of his characters and their intentions and how they stay true to themselves no matter how difficult their their story gets.

[@switz7]

wes anderson movies remind me of lounging on my couch in the middle of winter watching a movie, his movies overwhelm me with nostalgia despite never seeing them

[@mcwatchy1]

I like the way you recorded this video,it put me in an anderson mood for the brief moment of getting a pickle from the fridge and enjoying it as if i were in an Anderson scene. I really enjoy his movies and thank you for the upload.

[@MousePounder]

You taught this huge Wes Anderson fan something new, well done.

[@ThomasFlight]

That’s the goal! Glad I could.

[@alextilson9741]

Its like an uncanny sense of unnatural. Like breaking the fourth wall intentionally as a stylistic effect. I love it. Although, I will say, his movies scared me as a kid. The sense of uncanniness can almost be frightening to someone who cant entirely process it.

[@abigailperrin9291]

yes totally i remember i watched fantastic mr. fox as a kid and it has stuck strongly with me ever since because of the flatness, unrealistic approach to it, and how it differentiates from most films we're used to. his directing always creeps my sister out and i love him, but also completely understand her reasoning. i think his directing makes me feel weird but in the best way because it looks like theatre or an actual painting brought to life, and it feels like you're watching a story about a story.

[@jenniferl.8111]

I’m only watching this because apparently Wes Anderson is an alum of my school. Okay, I’m done watching and I love this channel.

[@sidneysun5217]

I think this is why I like wes anderson films; it makes me feel like a kid again because I feel that someone is telling me a story

[@SnakeJuice]

Wes Anderson does something Everyone: Hahahah omg that's such a Wes Anderson thing

[@contexted]

and I honestly don't get why tho

[@dpage446]

@@contexted thats such a wes Anderson thing

[@tularjaggs334]

@@dpage446 Lol, yep. People don't like his movies because they don't make any sense to them. I love his movies because they don't make any sense to me either. :)

[@bpm9295]

did you guys watch the video you're commenting on? OP does a pretty solid job explaining the characteristic flair to his cinematography. Not saying that you have to like it or that it's intrinsically "genius" but it feels a bit disingenuous to post "y tho i dont get it"

[@SMBarbie]

Me: he really needs to get over his daddy issues.

[@pabloperezmartin1906]

Honestly, this is the best Wes Anderson video essay I've ever seen. And I have seen plenty of them. They all focus on the visuals but none focused on the reasons below. Thank you.

[@_addie]

Thank you for this. I love Wes Anderson so much but am never able to describe his aesthetic to people, only that it's super distinct. It's nice having more perspective into what exactly makes it so special

[@MsMaladi]

I love it when people can explain why I like things I know I like. Wonderful! Thanks!

[@kevin_andrews735]

I think artificiality can enhance an audience's connection. Because you are consciously aware that it's fake, you have to put in more effort to connect. Think of how well you can relate to a pixar fish, or how captivating a good broadway musical can be, or a bunch of swirly paint brush strokes can have more emotions than a photograph of a starry night sky. Plus there's a sense of whimsy that eases the audience by making them feel safe enough to drop their guard.

[@TheStarBlack]

I feel his style in a lot of ways makes the film feel like more like you're watching an amateur play - the planometric composition, the sometimes awkward performances, the sets that are obviously sets. I think he must take a lot of inspiration from amateur theatre direction.

[@drak_darippa]

Or he is just an amateur

[@lankey6969]

Stories are where we come from and where we're going. And in the long run, it's all we'll really leave behind. Wonderful video, thank you for sharing with us.

[@ralphmccoy4046]

This was wonderful. Thank you for your creative participation.

[@schodes]

Did someone say New Sincerity?

[@ThomasFlight]

Too much to go into in one vid, but the way DFW and Wes both use a lot of little quirky lampshading narrative techniques makes me think they're on a similar wavelength even if only accidentally.

[@debodatta7398]

I ADORE WES ANDERSON, though the part of his vision that needs like 2 SPEAKING minorities per movie and mostly only white WASP actors and storylines and even filming an movie in India had the caste of Indians be almost entirely be background characters with nothing to say or do beside be "whimsical" for the whites who imperially bulldoze everyone around them while only thinking about themselves until the child scene but even then it continues on.

[@ANYA.RIZALI]

meow meow meow

[@lolar6085]

I love his way of making movies. In each of them it can be senses a terrible and sad background story and I feel he is telling us the story in the most gentle way parents would tell to their children. And I appreciate a lot his gentleness.

[@buteobuteo]

Excellent video, so many great insights into Wes Anderson and his movies. I'm a potter and slowly learned about the aesthetic of leaving the maker's literal fingerprints in work. I agree 100% but had never considered it for film. I love having this perspective now for WA's films and all film.

[@joyce_oates]

This was such an amazing thesis and commentary. Thank you for making it!

[@elizalee9493]

all his films just look so visually appealing, they make me feel calm

[@rhino202]

I always have to be in the right mood to sit and enjoy his film correctly

[@bradyjohnson5129]

What a great analysis. I think what I enjoy most about Wes’ movies is something you mentioned. His movies feel like you are being told a story. This brings a fun spectator point of view almost like someone is telling you a story around a campfire.

[@trevorlafave]

Amazing video! Loved that you started with literal fingerprints on Anderson’s work, very smart.

[@wayfarerzen3393]

His style is very candid, and I find it incredibly enjoyable rather than detracting from the films in some way. It never seems to come off as unprofessional, even if it can be seen as an imperfection if not considered as part of a whole film.