Wes Anderson: When Content Meets Form
Wes Anderson is one of the great filmmakers working in Hollywood today. His author style is very distinct from any other director in this day and age. His worlds are filled with colourful, bright and vibrant settings, mixed with well-balanced and well-composed cinematography. To top it all off, his whimsical and real characters are often exploring daring and serious themes.
Anderson’s style is very unique and stunning as each set are made with incredible details and using a well-balanced colour palette. His fantastic and purposely artificial worlds create a space where the lines between fiction and reality seem to be blurred. In his world, he is free to explore serious issues, such as the loss of innocence, falling in and out of love, troublesome family relationships, and the fragility of family bonds. He does so by incorporating characters that seem to keep a shallow facade, yet we later learn that they have an emotional depth that was waiting to be uncovered. The characters are often broken and scarred individuals trying to make sense of the lives revolving around them in a slightly silly way. In other words, Anderson’s plots don’t fall flat. He manages to tell impactful stories daringly and comically.
Wes Anderson’s films are not only a treat for the eyes, but also contain impeccable content explored in a sincere way not many directors have been able to accomplish. Every one of his shots is perfectly composed and everything in the frame serves a purpose in emphasizing the plot development happening in the said scene.
Wes Anderson is a filmmaker who has mastered the art of storytelling and is one of the best contemporary filmmakers.
Written by: K. Wells
