Wes Anderson Essay

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Rushmore, released in 1999, was director Wes Anderson’s second major film release as well as his breakthrough forever changing the world of American indie cinema. With an impressive repertoire of seven full length films in a span of only fifteen years he has become a major contender in modern American cinema with well received films such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited. A director who polarizes both movie-goers and film critics alike, Anderson is notorious for his meticulous attention to detail in set production and wardrobe. His whimsical worlds are the sources for praise and condemnation in his extremely distinctive works. Critics say Anderson is more concerned with style than actual substance and character development…show more content…
Rather than a verbal list of the activities given through dialogue, Anderson’s choice to give the viewers a comic visual with a song about never having enough time just feels more natural. The soundtrack is able to transcend time and location making the audience ignore the fact the film was shot in Houston in 1997. Anderson’s use of primarily British music from the late 60’s, as well as his lavish eye to set detail, give the audience a feeling of a timeless European world. The feeling of dislocation created allows the audience to be more sympathetic towards Fischer who feels lost and out of place. Wes Anderson often uses the camera to pay homage to his directors he claims as inspiration. The often-over theatrical long shot and wide screen used in Rushmore mirror those of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, a director Anderson cites as one of his major influencers. The widescreen compositions provide an extended view into the action and details taking place in Anderson’s whimsical world. The blurry scanning close up shots during dialogue between two characters are reminiscent of the films of French directors Godard and Truffaut. In a scene at his twin sons’ birthday party Bill Murray’s character jumps off a diving board into his pool. The camera drifts underwater with him as he blankly stares into it displaying his feelings of utter isolation. The shot is a direct nod to a scene in The Graduate in which Dustin Hoffman’s character is floating underwater in a pool experiencing similar feelings of loneliness and

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