“ The Grand Budapest Hotel “

The “Grand Budapest Hotel” by Wes Anderson is a unique artwork which has been directed through a burlesque and comedy way. The mise-en-scene, editing, sound, narrative, cinematography have been originally emphasized through several elements that bring us into a parallel and fantastic world. In fact, the audience is immersed in the the story by the characters and camera movements.

First of all, the obvious detail that we must observe is the range of color and tonality that he uses along the movie. In fact, his style is described through pastel colors such as orange, blue, pink, grey but very bright. He loves playing with colors and details in order to bring us in his perception of this specific world. For instance, the beginning is very orange, only people's uniforms create a contrast as well as the different location where we are transported such as the bathroom ( blue colors), the Gustave H.'s bedroom ( pink colors ). For example, in the scene when they are in the bedroom everything is pink and the filmmaker chooses to add an other element which is the pink rose in the middle of the frame. In addition, at the end of the movie he decides suddenly to turn his image on black and white to have another touch of his play with colors. In fact, the way he uses props and background details may helps to develop his own original style. Moreover, a lot of unconventional techniques are transformed toward real original ones. For instance, the setting has a lot of visual gags, nuances and gives us the impression of unreal world with all those colors, informations, background and characters. In fact, this complexity he wants, provides an incredible sense of creativity and esthetic. For instance, when Jude Law is taking the elevator at the Hotel many texts on the wall are placed everywhere or even the repetition of the motif “GB” at many times.

Secondly, the main element that we main point out is the fact that every props or characters are always on the middle of the frame, the filmmaker chooses to create a symmetry in every scene he made. Moreover, the camera is keeping on filming the scene with an on-straight angle and sometimes low angle or high-angle ( but doesn't always mean sense of power or weakness) as well as a lot of zoom moments in order to be concentred on character's expressions and emphasize on certain details that he wants to people see. For example, monologues are on-straight angles and the characters are looking directly at the camera so that gives us the impression that they are talking to us.

The camera movement creates an interplay of onscreen and offscreen space and reveal us some space that was previously offscreen. Wes Anderson, brings his own way to film which is experienced through a lot of fast shot/reverse shot, tracking shot, flashbacks, eyeline match. The way he manages all the camera movements is an original concept he brings up. He directs his movies by giving an real importance for the contrast. In fact, a lot of shot are contrasted such as colors : when the lobby boy is talking to Gustave in jail through the window, the shot/reverse shot are joined by the colors contrast ( colorless/colorful), the setting contrast (dirty / clean), the costumes ( well dress up/bad condition).

Thirdly, we may highlight his wonderful manner to use contrasts in his movie. First, the graphic contrast is relevant. For example, when the attorney looks at the note from his pocket, the next shot is an extreme close up of the notes with all the informations on it. Hence, he decides to use completely another form of graphic such as a scan shot following by a shot in the real world. He actually does it multiple times such as at the beginning of the movie when we see the Hotel through an animated image. Moreover, we may find a discontinuity on the rhythm since he uses a lot of long takes then short takes and back and forth. Usually, the dialogues are very fast and he uses at this moment a shot/reverse shot but sometimes he lets more time for it. However, he may control the frame by a parallelism at some point. For instance, when the attorney is entering in the museum, we see a light on the sign in the middle of the frame then Mrs Jopling enters and it is exactly the same mise-en-scene, lighting, editing and sound in order to confirm that he is following him. Then, the last contrast that we may see through the camera is the way he manipulates fast motion when they are skiing. It offers another original element that we may not see everywhere.

Finally, we might note the music. It is something that creates his original style. We have a lot of non-diegetic sounds which are the background music that we don't always pay attention to but it is frequent. Sometimes the music is connected with the action such as when Agatha is going upstairs to look outside, the music is related with her movements as well as the sound of the trapdoor's closing. However, at some point the sound can be in contrast with the image such as the scene when Mrs. Jopling is breaking the ice to make falling Gustave, the scene depicts something stressful and gives us fears and expectations, however the music is entirely opposite since it is very relax, Christmas time's atmosphere. Nevertheless, there are also a talented way to emphasize on diegetic sounds such as people walking, the journal paper, the motorcycle sound... Every single elements is accentuated.

Finally, the dialogue is created through a very high social class vocabulary with a aristocratic manner to speak.

His style works perceptually, we notice elements, it emphasizes one things over another, clarify and intensify or even complicate our understanding of the action. He wants to add as much as informations he can in order to leave the audience with a lot of misunderstanding but provides crucial elements on the front screen that our eyes get on directly. The filmmaker is focused on meanings and effects, he has the passion for giving emotions and visual experiences to his audience. The way he uses his style generate an originality on the meanings of the story because people have more assumptions, curiosity an feelings on what it is happening. Our mind his completely controlled by the filmmaker's perception, we may not understand, guess or see something that the filmmaker didn't make on purpose.

Our eyes are concentred on multiple informations at the same time : lighting, props, details about the movie (mendl's), the picture, the tonality. The audience is immersed into the investigation.

Wes Anderson has a talented and incredible manner to play with colors such as in this scene. The contrast is obvious and reaches our attention more than if he has not accentuated the colors contrast.

Have you already watched this movie ? If yes, what was your opinion of it ? What could be modified ?