Page 26 - PROTAGONIST 136

There are many filmmakers,

from Kaurismäki to Tarantino,

who put their signature on
their movies ever since the

first scene. Wes Anderson,

the Texan director, does this

through perspectives and

characters but, most of all,
colors: the pastel hues that

have become iconic in the

world of cinema.

In a scene of The Addams Family 2 − one of the best
sequels in the history of film – Morticia, played by Anjelica
Huston, scolded Debbie (Joan Cusack) for having decorat-
ed her new home with pastel hues. From that moment on, it
seemed that pastel-heavy colors were, given their lightness,
something to look at with prudence and circumspection.
That was until Wes Anderson chose to relaunch them, turn-
ing them into one of the trademarks of his filmography.
From Bottle Rocket to The Phoenician Scheme, present-
ed in world preview at the latest Cannes Film Festival, the
US director has made it clear to the audience that his piec-
es unmistakably bear his signature, ever since the first frame.
Pastel hues and vintage color palettes, perfectly centered
and geometric frames, and the use of meticulously selected
props are all elements of 100% Anderson art.
Besides the characters of his films – showing a mix of
tenderness and melancholy, nearly always with outstand-
ing friendships and at the mercy of dysfunctional families –
Anderson has chosen to tell his stories uniquely and dis-
tinctively, harmonizing the container and its contents. From
the pink shades of The Grand Budapest Hotel to the satu-
rated colors of Moonrise Kingdom, his films always have the
power to make us feel at home. They give us the impression
of having been shot with love and out-of-the-ordinary atten-
tion to detail.
The subdivision into chapters, quick cuts, slow-motion
and stop-motion – used for enchanting films like Isle of Dogs,
one of his most underrated masterpieces – show us just how

24 Portrait Protagonist