The Aesthetic of Wes Anderson
By Lara Thain
In a recent interview with Deadline, Wes Anderson claimed that “I don’t have an aesthetic”, which most people would see as a bold claim. Wes Anderson movies are instantly recognizable for their visual elements such as highly choreographed tracking sequences, stylized hair and makeup, symmetric shots, and saturated color palettes. These elements combined leave the viewer with a highly satisfactory visual experience that keeps you from looking away. Despite these iconic visuals and Anderson’s fame in modern cinema, his films are not blockbusters like many other famous films of recent years, causing them to feel more like “art for art’s sake”. Wes Anderson's movies have spanned different genres and mediums, from Fantastic Mr. Fox to The French Dispatch; each movie has its distinct personality, but key elements connect each film, causing the viewer to question, “Does Wes Anderson have an aesthetic or not?”
Arguably one of Anderson’s most iconic films is The Grand Budapest Hotel. The film is so highly stylized that it seems almost synonymous with the pastel pink color of the hotel’s facade. It could perhaps be seen as the blueprint for Anderson’s aesthetic. Filled with symmetric shots and fast-paced dialogue that forces the audience to pay attention, the film captivates the audience from the first shot. Are these elements all part of Anderson’s personal style or does it accumulate into a specific aesthetic? These visual elements are not accidental; every aesthetically pleasing element in the film is made deliberately, creating a sense of cohesion. This cohesion allows films like The Grand Budapest Hotel to feel whimsical. There’s no question that Anderson’s movies themselves are defined by their aestheticism.
Anderson’s films are tied together not just by iconic visual elements, but also by similar themes. One prevalent idea is that of a story within a story. This is prominent in his films Asteroid City and The French Dispatch, where the audience has to follow the plot lines of larger stories that go on outside the dominant ones. This contributes to the otherworldly feel that Anderson’s films hold, which is also seen in the dialogue between characters: they often have high-paced, slightly nonsensical conversations. Combined with the visual elements of his films, the audience feel as though they are seeing into worlds that have similarities to our own but without the dreads of everyday life. One could argue this is simply Anderson’s directing style, however, when these elements are seen in other directors’ films, they feel like cheap imitations. Simply put, if he did not incorporate these iconic visuals into his next film, it would not feel like a Wes Anderson film.
This summer, a viral TikTok trend found users copying the stylistic elements of Anderson, with varying degrees of success. Watching them, one can’t help but feel that Anderson does truly have an aesthetic. Its ability to be condensed into such a short format and still be instantly recognizable is testament to the impact of Anderson’s. The ability to cross mediums and genres, but still maintain the same feeling for the audience shows how successful this aesthetic is.
Anderson himself has crossed mediums more than once, with his films Isle of Dogs and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Despite being stop-motion animation, unlike his other films which are live-action, they still maintain the feeling of whimsy that all of Anderson’s filmography contains. His iconic style is still present in the dialogue and captivating visual elements, which at times are nearly even more aesthetic due to the nature of the medium. Anderson’s consistent style across so many films and its huge influence on popular culture has cultivated an aesthetic that is nearly bigger than himself.
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