When picking the movie I want to view for my blog review, there were several factors put in my decision making process. First of all, I wanted to see a movie that I had never viewed prior so I could write my first reactions about the film. But I wanted the film’s director to really wow me, and challenge the boundaries of what’s possible in cinema. And after a bit of inspiration from the viewing of the movie Rushmore, I decided to choose a movie that was from the mind of Wes Anderson. After further deliberation I decided upon The Grand Budapest Hotel for two reasons. A: I had not seen the film and according to my Grandma its critically acclaimed; and B: my mom had bought the blu-ray DVD set when it came out so I could watch it for free. So after a long Easter Sunday brunch, I finally sat down with my lovely mother to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The basic plot of The Grand Budapest Hotel goes as follows. The movie starts off with one of the main characters, the Author, recapping his one and only visit to The Grand Budapest Hotel. He meets the mysterious owner of the hotel, his name is Zero. The Author is intrigued behind Zero becoming the owner of the hotel, Zero offers to dine with the Author and share his story during dinner.
The story starts with him being hired as a lobby boy at The Grand Budapest Hotel, under the guidance of the witty concierge M. Gustave. Months go by with Zero under the mentor ship of M. Gustave, growing the relationship between the characters as we progress through the story. M. Gustave has a tendency to develop relations to old rich women who stay at his hotel, but one in particular Madame D. had a special relationship with M. Gustave. So when she suddenly and mysteriously died, M. Gustave asked Zero to come with him as aide to Madame D. funeral and estate. When Madame D.’s will was being announced, a last second edit was made regarding the circumstances that she was murdered. It would give the possession of the priceless art piece, Boy with Apple, to M. Gustave. The extended family of Madame D. was furious especially her son Dmitri who saw the painting to not leave the family’s possession. But with the help of the estate butler Serge X, they took Boy with Apple back to The Grand Budapest Hotel to be locked away in safe keeping.
But once the two get back to The Grand Budapest Hotel, M. Gustave is arrested under the count of murdering Madame D. So with the help of Zero, Agatha (Zero’s lover) and a crew of other inmates, M. Gustave manages to escape prison and flee the scene with Zero. They set out to seek Serge X, as he is the only one with an alibi proving M. Gustave’s innocence. They meet with Serge on a mountaintop monastery, but they are being tracked by an assassin J.G. Jopling, who’s loyal to Dmitri and his family. He kills Serge and skis off down the mountain with Zero and M. Gustave chasing. After a long chase, they push Jopling off a cliff and attempt to get back to safety as they are being shot at by the Police.
The two return back to the hotel, as it is being run by new people with tons of military guests being in attendance during war times. Zero convinces his lover Agatha to sneak into the hotel and take back the painting Boy with Apple. Unfortunately this all occurs in the eyes of the antagonist, Dimitri, as he follows Agatha closely. She makes a run for it after getting off the elevator ride with Dimitri, Dimitri runs after he but is stopped by M. Gustave and Zero. As Agatha makes her escape with the painting, a letter is noticed in the back of the canvas of Boy with Apple. This was the official will that Madame D. wanted, and it gave the possession of The Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as a majority of her fortune to M. Gustave. He became the richest man in the country. Zero finishes his story by explaining the deaths of the people he cared for most, M. Gustave and Agatha. A few years later, a similar train scene that occurred early on in the movie was replicated and resulted in M.Gustave being shot to death by French military. Zero inherited all of his fortune and the ownership of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Zero’s wife Agatha died due to illnesses and diseases caused by the hardships of that time period. So why does Zero keep a distance from The Grand Budapest Hotel? In memory of his lovely wife, as it’s the last connection he has with his dear love. The movie ends here with the Author never returning again.
After completing the movie, I noticed a few details regarding the mise-en-scene of The Grand Budapest Hotel. I want to credit the costume design and scene production of this movie. The outfits of all the different concierges from each hotel was brilliant, for example M. Gustave had a fitted purple suit along with the rest of the lobby boys who were also wearing purple attire. This color looked almost candy-like, which was personally a pleasing sight. It seemed that Wes Anderson had a clear and precise vision of what he wanted for his costumes, and he really killed it.
Another detail I noticed about this film was the unique camera work used throughout the film. Wes Anderson is known for his own style of putting scenes together. Something I picked up on very quickly was his use of framing. This was a style that seemed unique to Mr. Anderson, and was consistent throughout the film. Many his shots were symmetrically placed, which allowed focuses on specific element of a shot to bring light to something you may have no picked up in a different angle. Another camera style he used frequently was a frame within a frame. This allowed for the viewer to see from the actor/actress point of view. For example, when M. Gustave is in jail he was serving food to the other jailbirds. You would see the different zany characters who were locked up while Gustave was passing by. Wes Anderson’s use of camera panning was also fabulous. It allowed for the audience to follow along with the characters and extend the length of the scene. For example, when M.Gustave is first interviewing Zero for the job of Lobby Boy, the camera is panning along capturing their conversation as they walk quickly all over the main lobby. I enjoyed the panning a lot as it gave me a broader perspective of the different and wacky scenes within the film.
Overall I enjoyed the film tremendously and have a newfound respect and enjoyment for Wes Anderson. Overall the story was a bit odd, and it didn’t always make the most sense, but his character development, costume design, and camera styles really made for a pleasing experience. I’d recommend this film to any cinema lover, as it brings a unique style of cinema you don’t see everyday.
Sources
Barsam, Richard Meran, and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. New York: W.W. Norton, 2016. Print.
Grand Budapest Hotel. Dir. Wes Anderson. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2014. DVD