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Disturbing events often transpire in Wes Anderson's movies. Throughout his newest film, a man is nonchalantly bisected during an aircraft crash. Elsewhere prominent movie, the lead protagonist pretends a terminal illness to rejoin his dysfunctional family. Similarly, the ostensibly noble main character in another story is fundamentally a criminal, within a fictional republic falling under dictatorial governance.

Such events are presented with self-aware comedic effect—the cartoonish division mimics a vintage Tom and Jerry scene, and the imaginary country is named after a well-known Polish vodka. Meanwhile, each moment is lavishly embellished with eccentric curios, peculiar costumes, and saturated colour. For dedicated fans, this approach is familiar, akin to discovering a small flaw in an otherwise flawless piece.

Show Highlights

Following previous exhibitions dedicated to other celebrated filmmakers, the current display focuses on Wes Anderson, featuring an enlarged iteration of a show initially organized in partnership with a renowned film institution. The structure is familiar to visitors, featuring a curated array of historical artifacts arranged chronologically. Within the about 700 items retrieved from a storage facility are costumes, wigs, drawings, miniatures, made-up tomes, art, a tent, a typing machine, and scores of stop-motion puppets.

Wealthy characters … costumes from a popular film exhibited.

Encompassing a lengthy film arc, the display begins with the director's first film—a surprising tribute to a well-known filmmaker's aesthetic—and wraps up with the auteur's most recent release, which received varied responses. The exhibition design features galleries adorned in various tones of red, starting with bold postal and culminating in rich maroon. Against this intense setting, the distinctive oddity of Anderson's style stands out.

Gems for Fans

Dedicated Wesophiles will surely relish examining the show's offerings, such as an improbably elaborate miniature of a railway featured in one of the movies, or the sumptuous velvet garment used by a renowned actress playing a wealthy dowager. Also exhibited is the full-scale replica of a iconic pastel building, resembling a monstrous dessert, as well as miniatures of fantastical sea creatures from a different movie, and an array of soft stop-motion creatures displayed as a identity array.

Fantastic … Character displays his signature corduroy suit.

Famous for his stylish dressing, the director allegedly ordered a outfit using the same corduroy as a certain animated animals, acted by a Hollywood leading man. This detail showcases the director's considerable influence within the film world. Stellar groups of actors are another consistent feature in his movies; viewers might quickly fail to spot cameo roles by well-known actors. Beyond talent, the filmmaker partners with esteemed design experts, such as a designer and an celebrated costume designer.

Dedication to Details

To more casual film lovers, the persistent focus on Anderson's distinct style might feel somewhat too much, similar to being stuck in a store stocked with excessively quirky objects. The tone of item fetishisation is defined from the start, as the display starts with a vitrine filled with identical journal pads, each featuring impeccably neat handwriting detailing thoughts for respective film. This highlights the director's well-known reputation as a details man.

The dominant sense is one of creative fastidiousness that borders on fixation. Extreme care is employed in including the smallest aspects, for example auditioning specific young actors to achieve the correct look of 1960s penmanship for a short note that is seen on film for mere a short time, or using the exact type of ink used by an infamous gangster organization for a tattoo on a puppet figure.

Possibly the most example of this meticulous technique is the use of stop-motion filmmaking, which demands puppets to be moved between 12 to 24 times for every moment of film. One feature allegedly required 24 months to finish, and the animators—essentially artists—are required with making the model feel authentic.

Critical Considerations

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