There are no other filmmakers out there like Wes Anderson. His knack for making films that feel like they're, both, from another time and entirely immediate, as well as his ability to have constructed an entire working cinematic universe around his personal aesthetic tastes is astounding. (Can you tell I'm a fan?) If you've ever wanted to dive head first into a study of this universe, then you might want to check out this video series by RogerEbert.com Editor-in-Chief Matt Zoller Seitz, based on his book The Wes Anderson Collection, that deconstructs each one of Anderson's films, from the cinematography to the set design.
Seitz first met Wes Anderson (and Owen Wilson) at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, while they were there showing Bottle Rocket, then a short film. After several years of staying in contact with Anderson, Seitz's editor suggested writing a book about his filmmaking style, which is what The Wes Anderson Collection became.
It's essentially a "book-long interview" with Anderson about everything that has to do with him as an artist, his evolution, his inspiration, and history. Seitz likens the conversation to one of Anderson's famous dollhouse shots -- moving from room to room, from film to film, through his entire filmography. It's a compendium of all the knowledge you'd ever want to know about Anderson in book form -- and now (not now now -- more like a year ago), Seitz did the Wes Anderson fans of the world a huge solid by adapting parts of the book into videos.
Here's a video introducing the book, which helps put the videos into perspective.
Each one of Anderson's films are broken up into chapters from 1 to 7 (from Bottle Rocket to Moonrise Kingdom), and we've shared them all with you below. Check them out!
Whether you admire Anderson or not, you can't deny that his work has made a huge impact on the cinematic world. His aesthetic is unique. His dialog, the world's he builds around his characters, the look, the tone -- everything screams "Wes Anderson". Of course, his films aren't a product of his imagination alone. With help from brilliant cinematographer Robert Yeoman and occasional writing collaborators Owen Wilson, Noah Baumbauch, and Roman Coppola, he has managed to blend the perfect amount of childlike innocence and wonder with the dull cynicism of adulthood.
In my opinion anyway.
Did you learn anything new from Seitz videos? Feel free to share your thoughts on Wes Anderson's work in the comments below.
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