This week at Filmclub I was given a special birthday treat by my tutor, I go to choose the film we watched, I chose the phenomenal Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson, as most of you know Wes Anderson is my favourite director; usually I wouldn't write a review of a film by my favourite director but I'll give it a go!
Moonrise Kingdom
Directed by - Wes Anderson
Release date - 2012
Starring - Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and Edward Norton
As an avid follower of Wes Anderson's work, there are a few things to look for when watching his films: 1) Symmetry in shots (check), 2) Overhead shots (check) 3) A beautiful score (check), within the first fifteen minutes the three major boxes are ticked. Other similarities to look for in Anderson films are Swish Pans, Wide-Angled shots, flawed, relatable characters and feel-good realism. Check, check, check and check. Okay, we've established that we're watching a Wes Anderson film here, but what's this fairy-tale like film about?
Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward) and Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) are a pair of loved up, EXTREMELY underage runaways, fleeing their town in New England to embrace each others new found love. Coincidentally, this sends the town into a frenzied search party (understandable enough). Sound like every other romance film out there? Wrong, although you may be getting the impression this is a very weird, uncomfortable film to watch (two children, in love?!) it is also very beautiful in many ways, not to mention mildly hilarious. Wes Anderson is known for making his films to be very awkward, leaving massively cringey moments last for what seems to be forever, until they get funny...or cute. This isn't the sort of romance film where everything is perfect, the characters, the setting, the plot are all perfect. This film is relatable and honest. The honest part is either shocking you or you don't believe it...when I was twelve, all I could think about is how much I loved all of these boys. I felt exactly the same way Suzy did, I wish these boys were as honest as Sam!
Not quite sold on the main plot? There's more than what meets the eye here. When we finally finish the beautifully rehearsed continuous beginning shot, we are faced with what I can only gather to be a narrator of some sort, introducing us to the island and the year. He also explains about the storm that is coming to the island, one that will go down in history. The storm becomes the underlying plot within the film and in the end brings the film to the dramatic climax, it could symbolize Suzy's and Sam's rebellion, how it escalates through the film and finally comes to an end, when the storm is at it's peak (no more spoilers, promise!).
I always talk about colour grading, how usually it's perfect. Again, here it is perfect. All Wes Anderson films have a "theme/scheme" of colours. 'Fantastic Mr Fox' for example, is oranges and browns, 'Rushmore' is beige and darker shades of primary colours, 'Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' is blues, yellows and reds. 'Moonrise Kingdom' is yellow, blue and pink (almost the same as Life Aquatic). Anderson is obsessed with primary colours, much like most of his characters are obsessed with something! Everything within the film is yellow, the fields, the telephones, shirts, dress patterns, even walls in some cases. As the film progresses, as the storm brews, the colour scheme turns darker, bluer until the storm is at its peak everything is blue. It's almost as if there is a blue filter/gel over the whole edit. The yellow, in my opinion, gives off the feeling of content and happiness. As the film turns darker and colder, so does the colour scheme. However, unlike most films it's not subtle, it's bold and in your face. When Sam and Suzy are sharing intimate moments, the scene seems increasingly pink, almost like they are "looking through rose coloured glasses/la vie en rose" (more on French symbolism later!).
Typically, everything has a meaning in Wes Anderson films, including costumes. In 'Moonrise Kingdom' he focuses on Suzy's costumes, although dresses appear exactly the same, shift, sixties, tailored and contrasted collars. The dress changes colour near the end of the film. In the beginning, her dress is a pale red/orange colour, this symbolizes her depression (or "de-pression" to keep up with the quoting of the film). At a point in the film, towards the end, she is wearing a yellow dress of the same style. This isn't an accident, this isn't to keep up with the colour scheme, Wes Anderson is all about the tiny details. She wears a yellow dress, yes, to match the colour scheme; but as I was saying earlier, yellow symbolizes content. Suzy changes into a yellow dress because she finally feels content with her life, with Sam. She feels as if everything is finally in it's right place and therefore doesn't wear the colours that symbolize anger and depression.
There is one more thing about 'Moonrise Kingdom' that I'd like to bring up (then I'll stop analyzing every detail about it, promise!)...it is heavily influenced by New Wave French Film, for example Jean-luc Godard's 'Pierrot Le Fou'. It breaks the fourth wall, the invisible wall between audience and character by the camera looking directly into the camera and talking into it. Not at the audience directly but at another character, by doing this we (the audience) instantly feel part of the film, more involved. Therefore keeping us more on the edge of our seats. New Wave French Films are also prestige for their jump cuts, Wes Anderson has taken it upon himself to incorporate those jump cuts into 'Moonrise Kingdom' and not subtly. The last thing that has influenced Anderson is the use of a character that appears once or twice and then disappears for the rest of the film, the audience don't know who he/she is and sometimes don't even know their name. This is where our trusty "narrator" (remember, the guy that gives us a tour of the island?) comes in!
Overall, I would give 'Moonrise Kingdom' five out of five stars. To me, it's perfect. The acting is superb, the plot is inspiring, unique and realistic and the style of the film is flawless. It's the imperfections within the film that make it so perfect. If you haven't seen this one yet, you really have no idea what you're missing.
"I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about."
