The open letter series will be a collection of open letters written to other people, ideas or activities that have taken place over the course of the last few days of uploading in both the public realm and in my personal life. What exactly is an open letter? An open letter is a letter which is often critical in nature that is addressed to a particular person or group of people but intended for publication or to be read by a large group of people. In this case, that is you, the reader.
Each open letter will discuss a different topic, in varying degrees of depth. From politics to personal issues, the Open Letter series aims to provide clarity on issues, create ideas or inspiration, or, in my case, to become a place of stress and thought relief. Nothing is safe from receiving an open letter, not telly shows or book characters, a class lesson or a provoking idea.
And here we are again: The Open Letter Series
An open letter to Wes Anderson,
Dear Wes Anderson,
Hi. Big fan.
To be honest you’re number two on my list of favourite directors, second only to Dustin Lance Black (watch Milk and When We Rise if you’re not convinced). I say this not because The Grand Budapest Hotel is my third favourite movie but because somehow, you’ve managed to make me feel real and true emotion in ways that I haven’t been able to do so before. Let me explain.
I am a big fan of using colours to portray emotions in movies. I love it when special attention is payed to colour being connected to thoughts, certain characters and to themes in general.
But that doesn’t happen in Grand Budapest, which I’ve decided will be my movie of reference for this letter.
Grand Budapest is an aesthetically pleasing movie. Using pale blues and pinks, it plays along like a story movie novel, adapted to film with attention paid to the colour of the wardrobe, the props and most importantly, the setting.
The plot of Grand Budapest is a simple one to follow, and comes in a series of parts, making first time and non-google watchers (like myself) asking if this movie came from a book (which it didn’t). The fact that this movie was created entirely on its own with no predeceasing novel is almost hard to believe, if not for, of course, Wes Anderson.
Using colour the way that you do makes the movie have a cozy vibe, making watchers think that everything will be sunshine and daisies, that this movie won’t require much mental effort on their part; it’s a movie that one can do homework to. You don’t have to pay attention and you can still follow along the plot of the whole thing and everything will be just dandy.Nope.Not this movie (or any movie you’ve done, Wes. To be honest.)
But Grand Budapest is a tribute to your skill. Making dynamic characters is often challenging to do in short periods of time, and the best characters are usually developed throughout numerous seasons or really long movies.
GBH uses a combination of amazingly centered shots, colours, and a script that makes this 2014 film absolutely stunning, you honestly couldn’t have done a better job.The soundtrack is stunning, really pulling at the heartstrings of all northern-europeaners and their decendents, who don’t listen to the quick-guitar-yodel combination that often, except for in memories with grand parents or from Heidi or Sound of Music or something. The soundtrack does the movie justice, not making up for something that the film lacks, but instead compliments the rest of the movie like hot chocolate on a rainy day.
Wes, the years it took you to write and direct and edit Grand Budapest were not for nothing. Thank you for this masterpiece. I’m definitely watching it again after this goes up.
Best wishes,
Johanna