His movies are hard to watch….the first time…..
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Wes Anderson
asherp — 10 years ago(March 29, 2016 07:59 PM)
I've seen a number of his films.and almost to a film I didn't like them as much the first time as I did the second time.
I think that's the challenge that many users have with him and why there is visceral frustration with his films by those who don't like them.
There isn't a lot of action.there isn't some great payoff at the end. The scene usually resolves and life goes on.
But what kind of life is it? or was it? Those questions reward the viewer on repeated viewings. Its almost the difference between a pop song and a symphony. Both can be great, but they offer the listener a vastly difference ride and experience. -
resmat-1 — 9 years ago(April 26, 2016 06:59 AM)
I'm struggling to understand why you feel the way you do.
Firstly, as far as indie comedy-dramas go, all his films have a brisk pace and some of them even have big action scenes.
Secondly, I think most of his films actually
do
have pretty clear climaxes with emotional payoffs. The over-the-top Vietnam play in Rushmore; the scenes surrounding the fight between Eli and Chas in The Royal Tenenbaums; the confrontation with the Jaguar Shark in The Life Aquatic payoffs like these are huge compared to some of the payoffs in more low-key films out there. -
asherp — 9 years ago(April 26, 2016 07:37 AM)
I think these films have a pacing and visual eccentricies which make them hard to "get" the first time through.They do have clear climaxes and payoffs.but they sneak up on you.When you see one of his the second time you can get it right away.
As opposed to a Beverly Hills Cop let's say where we know who the good guys are and the bad guys are and the payoff is obvious.
The Royal Tenenbaums for example.There's a lot open for analysis and/or interpretation.You wonder whether Royal as a person and a patriarch is good or bad.Much of the movie he comes across as a jerk.and yeahthat's the pointbut it might take a second viewing to see him for what he isand how that relates to the title and the resolution.
Compare that to Parenthood.an almost identical movie when it comes to the raw storyline.A Patriarch and how it has affected his progeny.With Parenthood its straight forward Hollywood fare.you know who to root for and amazingly enough those characters win in the end.
As opposed to the Royal Tenenbaums all of the characters are so quirky its hard to tell (on first viewing) who they really are and if they will be redeemed.
So don't think of my original comments as negative towards Wes Andersonlook at them as a comparison to normal Hollywood fare where there isn't much thought required to understand the whole payoff. -
resmat-1 — 9 years ago(April 26, 2016 02:28 PM)
Fair enough. I agree that Anderson's formalistic style can put a distance between the audience and the characters and that it's sometimes necessary to re-watch the films in order to find certain characters' humanity.