It's interesting. I love Wes Anderson, but I don't really know what makes him so unique until I see something that reminds me of his style.
I saw Wes Anderson in the opening credits, where Harold's head is cut out of the frame. He puts on a record, writes the suicide note, places it on his lapel, lights a candle, then hops up onto the stool for his death act.
I've noticed that Anderson's characters can be very fastidious in their actions. They have very direct and calculated movements. Nothing is done lazily or haphazardly. For example, there's Margot Tenenbaum's ritual of smoking in the bathroom then spraying perfume and turning on the fan afterwards. It's this smoking scene that I thought of in the opening credits of "Harold and Maude"
I also see the character of Maude being a slightly more benevolent form of Wes Anderson archetypal *beep* protagonist. Anderson's lead roles are usually anti-establishment, showing a blatant disregard for rules and conventions. Look at Max Fisher, Royal Tenenbaum, Steve Zissou, and Franis in "The Darjeeling Limited." These are selfish and egocentric characters. I don't see this as being the case with Maude but I do see a parallel in their anti-establishment tendencies.
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rainofwalrus
11 years ago
well said.
I don't think I can make character_comparison(s) for that gets very fuzzy and based on perception/subjectivity.
what is easily compared is "the moving storyboard" feel of each film. I sometimes feel as if I'm reading a comicbook when I watch Harold & Maude--ditto every Wes Anderson film.
H&M's funeral procession scene could be inserted into any Wes Anderson film and not one beat is missed.
Enjoy these words, for one day they'll be gone... All of them.
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