Arts, aesthetics and Anderson

The misfit characters and colour scheme used in the new Kannada film ‘Aachar & Co’ draw parallels with a Wes Anderson film

Teal and yellow pastel shades and symmetrical framing in ‘The French Dispatch’ (2021).

Symmetrical framing as seen in this scene from ‘Aachar & Co.’ is a fixture to Wes Anderson films.

‘Aachar & Co.’ uses a custom colour palette.

Every once in a while, you come across a filmmaker who is an auteur in a true sense. Someone with a distinctive style, a knack for storytelling, and an eye for visuals. Someone who weaves characters into their movies like a master tapestry artist, and builds entire worlds that draw you in and don’t let go. Just think of Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Kubrick, Nolan, Fincher, Tarantino, among others. But there’s one more person who’s not only bossing the live-action scene but also making magic in animation — Wes Anderson.

What makes a Wes Anderson film, a Wes Anderson film? There are four key characteristics: story, art and production design, cinematography, and music. His stories often revolve around young adults, featuring an ensemble of flawed misfit characters. The production design in his films represents a vintage era, with emphasis on costumes and set design to complement the characters and story.

The worlds he creates are like characters, telling their own stories. Anderson is a master at crafting worlds through colour. Each of his films boasts a unique palette; from pink and purples in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014) to teal and yellow pastel shades in ‘The French Dispatch’ (2021). These choices align with his visual sensibilities, establishing mood and tone, and serving as a narrative device. His cinematography is known for symmetric framing, carefully crafting every element in the frame to convey space, time period, theme, and character. Finally, Anderson uses music to evoke nostalgia and universality, skilfully integrating scores and soundtracks to enhance the storytelling.

The recently released Kannada movie ‘Aachar & Co.’, written and directed by Sindhu S Murthy, also starring him, draws parallels to a Wes Anderson film. Set in the 60s and 70s Bangalore, it portrays a conservative joint family navigating ups and downs, touching on themes of patriarchy, feminism, and entrepreneurship in an unconventional manner. The characters in the film are authentic, relatable, and, of course, flawed. The director emphasises that societal pressure for perfection led to the creation of imperfect characters in a seemingly flawless world. This approach aims to achieve a perfect (no pun intended) balance and makes the characters stand out.

Recreating the production design and colour tones to represent old-school Bangalore posed a challenging task. It was crucial to find the right elements and location, considering that everything in Bangalore nowadays is modern. So they recreated old Bangalore in the city of Mysuru. Art director Vishwas Kashyap skilfully captures the nostalgic vibe of old Bangalore, turning it into a character in the film.

‘Aachar & Co.’ captivates the viewer’s attention through its symmetrical and stylised cinematography and editing. Additionally, the film’s score and songs complement and enhance the story, tone, and setting. From the masterful rendition of Bangalore’s own version of ‘Suprabhata’ to the acapella-based ‘Pickle’ song, the music showcases the limitless possibilities of how a score and soundtrack can not only supplement but also propel a scene, story, or character forward.

Wes Anderson’s influence on filmmakers is not limited just to the present. In 2016, the Fahadh Faasil-starrer ‘Monsoon Mangoes’ also bore the unmistakable mark of a Wes Anderson film. The movie centres around an ambitious film director’s attempt to create an art film akin to ‘The Seventh Seal’ (1957), emulating Anderson’s signature style from the setting to the story. And in the same year, a Kolkata-based pop duo released their song ‘I love you baby, I love you doll’, causing ripples in the indie music universe when they received approval from the master himself.

More recently, a wave of Instagram and TikTok influencers have taken on the “you better not be acting like you’re in a Wes Anderson film” challenge, further highlighting the extent of his influence on various creative spheres.

The American auteur who made his first film ‘Bottle Rocket’ in 1996 continues to stay offbeat. His long-awaited film ‘Asteroid City’, releasing in India on August 25, is set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1950s.

Packed with A-list actors, this sci-fi about a meteorite site in the US promises to be a mesmerising visual experience for the audience. It will be interesting to see how Anderson manages to blend his signature style in this genre.