10 Things Wes Anderson Puts In EVERY Movie

Best Example: Everything

The view from above, the point of view shot, birds eye view, Gods eye view – whatever you name it, it’s become a staple of Wes Anderson cinematography. Essentially, it is a frame from the ceiling’s perception, at a 90-degree angle, used to stress a significant moment of the storyline. Within the first four minutes of the filmmakers’ debut Bottle Rocket, we have our first point of view shot in which we see Dignan’s 75-year escape plan on paper from his and Anthony’s perspective so that as an audience, we are given maximum information. This wouldn’t be just a one-off use as throughout the film, there are many birds eye view shots on characters and props.

From then on, Anderson practically claimed the ‘overhead’ shot as his own. And it’s not used frivolously, Wes uses the Birds Eye imaging to isolate the focus on something important to the plot. It could be used for an emotional part of the film such as when Royal Tenenbaum is in his final hour, set up important objects which are crucial to the narrative or even a passage of writing which progresses the story along (think of for example in The Grand Budapest Hotel when the news of Madam D’s death is first shown in a newspaper from the Birds Eye View shot).

Next time you're viewing one of his weird, wonderful movies, maybe have a little fun with it by playing your own bingo (or drinking game, depending on how rambunctious you are) with these elements of filmmaking which have moulded the well-known, iconic 'Wes Anderson Genre'.