"The Grand Budapest Hotel": more than just formalism

Dylan 2022-03-20 09:01:12

(Written by Zhi Ning on July 5, 2014)
Charlie Chaplin said: "Life is a tragedy at a close view, but a comedy at a distance." The film "The Grand Budapest Hotel (The Grand Budapest Hotel)" classified as a comedy, It seems to be a weird comedy on earth, but in fact it is full of a little bit of worry. Of course, it is undeniable that the viewing process of this film is pleasant and smooth, but there is always a lingering shadow lingering in my heart. It can be said to be nostalgia for the past, it can also be said to be a memorial to the humanistic spirit, or it can be said to be a feeling of beauty and volatility. When the ending film was inspired by Zweig, it finally understood the reason for this sorrow.
In the film, Mr. Gustav, who served as the lobby manager of the Budapest Grand Hotel, said: "In the barbaric slaughterhouse, there is still some civilizational glimmer. This is human nature." Perhaps, at that special moment in 1942. , Mr. Zweig, who advocates humanity and the light of civilization, chose to commit suicide because of hopelessness. In the film, our well-educated gentleman, Mr. Gustav, was spoken for the second time for the little door boy who was a refugee. The brutal army head was placed on the "barbaric slaughterhouse." The film weakened the bloody scene, only through the dictation of the old doorman, as if it had been taken in a stroke, but it was more sad and desolate than facing directly. .
This film not only continues Wes Anderson’s consistent unique style, but is also the largest film he has ever shot. He uses elaborate and seemingly fancy representations to both cover up and demonstrate his ambitions in this film. Layers of flashbacks, with three eras, different narrators, echoed and traced the story of the characters and the carriers of the era in which they lived, gurgling, rushing, like a river of time. Some people think that the form of Anderson's film is still greater than the content, and the depth and emotion are not enough. In fact, this film is wrapped in Anderson’s thinking, such as the decline and dissipation of old cultural customs, the violence of a specific era and the sins of humanities, etc. It also has an affectionate side in terms of emotions, although it is not long, just click it end. Like the love between the doorman and the female cake master, they did not "live a happy life since then" as in the fairy tale. The woman died of illness very early, and the doorman remembered her until she was old. When the writer in the film asked the elderly doorman "you are willing to exchange all your property with the country for a broken hotel that is not profitable, why? Is it because only here can you get the closest to Mr. Gustav" , The old doorman replied: "No, I just miss my wife Agatha, because we have spent a very good time here, although it is very short."
Unlike some people’s picky, this time for Anderson. Surprised and thought-provoking director, many media seem to be overwhelmingly praised and praised by the ears. Of course, Anderson is also worthy of these praises. He has always maintained his bizarre philosophy, weird humor, distinctive personality, and independence. The spiritual world and eye-catching visual style make his films easy to remember because of their prominence.
The film’s photography and art are indispensable. Anderson and photographer Robert Yoman used different aspect ratios to shoot scenes from different eras. In the 1960s, the widescreen was used, and in the 1930s, the standard ratios prevailed at that time. In the era, the college wide screen was used. The conversion of these three shooting ratios brought a sense of separation and richness, and also made the three stories more exquisite and colorful. In the 1930s scene, which is the main feature of the film, the film deliberately emphasizes the vertical and horizontal sense of the picture, and also makes the scene space more extensible, making the people in the film feel free to roam in it.
Most of the time, the colors in the film are bright and matte (especially in the 1930s), like a splendid childish dream and an unreal illusion, making the smell and taste of that era a bit like a sweet cake. And the hotel lobby, cable car, viewing tower, costume furnishings and so on in the 1930s also all have a sweet and greasy style, as if a kind of sad nostalgia for the old age. When the plot involves a legacy homicide, a black style hits the face. The contrast application of light and dark colors enhances this perception. At the same time, the scheduling of the camera also makes the snow chase and various pursuits unstoppable. The fluency. When it comes to the control of the camera, the film is very organized, because there is a presupposition of oral storytelling. Many shots in the film are presented from a subjective perspective. When the characters move up and down, a large number of motion shots render the hearty flow. When the character is in a relatively static state, the lens also produces a relatively static and subtle sense, which has a strong visual substitution effect.
The film’s lineup is so luxurious that it is enviable. Many famous actors who have played the leading role in other films are nothing more than soy sauce in this film. Most of the supporting characters in the film are shown in facial makeup, so they are highly recognizable. Tilda Swinton’s old lady only has a quick glance, leaving people with a sense of loneliness and decline, played by Adrian Brody. His son highlights the insidious and cunning side, while Matthew Amarek’s timid butler always keeps his face blank. The coolest and most violent one is the killer William Dafoe. He is maverick and cruel in the film. , Let the black wind drag all the way to the end... I don't know whether it was intentional or unintentional. The look of Gustav, played by starring Ralph Fiennes, is always a bit like Zweig in reality, which inevitably makes people think about it. Fan.
Zweig once wrote in "The World of Yesterday": "No one believes that there will be wars, revolutions, and earth-shaking changes. All fierce violent actions are impossible in a rational age..." Rational grace Usually it can't withstand the storm that swept over it. When the catastrophe comes, you have to believe it if you don't believe it. Zweig, who felt that European civilization had been destroyed, chose to leave, resolutely and embraced the dignity of a literati. People have the power to despair and the power to embrace hope. Holding hope will always gain something. After all, no matter what actions individuals do, they cannot resist the rush of the times. We are just small particles in the big river of time. .
(Magazine manuscript)

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Extended Reading
  • Ansley 2022-03-24 09:01:15

    It's terrible if it's in the throat. The look and feel is very bad. I can't find the meaning of this film except doing colorporn edits.

  • Kari 2022-03-24 09:01:15

    From the end of Weiss's usual sorrow and joy to this last line, only Luo Tuo is sentimental. As Zero said, the past world was nothing but an illusion, and the more beautiful the illusion, the more the reality would be extremely depraved. The hotel is just a small piece of ruins, carrying the sorrows of a few people, what about the vast wasteland behind it? When people walk away and look back at this disappearing phantom, can they only sigh for never revisiting the old place?

The Grand Budapest Hotel quotes

  • M. Gustave: If this do be the end, "Farewell!" cried the wounded piper-boy...

    [Jopling stomps]

    M. Gustave: ...whilst the muskets cracked, and the yeomen roared "Hurrah", and the ramparts fell...

    [Jopling stomps]

    M. Gustave: "Methinks me breathes me last, me fears!" said he...

    [Zero pushes Jopling from behind; Jopling falls screaming over M. Gustave's head]

    M. Gustave: Holy shit, you got him!

  • M. Gustave: [sees soldiers enter the hotel] The beginning of the end of the end of the beginning has begun. A sad finale played off-key on a broken-down saloon piano in the outskirts of a forgotten ghost town. I'd rather not bear witness to such blasphemy.

    Zero: Me neither.

    M. Gustave: The Grand Budapest has become a troops' barracks. I shall never cross its threshold again in my lifetime.

    Zero: Me neither.

    M. Gustave: Never again shall I...

    [Zero spots Agatha]

    Zero: Actually I think we might be going in there right now after all!