One specific scene where I noticed Anderson's use of this technique is in the scene where Royal is laying in the hospital bed, and the doctor tells the family what is "wrong" with him.
The first thing I notice about how this is shot is that it is in the subjective view, through the doctor's eyes. This allows for the viewer to look out at the whole Tenenbaum family, and to see their reactions to the news.
In this shot, rather than the whole family gathering around the doctor eager to hear the news, the Tenenbaums are strategically spread out throughout the lengthy corridor.
Almost too close, we have Chas and Richie shoulder to shoulder, listening to the doctor speak. Even though the two are at the same distance from the doctor, both of them have a different purpose for why they are so eager to hear the news.
Richie is the only one at this point who has really had sympathy for Royal, so we know that he is invested and hope full for what the doctor might say.
Chaz on the other-hand doesn't want Royal in the house. Whether he kicks him out on the street or not all depends on his condition of health, so it is important for him to know what the doctor says.
Margot is positioned so that she is the farthest away from the doctor that she can be, while still being in the shot. This represents how she doesn't really care about Royal. She doesn't hate him, rather she has no drive to make an effort with him. What the doctor says couldn't affect her less.
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All of the other characters are at a more respectable distance, symbolizing how they care, but not too much. These positions in this shot parallel with their emotions towards Royal and his health.
Does Wes Anderson create the character placement to symbolize something, or was there no reason behind it?
You bring up some really great points about character placement throughout the film which definitely one of Wes' techniques that he uses throughout the film and symmetry. I believe that Wes Anderson does use the character placement to symbolize "something". Throughout his films he focuses on symmetry and the placement of characters which surely demonstrates the dynamics between characters in relation to the situation. You raise really good points about the way the characters are placed in relation to each other with the focus on Royal or Richie.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting blog post and you brought up a lot of new points that I haven't thought of before! I definitely think that besides the fact that Wes Anderson is obsessed with his shots having symmetry, character placement symbolized something in almost every case. Anderson continuously uses the tactic of symmetry and character placement throughout this entire film which displays the relationships between characters and how they're feeling in the scene.
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