The+Life+Aquatic+of+Steve+Zissou

One thing that most Wes Anderson movies have in common is that they deal with motifs of death, family problems and self discovery. In // The Life Aquatic, // death plays a large part in the movie, as it both starts the movie, and ends it. In the beginning of the movie, we learn that Steve Zissou's best friend was killed by a creature that Steve believes is the "jaguar shark". With the motives to seek revenge, Steve decides to base his next documentary on his journey of finding this creature. Then, towards the end of the movie, Steve's assumed son, Ned, dies due to fatal injuries after a helicopter crashing. Although proving to not be his son after all, the death still impacts Steve as he believes he is.

As for family problems, most Wes Anderson movies deal with estranged relationships- // The Life Aquatic // is no exception! With the belief that Steve is his father, Ned introduces himself into Steve's life. Ned seeks a father figure in Steve(that Steve doesn't want to take upon himself). Thus, the relationship (or lack thereof) between Steve and Ned is a tricky one, as Ned wants Steve to act as his father, whilst Steve doesn't know how to. In fact, it is not until after Ned's death that Steve fully establishes a 'fatherly' connection to Ned. In addition, Steve's relationship with his wife is no more better than his with Ned. They have a rather disconnected relationship, that is also rekindled towards the end of the movie.

Finally, self discovery always seems to be a reoccurring theme that is present in Anderson's movies. In // The Life Aquatic, // Steve needs to accept the reality of life. As a 50 year old man, his main struggle is finding a purpose //within// his life. He feels as if things are no longer as they were when he was younger, and therefore struggles to cope with certain aspects or events that occur in his life. However, Steve needs to let go of things, and accept his responsibilities.

=** ICONIC SCENES **=

__ **The Royal Tenenbaums** __

1. When Margot and Richie reunite for the first time after 20 years, there are a number of things Anderson does to signify that this is a special moment. The main thing I found particularly interesting about this scene is how Anderson juxtaposes movement and stillness. As Margot gets off the bus, Anderson makes it a point to first show the hustle and bustle that surrunds her. However, as Margot begins walking towards Richie, there is no movement on screen besides her walking. Conversely, as Richie watches Margot approaching him he remains still, as people can be seen walking in the background. When the two finally interact it now seems as if there is no movement around them, almost as if the world has stopped around them. Anderson also uses slow motion and sound together to further add to the tone of the scene. The slow motion prolongs the interaction, and enhances it's importance as a major moment. The sound however romanticizes it, and goes well with the 'majestic' due to the slow motion. It's as if the entire scene reenacts a moment of "love at first sight". 2. The scene where Richie attempts to commit suicide is a scene that plays heavily with our expectations. Not only is the scene very much unlike what we normally see from Wes Anderson's style, but Richie attempting to commit suicide is contrary to what we first think then we watch this scene. Although it seems as if Richie is trying to make a positive change within his life by cleaning up his appearance, we instead learn that he wants things to change by taking his own life. Color, parallel editing, jump cuts and sound are all things Anderson uses to better express Richie's discontent. The heavily saturated blue tones (that gradually become less saturated) are used to create a cold and inconsolable feel.The gradual desaturation is perhaps used to illustrate how lifeless Richie begins to feel. Parallel editing is used to cut back and forth between Richie and his flashbacks from his life. The purpose of showing his memories is to offer some explanation as to why he is feeling the way he is. Subtle jump cuts are also used to display the passing of time, and to make the viewers feel on edge. Sound (like color) adds to the tone and feel of the scene.

__**Rushmore**__

1. During the scene where the Blume sons have their birthday party, Mr.Blume keeps himself away from those around him. Although it may seem as if he is just bored, Anderson goes to show that there is more to Mr.Blume's dissatisfaction than just boredom. Anderson uses cinematography and camera movement to further show Mr.Blume's reasons for acting as he does. One thing he does is get in close on Mr.Blume. He then pull focus on his wife and another man in the background, who are flirting. Not only does this imply that there are some cracks in their relationship, but it also gives us an indication of something that may be making him upset. Also, once Mr.Blume is on the diving board we get a POV shot that puts us in Mr.Blume's position. The camera pans across the pool, showing us how many people are watching him, but how many seem to not care about his actions. Later, once Mr.Blume jumps into the pool we see an underwater shot of him. Mr.Blume remains under water for a while, almost as if he doesn't want to get up. Altogether, the scene effectively captures Mr.Blume's dissatisfaction with not only the people around him, but his life in general.

2. In attempts to get revenge on one another, Max and Mr.Blume go back and forth by setting each other up. The scene starts off with a slow motion medium shot of Max walking out of the elevator after having planted a bee hive in Mr.Blume's hotel room. We then see a revenge attempt on Mr.Blume's part, which is then followed by a final one by Max. In company with the music, Anderson glorifies these acts of revenge by making them seem like simple tasks that were done with confidence and little care for the person it was intended for. Thus, tension is created as these acts are shown to be done in a seemingly effortless manner. Furthermore, sound contributes to the tension by gradually building up, as the efforts (//and results)// of the revenge attempts do as well. 3. The final scene in //Rushmore// is a priceless moment that heavily indicates that change has occured. Anderson uses eye line match cuts to show the stares that are being exchanged between Max and Ms.Cross. The prolonged glances between the two illustrate that the two are looking at each other in different ways. Although seemingly romantic, the looks are instead indicators of the fact that Max no longer sees Ms.Cross as he did not long ago, but nevertheless still sees her in an important way. A wide shot of everyone on the dance floor enjoying themselves is presented, and Ms.Cross and Max sashay on screen in slow motion. Although there is a lot of life around them, one can't help but focus on the two as they begin to dance. Additionally, it seems only appropriate that the movie would end on us hearing the lyrics "I wish that I knew what I know now", as it perhaps reflects what Max is thinking at that moment. 

__** The Darjeeling Limited **__

1. //The Darjeeling Limited// both starts and ends with a scene of one (or all) of the brothers running to catch the train. Even though I find it to be iconic outside of the movie, it does become and iconic scene within the movie as well. The main significance of this scene is Anderson use of familiar image. Both scenes have a shot of the character/s running towards the bus in slow motion, then a wide POV shot allowing us to watch what the character/s have just left behind. Anderson also uses slow motion to dramatize the moment, and make it seem more triumphant than it perhaps is. 2. The scene where the Whitman brothers make their way to their funeral, slow motion plays a large part in making it iconic. It is used in a way to highlight it's importance, but also to call your attention to the little details. The scene is a one shot tracking shot that follows the brothers as they make their way to the auto rickshaw. The slow motion allows you to notice the subtle details, like the reactions of emotions of the characters. Furthermore, it highlights it's significance by prolonging a rather short moment. 3. When the Whitman brothers question their mother in search of answers, she tells them that "maybe we could express ourselves more fully if we say it without words". The quote just presented is exactly what I find the chosen scene demonstrates. Although the significance is still a little unclear, Anderson shows us the situation of a number of different characters. He starts off by one close up shot that pans from the mother, and then to each of the Whitman brothers. He then moves onto other characters within the movie, by revealing truths about each of them in that particular moment. However, rather than showing each person true to the location they are in, he groups them all together and shows them to be on the same moving train. I found this to be particularly interesting because I think it's an interesting choice that Wes Anderson made for this point of the movie. I think perhaps what he was trying to show was that we can't fully understand the truths about people by simply having them talk, or us talk to them. Instead, I think truths about people come from when they are in their least vulnerable state...like when they are alone.

__** Bottle Rocket **__

After the guys go through with their first heist, Dignan feels particularly confident about his 75 year plan. Although this first heist can hardly suffice in supporting them, Dignan feels positive about their actions. On their way to finding a motel, the guys stop at a firework stand. Dignan buys a bunch of them and sets them out through the window as they drive. To heighten the excitement within the scene, Anderson uses movement, jump cuts and sound. The use of movement both on(character movement such as collecting different fireworks) and off(camera panning back and forth) screen adds to the scene by creating a very jittery feel. In this scene, Dignan is bubbling with excitement. Therefore, in attempts to translate this over to the viewers, camera movement is used to make the viewer feel jumpy and jittery, as Dignan does. Jump cuts are also used to achieve this feeling, however they are also used to put an emphasis on the quantity of fireworks Dignan buys, as well as sets off. The music used further adds to the feel of the scene as the artist is singing "here's to being free", which is much of what Dignan feels like throughout this scene.

In the final scene of //Bottle Rocket// a slow motion tracking scene is used (just as in every other Wes Anderson movie). Dignan has just joked about an 'escape plan' to Anthony and Bobby, and is now returning back inside the jail. The camera gets in close on him and tracks him as he is walking. The use of slow motion really allows us to observe his facial expression as he walks away from his friends. The camera then cuts back on Anthony and Bobby and moves in close on them. As they watch their friend walk away from them, it is clear that they are feeling a sense of contentment. Therefore, the moment prior where Dignan jokes about an escape plan is essential to this final scene, as the shot of Anthony and Bobby is all about them being glad that Dignan has ditched his old ways. The sound further contributes to the scene, as it creates a very serious and dramatic feel.

__** The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou **__



1. The entire scene were Steve introduces the Belafonte ship is shot in one take. The camera pans from one section of the ship to the next, as a narration by Steve plays over explaining the different rooms. The reason I chose this as an iconic scene is mainly due to the amount of details that were payed attention to in this the scene, in terms of mis-en-scene and cinematography. <range type="comment" id="427058156_9">Each of the rooms are personalized to fit the descriptions, with almost every aspect of it thought out. Additionally, the entire scene is shot in one take which would not be a simple task.</range id="427058156_9">

2. Similar to // The Darjeeling Limited, //I chose this scene mainly due to the use of familiar image. When the crew get into Steve's submarine to find the Jaguar Shark, it feels very much like you are going on an adventure. The music that accompanies it is upbeat, and the cuts back and forth between the characters and the sea life adds to the life of the scene. Steve then stops the submarine to wait for the Jaguar Shark. The mood quickly changes, and a great deal of tension is built as Anderson uses wide establishing shots to show that they have entered a dark and mysterious part of the waters. Once the bright pink fish swim by and the Jaguar Shark begins to appear, the music changes completely. It is far more 'touching' and makes it clear that they are experiencing something unexplainable The characters reactions change from interested to amazed, as the Jaguar Shark swims around them. Steve decides he isn't going to kill it, and instead becomes rather emotional as he wonders if it remembers him. The scene ends off with the image that it started off with. However, unlike the first image where all the characters were stern and unoccupied with those around them, the last image is one that brings them all together.