Influence- Zweig & Anderson

Just a few minutes into the movie, and the influence of Stefan Zweig’s work on it is quite evident. The thing about ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ that intrigues you is the flawlessly aligned frame of each scene. Wes Anderson’s style of storytelling is inspired by the style of Stefan Zweig; from the language used by the narrator to the Author based approach to the story, the similarities are uncanny.

Both, the author and the director have narrated their stories through the eyes of the author. It is made very clear that the story consists of their vision and is whatever they believe to be true. Wes Anderson clearly, got inspired  by the ‘Story within a story’ concept adopted by Zweig wherein there always exists a mystical, almost animated aspect which, in case of the movie, has been used for the purpose of either humour or providing the audience with a variety of visually appealing frames. Even the language used by both the artists holds similarities. The director has interpreted the accent, poise and demeanour of the characters of Zweig’s stories according to how we would imagine them to be after reading his stories and understanding his characters.

While the movie has a more direct and straight forward take on humour, the subtlety of humour in the novellas written by Stefan Zweig is evident. Both the artists seem to have strong control over the course that their respective stories would take and in the process of unfolding them to their audiences, create characters that are familiar but not necessarily relatable. The similarity between their works lies in the way their characters are written. These characters seem to have a life outside of the immediate story too, maybe in the present or in the past. There is no unnecessary emphasis on the background or past of the characters, though a significant amount of general description is provided keeping in mind the importance of it to the story.

Wes Anderson has admittedly borrowed inspiration from the theme and mood of Zweig’s work for his own work; and somewhere along the movie, it is quite clear that the plot has been developed keeping in mind Zweig’s work too, the similarities being the progressive yet sharp storyline, The vague and almost secretive background of the characters, the unpredictability of it all and also, the philosophies endorsed in the movie as confessed by Wes Anderson himself.  I also feel the need to emphasis on the existence of an underlying sense of tragedy in their work. Humour has been provided to take the story forward, but their work, in the rawest form, has a sense of tragedy that has been left for the audiences to interpret according to their own imagination.

Zweig seems to be convinced in the philosophies that he endorses in his stories and Anderson backed them with his movie. While watching the movie and while reading Zweig’s work, the mystical worlds created, enticed me completely. I was charmed by the old fashioned and delicate representation of work that has more depth in fewer words. The intensity of the work is equivalent to the depth that lies in the eyes 

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest- As The Director

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ had piqued my interest ever since my psychology teacher had once recommended it in class but I never really got around to watching it. Naturally, when I saw its title on the list, I jumped at the chance of getting to read the script. But as my initial excitement about getting to write about directing such a critically acclaimed film faded I realized what an intimidating task I had put myself up to. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience.

I started my reading with a kind of emotional detachment so as to be able to analyze the script properly but I couldn’t help but be involved. And I feel like a script like this requires a degree of emotional involvement. The audience’s emotional involvement is quite important for the film. The director needs to make the audience care about this film and its characters to have an impact.

The film’s plot follows the story of McMurphy, a rebel who gets himself transferred to a mental institution from a prison to live in a less restrictive environment, and his revolt against the authoritarian head nurse, Miss Ratched. McMurphy is a unique protagonist in the sense that he doesn’t really fit the ideal heroic rebel prototype. He is loud, brash, crass and sexual- not the most appealing characteristics in a main character. But as the plot progresses you realize that he is also free-spirited and independent, unwilling to give in to oppression. He is the only one sane enough to understand how the patients are being suppressed by Nurse Ratched. She is more occupied with maintaining order and control rather than looking after the mental welfare of the patients, and he is the only one courageous enough to do something about it. As the director I would lay emphasis on the contrast between McMurphy’s non-conformity and Nurse Ratched’s rigidity and control. The conflict between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched is the focal point of the film. It is what leads to the progression of the plot and the subsequent end.

McMurphy’s character development is one of my favourite aspects of the script.The way he begins to care about his fellow patients and becomes willing to take responsibility for the consequences of the actions he has taken to bring them some joy.  he sees them as individuals and not mere lunatics. It is so subtle yet incredibly touching. I would pay special attention to crafting his character development in a way that it translates well from the script to the screen, since it has the potential to be even more heart-warming on-screen. Visuals can also be used to establish a greater empathetic connection with the audience. 

While reading the script, I was trying to imagine the general look of the film and thinking about how interesting it would be if the film was to be in black and white, when it struck me that it would be quite compelling if the film was in colour but there were not many colours to see inside the mental institution. It would really emphasize the monotony and dullness in the patients’ lives and how they are trapped inside a gray world.

Entrapment is an important theme in the film because the patients at the institution are not only trapped in that environment but they are trapped inside their heads too. I’d make use of mise-en-scene in the set design to establish this theme. Making use of frame within a frame shots would also be helpful to show their isolation and how they are cut off from the real world even when they get to be outside. Hence, these aspects of design combined with the emotional message can be used to get the audience involved and have an impactful effect.

Guru Dutt

In his time, Guru Dutt was doomed to cater to an audience that only sought a happy escape from reality. They couldn’t care less about the depth, creativity and quality of the plot and characters. Even his closest friend had said that a young man like him shouldn’t have made depressing pictures. But his friend, like many others in the 50s, was too myopic to understand his genius. He was over-shadowed by the larger-than-life melodramas, with idealistic heroic characters and happy endings, made by his counterparts. He is now considered one of Bollywood’s greatest directors and actors. But, unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough to see himself become the legend that he was later dubbed to have been.

He made films that explored the vulnerability of the human nature and commented on the social system and the hypocrisy prevalent in the society. These themes are especially apparent in his most iconic film Pyaasa (1957) which told the beautifully melancholic tale of a poet, struggling to be acknowledged and accepted by the society, who falls in love with a prostitute. This film now adorns the list of 100 best films of all time by Time’s magazine. He showed to the world that Bollywood isn’t just about convenient plots, one-dimensional characters and dance numbers; that Bollywood could also be soulful poetry.

He was also responsible for certain technical advancements in the Indian film industry. He introduced the use of close-up shots with a 100 mm lens in Baazi (1951), which was a tribute to 40s Hollywood’s film noir. His film Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) was the first film to use Cinemascope in India. Sadly, that film was a devastating box-office failure and turned out to be Dutt’s final venture as a director.

Kaagaz Ke Phool was Dutt’s most ambitious project and, in my opinion, his most brilliant, touching and visually stunning film. It aptly illustrated his mastery on creative use of mood and lighting with the ability to weave multiple thematic layers into a beautifully lyrical narrative. It is a semi-autobiographical tale of a famous director, who is stuck in an estranged marriage, falling in love with his muse (played by his real-life muse and love interest Waheeda Rehman) and his downward spiral there onwards. The film is strangely reflective of not just his past but his future and subsequent end too. He died alone in his room due to an overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills (many suspect suicide).

Finally I would like to wrap up with one his many memorable dialogues from Pyaasa that still echoes in the hearts of his fans-

“These smiling flowers, these fragrant gardens, this world filled... with glorious colours. The nectar intoxicates bees. What little have I to add to this splendor... a few tears, a few sighs.”