Grand Budapest Hotel

In Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson did a wonderful job of producing a comedic film in the 1930's with specific camera choices. Being complied of flat compositional frames to evoke a humorous response, there was a story that unfolded about Zero, a boy's past and his viewpoint of Mr. Gustave through their adventures of war, prison, bankruptcy, and scandals.

This thoroughly stylized film, different from other Wes Anderson films, noticeably carried its narrative through the sharp contrast of overly colorful and adorned hotels to the dull prison that M. Gustave is transported to. Creating the whole world to be presented through his eye, we see a different world that Mr. Anderson presents for us. A fictional world, but true to us as they speak to the camera the way the book shows the plot to the reader as the memory of M. Gustave is maintained in time through the reading of the girl.

After discovering its colorful past, the soon to be demolished Grand Budapest Hotel grows in vibrancy and in beauty to remember the splendor of the past. The graceful illusion that M. Gustave gave to his treasured hotel is clear, but it does not defer from the fact that the Hotel will soon be gone.

The film is possibly a reference to how we hold the past so dear to us, a habit of not being able to let go of treasured remembrances or objects that give us hope and inspiration. Objects that only specific people see beauty in because they see the value and know the story of their past.

True Grit

True Grit, one of the more eventful yet realistic literature pieces I’ve read thus far, has gotten me a bit confused. While I did enjoy the tale, Mattie had me at a bit of a crossroads. While I can thoroughly understand the insatiable yearn for revenge for her beloved father, I could not understand why she would be so stubborn at times to place herself in dire danger unnecessarily. She could have easily avenged her father without the consequence of harming herself and losing her left arm.

Thinking about it a bit more, its possible that the personality of Mattie’s father is what drove her so completely to show her bravery for him, just as he did when she knew him. 'True grit' has a rooted identity in our main characters, and all of them show it in a different way. Frank Ross, a noted gentle and kind character who had minimal time to make an impression on the reader before his death, still managed to display strength and determination. 

Attempting to save then hired hand, Chaney, from making a dire mistake by placing himself in front of the ready shotgun, Mattie’s father was clearly a man who strongly believed in helping others make the right decision, no matter how difficult it was.

Something that I cannot fathom, however, is: after having such an adventure filled with going after gangs and killers, how is it possible that this fearless trio did not reunite after ridding the world of Chaney? They accomplished their feat together and grew close - so close that animal lover Rooster, was driven to harming his horse in his mad drive to get Mattie to much needed medical attention. Even with their protests and their endless fights, it is clear they grew close as a group when Mattie moves her beloved friend onto her family plot of land several years after.

From what I can make sense of, its likely that Mattie’s sense of grit and duty led her to stay on her land to work and flourish as a young lady in the place of her father. It is unfortunate that Rooster had passed away before meeting again, but the ending leaves Mattie reminiscing about her unforgotten old friends and possibly foreshadowing a reunion with LaBoeuf in the near future.