With the start of the school year having just begun, we don’t need another excuse to take review on one of the most endearing films about high-school: Wes Anderson’s 1998, Rushmore.
Rushmore is unquestionably one of Anderson’s more realistic films and it is characterized by a rawness that isn’t present in many of his later, more meticulously crafted movies. Yet despite this rawness, Rushmore already embodies many of the hallmark features of Anderson’s later works. The tell-tale signs of the filmmaker he would become are apparent from the start.
A coming of age tale for both the movie’s protagonist, Max, and Anderon himself, Rushmore — more than his debut Bottle Rocket — highlights Anderson’s stylistic interests in their infancy. The intricate mise-en-scene, wide centre framing, and symmetrical aesthetic are all present but due to the film’s smaller budget, aren’t so prominent. The fact that the movie was shot on location also means that Anderson’s famed balanced composition takes place in more familiar settings. Other Andersonian features such as the storybook aesthetic, chapter-like structure, eclectic soundtrack are all also present and foreshadow the way that Anderson would go on to create such memorable ambiance throughout his later films.
The parallels between Max and Anderson are too numerous to list here but it’s clear that Rushmore can be seen in some sense as an autobiographical representation of Anderson’s schooling years. To learn more about Anderson and his filmmaking techniques watch the full video from ScreenPrism above.
In other Wes Anderson news, the Isle of Dogs trailer is finally here.