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Wes Anderson. La filmographie intégrale d'un réalisateur de génie

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« J'ai ma façon bien à moi de filmer les choses, de les mettre en scène et de concevoir les décors. C'est ma signature en tant que réalisateur. » Wes Anderson

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2020

230 people are currently reading
740 people want to read

About the author

Ian Nathan

27 books109 followers
Ian Nathan is the popular, London-based author of Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth, The Coen Brothers: The Filmmakers and their Films, Alien Vault, Terminator Vault, and many other books, many of which have really long titles.

He is the former editor of Empire Magazine.

If you live in the UK, you may also know from from the Discovering Film series on Sky Arts television extolling the virtues of classic film stars and directors, and he can also be heard on Talk Radio every Friday afternoon, mostly berating the state of current movies. He is just about younger than this makes him sound.

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5 stars
130 (31%)
4 stars
205 (49%)
3 stars
68 (16%)
2 stars
8 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Rowan Elkasas.
71 reviews38 followers
November 29, 2022
It's interesting to know more about the Iconic filmmaker Wes Anderson all his movies are explained in this book with the references he does in his movies and what drives him to make each movie .As a person who love movies I could say Wes Anderson is one of the best film makers who makes references to multiple topics and make you think while watching the movie .
Profile Image for Dawnie.
1,439 reviews132 followers
November 13, 2022
this was interesting but written in a very dry tone and almost bullet point style writing.
i can’t remember ever having seen a movie by the man but i headed a lot about them especially the hotel Budapest one. and after reading this i am very interested to watch some and see this unique style of film making.

it was informative and filled with faces so if that’s what your looking for? great.

if you want an easy and fun to read book about a person and learning about them and what they did special enough to have a book written about them?
not sure if this is the one for you.
36 reviews
September 28, 2023
Exquisite biography on our most unique filmmaker. Each film in his catalog is broken down, explored, and reassembled. I’ve been a Wes fan for years and this was an eye-opener, and will have me rewatching his films in a new light. A must-read for Wes fans and lovers of cinema.
Profile Image for Peter.
1,154 reviews46 followers
March 3, 2025
A thorough survey of Wes Anderson’s film career through 2019, ending before “The French Dispatch” was released. Through it, I learned a lot about his ideas, methods and stories. If you like Wes Anderson’s quiet, nostalgic style and penchant for the witty aside, you will enjoy this book, which is written in a similar style. It is full of good illustrations as well.
Profile Image for JMarryott23.
293 reviews7 followers
October 1, 2022
While I wouldn’t say this is the definitive take on Wes Anderson as a filmmaker, I found it to be a quick and fun read with many interesting tidbits. As the title suggests, Wes Anderson was not involved in the making of this book. But the author does an excellent job combining sources and interviews to give a summary of the mindset Anderson and others involved in the films approached their work. I love reading more about movies that I like, and this book is a better way to meet that need than any Google searching would do. I’m a big fan of Anderson’s quirky artistry, and if you are too this book is well worth a read.
Profile Image for Efímera Bonhomía.
211 reviews26 followers
April 19, 2021
Este libro acompaña a Wes den su andadura desde su primera película hasta el día de hoy. El director con TOC, el director de la perfección visual y del qué sé yo. Un director con sello propio que empezó a dirigir obras de teatro para poder calmarse en el instituto y que alberga un montón de rarezas que lo hacen sumamente impresionable ante los ojos del público. Las películas de Wes, sólo pueden ser de Wes. Además de una biografía y opiniones, en el libro encontrarás curiosidades técnicas de sus obras y un análisis muy detallado y documentada de las diez películas de su biografía.

Wes Anderson, que estudió filosofía y se hizo íntimo de Owen Wilson en plena clase, es un director motivado por las obras de arte: pinturas, esculturas, libros, teatro y mismo películas aparecen en cada una de sus obras. Sin mencionar la comida, las mesas de sus decorados suelen estar llenas de víveres para degustar en cualquier momento. Tiene preferencias de colores y todo lo habitúa en escena, estando el color caqui como uno de sus predilectos y el que más domina en los atuendos de sus personajes, al igual que las boinas y bigotes, algunos hasta se los pintan. Es normal que en la portada aparezca con prismáticos, pues Wes suele incluir este objeto asiduamente en sus obras, al igual que las listas, siempre hay un personaje obsesionado con cumplir objetivos. Lo último que obsesiona a Anderson son los aparatos de sonido antiquísimos, véase radios, y todos los medios de transporte habidos y por haber.

Este libro es probablemente el mejor que he leído sobre un director, se nota que el autor conoce la obra, le apasiona y la ha estudiado en profundidad. Y no sólo eso, también conoce a la persona que se esconde detrás de la obra. La presentación de cada película no la hace desde un opinión propia, sino desde lo que es la obra en sí. Me ha parecido maravilloso. Y ni hablar de la edición, magnífica.

"Así hace las cosas Wes Anderson. Da vida a universos paralelos mágicos empleando todo lo que tiene a mano para crear historias libres de todo lo que no sean sus valores artísticos."

5/5
Profile Image for Luna.
23 reviews
August 28, 2025
yes, maybe wes anderson is my favourite person of all time, so what?

great, insightful overview of anderson's work & life but not as objective as you might think - it being a journalistic approach to film. some chapters make it seem as if anderson can't do no wrong when of course he is not perfect. but apart from that. loved it.
Profile Image for Ceylan (CeyGo).
850 reviews
November 1, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review Wes Anderson

Are you a Wee Anderson fan? Then his is the book for you. Each chapter brings you some wonderful stories and photos from Mr Anderson’s movies.
Profile Image for Hayley Cook.
21 reviews
December 16, 2024
Wes Anderson is my fav director, and now I want to go and watch his entire filmography again while stating facts I learned from this book
Profile Image for Kyran Wood.
135 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2025
Full of interesting facts but strangely written at times, sounded very formal for such an informal director
Profile Image for Maiieta.
124 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2023
Súper divertit i enlightening. Com està escrit (o la traducció) no m'ha acabat de convèncer del tot.
Profile Image for J Earl.
2,337 reviews111 followers
November 13, 2020
Wes Anderson: The Iconic Filmmaker and his Work by Ian Nathan was very enjoyable for both the pictures and the story of Anderson's career.

What is true of most auteurs is even more true of Anderson: the films cannot be understood outside of the filmmaker's life story. This book brings this dynamic to life. While the chapters are about each film, in chronological order, they also include his personal growth and changes as well as reaching forward and back to make connections between the films and between the films and Anderson's life.

The pictures are a great mix of scenes and behind the scenes shots. While an entire book could easily be devoted to pictures that illustrate his image composition skills, this book offers enough to satisfy that part of the story but includes other pictures that support the argument that Anderson is much more than just atmosphere.

Many of the film books I've read over the years have been in film studies and I also love the books that appeal to the base level fan in me as well. This book is a wonderful combination in that it has enough fun behind the scenes stories coupled with basic film theory ideas when discussing what results from each production.

Highly recommend for not just Wes Anderson fans but anyone interested in how a filmmaker becomes an auteur.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Profile Image for Leslie.
723 reviews20 followers
October 30, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing/White Lion Publishing for the digital review copy of this one.

I’ll be honest. I wanted to read this one because of the pictures. I’m a sucker for Anderson’s aesthetic as a director, and the photographs in this volume do not disappoint. They are beautiful and take up whoe pages, but you know what else is pretty cool about this book? The text.

Cool layout aside, I love Nathan’s passion for the auteur and his excitement to dig deep into the characters, plot, themes, and even actors in Anderson’s films. The book moves chronologically by film and has neat, little inserts about different motifs, actors, and influences across films.

Would recommend this book for any Wes Anderson fan and or film nerd from a film enthusiast. I love geeking out with other people about film, and reading this book felt like a conversation with my movie buddies. It’s out next week, so pick up a copy from your favorite local bookstore, or request through your library.

Profile Image for Taylor.
99 reviews
January 4, 2025
Always fun to know more about movies! I do agree with some of the people saying that the authors writing style is a little dry, but overall I liked the way he broke down each of Anderson’s films. From like moonrise kingdom and on I was a little bored because all my favorites had already been covered. I wish there was more about the actual filmmaking rather than just going over the actors involved/ the plot of the movie. There was a little bit here and there, but not a ton. I think this is good for people maybe just discovering/ getting into Wes Anderson movies, but as someone who is well seasoned with his films I was maybe slightly disappointed. Still would give it a 4 here, but really maybe a 3.5. If that was an option 🙂
Profile Image for Ruth.
61 reviews
September 30, 2025
I absolutely loved this so much. So inspiring and how Anderson can create such intricate and unique worlds is utterly amazing.
I learned so much more, and every page blew me away with the complexities and details Anderson puts into his craft.
Loved it so much. Easy read and loved the way it was structured and laid out.
It's also cool to see the journey and also think about how the films in this book hold up to Andersons' more recent films.

Also, I love how he puts the same actors in everything and the varied inspirations he has. It almost feels like all the films are on the same timeline, which they are indeed not.
I could go on about Wes Anderson all day. In fact, I've done school projects on him.

probably my fav director.
thanks, Wes Anderson. 🫶🎀🎂
Profile Image for AcademicEditor.
813 reviews29 followers
October 14, 2021
This book has really great visuals, of course. Also, it helps to understand Anderson's filmmaking in new ways. I liked how the author finds ways to put visuals into words: "He makes films on a molecular level. They are their own ecosystem, an ocean where dark currents flow beneath the dappled surface." I also had never known that Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan, is Anderson's great-grandfather. All in all, this is a great gift for an Anderson fan or the aspiring filmmaker in your life.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Profile Image for Noah Goats.
Author 8 books31 followers
January 4, 2024
I enjoyed reading this fawning exploration of Wes Anderson's work. I'm a big fan of Anderson's myself, so I didn't mind the relentlessly glowing terms that Ian Nathan uses to describe his cinematic hero. (Although, can we please stop overusing the word "iconic"? It is one of those words that has been watered down into meaninglessness, like "awesome" or "genocide").

Nathan has a good feel for Anderson's work and does a great job of highlighting how it works, what makes it good, and what its influences are. If you are a fan of the director's work, you will probably like this book, if you aren't, well, you certainly won't.
34 reviews2 followers
November 9, 2020
A delightful book, well laid-out and offering valuable insight into Wes Anderson's films, his creative process and the man himself. I came to this book as a big fan of the director's work, plus a strong familiarity with Ian Nathan's writing in Empire magazine. The book is almost like a series of extended magazine articles, one devoted to each of his films, including the as-yet-unreleased The French Dispatch. Nathan's commentary is brilliant, combining his own analysis of the films with a large body of sources to give a compelling story to the making of each. There are a ton of great photos, which lend the book a coffee-table-book quality, though it can easily be read cover-to-cover. I would highly recommend this to anybody with a keen interest in Anderson's oeuvre.
Profile Image for Paula.
52 reviews1 follower
November 7, 2020
A fantastic book for fans of Wes Anderson’s and of cinematography alike. Each chapter is based around each film, chronologically. Although it was tempting to skip straight to my favourites and devour the pictures (a lot of the production ones are new to me) I started at the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed each part. I especially loved the added extras about influences, meaning and the distinctive Wes Anderson “look”
A truly great piece of work that really does justice to this much loved filmmaker
Profile Image for Amy B.
229 reviews2 followers
November 17, 2020
This was such fun book to read, but really the joy was getting to relive the movies through the pictures in the book. Thank you, Ian Nathan, for compiling this beautiful book, and allowing us to learn about the inspiration behind all the movies, as well as the financial information, the work of finding the just right locations to shoot, the actors, and the public acclaim.

Highly recommend to all my fellow Wes Anderson enthusiasts!

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and enjoy this book.
2,934 reviews261 followers
November 22, 2020
I received this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book for Wes Anderson superfans!

The book includes information for all of Wes Anderson's movies including his 2020 release. There's behind the scenes pictures and an analysis of each movie. There's also a cool color pallet for each movie and lists that talk about what make Wed Anderson books unique. I was hoping for something with more details and maybe an interview with Wes Anderson.

Overall it's a beautiful book that fans of Wes Anderson films may enjoy.
Profile Image for James King.
64 reviews
April 2, 2021
Wes Anderson is one of my favourite film makers, and here is a book about his films (the second one I own). Tailored more to fans than anyone new to his oeuvre, if you're in that same category you will certainly love this.

Light and easy to read, with enough trivia and analysis for buffs. And much like the director's filmography, very handsomely mounted. A stylish treat. I re-watched all of his films as I read the chapters (and bought a couple more on blu ray, AND bought the Darjeerling soundtrack on vinyl): highly recommend this approach.
54 reviews
January 8, 2024
Wes Anderson's World!

The chronological format of the book takes you on a Joy Ride with the whole menagerie of Wes Anderson's gaggle of actors, writers & crew! With each Film given it's full description, comparison & detailed stories that not only bring it to light, but to life in some way, shape or form!! It's as if you are along for the ride & allowed to enjoy the journey with some strange & often oddball characters in a world created by Wes, but experienced by All!!!
Profile Image for Lucas.
110 reviews1 follower
January 11, 2024
研究導演Wes Anderson的書籍,裡面會講到一些幕後拍攝的細節、雜七雜八的相關東西。

可能要是Wes Anderson的影迷或是做設計、美術工作的人會比較有興趣。

Wes Anderson電影的視覺效果非常有特色,之前只看過布達佩斯大飯店覺得實在太厲害了,這次借了這本書回來,還補完了全部的電影,他的電影可以看好幾次,細節很多可看的點。

比較印象深刻的點是,原來長推鏡頭(左右橫移),是真的做出那個佈景而不是使用電腦合成,像是一艘船,居然是做了一個超大的船的一半的實際造景,就僅僅為了長推鏡,天啊,超級花錢。

Wes Anderson有點把很多鏡頭當成平面設計海報處理的那種感覺,常常被人詬病太過堆砌,但就是他的特色。



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定格動畫

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1. 完美對稱
2. 長推鏡
3. 大膽的色彩配置
4. 俯視鏡頭
5. 刻意很假的合成、刻意不真實
6. 定格動畫

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月升王國參考電影
後窗
Rear Window

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布達佩斯大飯店的背景:
caspar david friedrich

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犬之島
七武士
Profile Image for Ashley Dang.
1,574 reviews
October 29, 2020
A wonderful and fun look inside the world of one of my favorite directors, Wes Anderson. This is the perfect book for anyone who has always wondered about Wes Anderson and how he comes about his films. It features a deeper insight into all of his films and his process. It was a delightful read and I loved learning more about my favorite films made by him!
Profile Image for Wolfie (wolfgang.reads).
163 reviews5 followers
November 23, 2020
Wes Anderson is a cultural icon and one of my favorite directors. The essays are an informative and fascinating dive into the mind behind so many beloved films. Reading through this felt like watching his films for the first time.

It's the perfect gift for any Anderson fan and a great display piece or coffee book.
Profile Image for Meli&#x1fabc; Scotto .
74 reviews
February 3, 2025
Vraiment intéressant. L'écriture est fluide et fait des liens avec d'autre arts, comme la littérature et la peinture. C'est bien car c'est assez clair et on a pas besoin d'avoir vu tous ses films ou d'être un fan de cinéma pour comprendre. Ce qui est dommage c'est que les photos ne sont pas très belles et sont très petites donc ça n'a pas un grand intérêt ici.
Profile Image for Jessica Terry.
48 reviews
June 19, 2025
Written in an Anderson-like style

Ian Nathan's tribute to this iconic filmmaker portrays his style throughout the text. Nathan's writing is a style Anderson himself would be proud of. On top of that, he pairs some of the most famous and beautiful frames of each film. A gorgeous work.
Profile Image for David.
543 reviews4 followers
August 14, 2025
Having read his book on Guillermo del Toro, whose films I know very well, this was an interesting variation as I’ve only seen about half of Wes Anderson’s films. As a films maker I’ve come to appreciate more ver time this was an engaging and well written insight into the movies though in some ways inevitably superficial.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews

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