Royal Tenebaums Analysis

In this essay I will explain how director Wes Anderson conveys a story through how he directs in the movie ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’. I will be concentrating on Andersons’ use of camera angles, editing and sound in the wedding scene between Henry Sherman (Danny Glover) and Etheline Tenenbaum (Angelica Huston) and how this creates a meaning.
My scene is between the elapsed time of 1 hour: 26 minutes: 44 seconds to 1 hour: 33 minutes: 28 seconds with the scene lasting a total of 4 minutes and 47 seconds.

The scene starts with a close up of a wedding invitation of the marriage of Henry Sherman and Etheline Tenenbaum; this is to show where the film is within its story and what the scene that follows is about.
This shot then cuts to a medium close up of the wedding band to continue setting the scene; this then cuts to an establishing shot of the guests outside the Tenenbaum house and tracks down vertically to a car with the arrival of Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) in a medium shot.
This scene conveys how Royal was an outsider within this own family but is now arriving/re-arriving back into the fray and how the film has been about his efforts to be back part of the family.

A cut to a close up shot of the groom then follows with him doing his tie to show the preparation of the wedding is still going on; this then cuts to a medium close up of his bride and her daughter Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) also still getting ready.
Anderson has these cuts to show the progression of proceedings for both parties and to show the differences in relationships the characters experience, with Henry’s son helping him do his tie whereas Etheline has her back to Margot who is looking out of the window disinterested.
This showing how Henry has been an integral part of his family and showing how a father figure had affected his sons life, thus Anderson is juxtaposing the Tenenbaum family to show this meaning to full effect and to reinforce the back story of the family being brought up with Etheline being the single parent and Royal absconded.

There is then another cut to a medium close up of the two boys Ari and Uzi to show each character, this is then followed in succession by a cut to a medium close of Gene Hackman talking to the vicar; these characters being in close proximity to one another as these three characters are to be pivotal in the progression of the sequence, and this is why Anderson has chosen to group the characters together within a series of shots.

A forward track then follows to a close up of Gene Hackmans character as he hears a loud engine, this being Owen Wilson’s character Eli Cash being brought into the fray with a cut to a long shot of his car racing down the street, this shot being used to show the car in comparison to its surroundings and rather than give detail, it gives a general impression that something is about to happen. This is to show Hackman and Wilson will then be involved within the culminating scene and Anderson does this by showing all parties that are to become involved.

A close up follows to shot Cash’ out of control and about to have an effect on proceedings; this being furthered by Anderson using a high angle shot of the car to show he is heading towards the house, this shot is used to show the object being swallowed by the setting and giving a sense of powerlessness in prevention of what is yet to happen. A cut to a medium close up is then used showing Eli as out of control and unable to stop, just as the prior camera angle conveyed; this then cuts to a bin in which the car crashes into.

Another cut to a medium close up of Etheline is then used with a shake of the camera to show the impact of the car, this is a handheld camera which then pans lefts and follows Margot to survey the damage the car has caused, Anderson does this to show that these characters have been effected by what has gone on but are yet to know what has happened thus having them show a general interest. A high angle shot is then used to show the car as vulnerable and powerless now that is has crashed furthering the notion that Cash is out of control and it has all come to a head within this scene; then there is a close up of Chas Tenenbaum (Ben Stiller)’s character being followed by yet more hand held camera, which is used to show the realism of the piece and alludes to the use of this sort of camera being used in reference to the French new wave revival by Michel Brault in the 1960s to create a ‘fly on the wall’ style documentary, such as the one Wes Anderson creates with the Tenenbaum family and the issues they experience throughout the film through the wedding scene; this close up to show Chas’ feelings and also to show that Stiller’s character is to be vital to the forthcoming scenes as the events involve his children.

This shot is then followed by a medium shot of the wedding band tracking right to a low angle shot of Eli Cash, the instigator of destruction still lying vunerable and out of control sitting on the floor.

There is then another close up of Chas Tenenbaum being followed by more handheld camera to check on the well being of his sons to convey the emotions he is feeling.
Another low angle shot of Eli is shown, showing him as being dominate and the source of all trouble caused.

A cut to a medium shot facing out to the hallway is then used to show Eli running away from Chas who is then followed by more hand held camera work to a cut to a medium close up of the vicar walking up the stairs who is then subsequently pushed down them; a cut to a medium shot is then formed to yet more handheld camera work for a longer take to heighten the sense of realism and Cinéma vérité, a style of documentary filmmaking to provoke its subjects.
This scene is used to show the consequence of the prior scenes.

A cut to a close up of Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson) is then used to break up the action and only then cuts back to ending of the fight between Chas and Eli; then there is a cut to a medium close up of the two who have fought which then tracks backwards to another cut to a medium cut up of the characters lying side by side, this being used to convey the sense of them being equal within their situation and although both characters are polar opposites they are juxtaposed to show that both are in need of help; this angle then tracks up to Henry’s sons surveying the damage.

An establishing shot is then shown to highlight the aftermath of the incident, and then cuts to a close up of both Royal and Henry being tracked by the camera whilst talking, this is to further the sense that Anderson is bringing together the opposing characters in the wake of destruction, with Eli being the nomad to Chas’ overbearing persona and Henry being stablity to the Tenenbaum family whilst Royal has been away for 22 years.
The tracking then stops at a door and holds a medium shot for Henry and Royal in the final bit of my sequence.

The sound within the film is used to follow what is happening in the story.
It is used in three sections, the wedding band playing music at the start to show the tranquility of the setting at the wedding, then when Eli is being chased by Chas for hitting the house with his car.
This music being fast paced like the action where there is running and fighting and only stops once the action is over.
The third piece of music is used when Royal and Henry are running down the street to finish the sequence, this music is slower and shows how the action and excitement of the wedding day has drawn to a close.