When Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom was released in 2012, audiences and critics alike noted the film’s similarities to Pierrot le fou, a 1965 film by French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard. However, Godard isn’t the only — or even the most important — influence on Wes Anderson. This video essay looks at a few of the cinematic influences on one of Anderson’s most beloved films.
The IU Cinema previously screened Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) in 2014 and Jean-Luc Godard’s Pierrot le fou (1965) in 2013.
Laura Ivins loves stop motion, home movies, imperfect films, nature hikes, and Stephen Crane’s poetry. She has a PhD from Indiana University and an MFA from Boston University. In addition to watching and writing about movies, sometimes she also makes them.