FromtheLobbytotheBlock:HowMise-En-SceneandSoundCreateMeaningin The Grand Budapest Hotel
WesAnderson’s, The Grand Budapest Hotel,followsconcierge,MonsieurGustaveH, andlobbyboy,ZeroMoustafa,onajourneyoffriendship,loyalty,war,andcorruption.Whilethe mainplottakesplacein1930’sEasternEurope,itactuallybeginswithanunnamedgirlcarrying acopyofthebook, The Grand Budapest Hotel.Wethenseeaflashbackoftheoriginalauthor, StefanZweig,inthe1980’swhoisrecountinghisstayattheGrandBudapestinthe1960’s.We flashbacktothattimeandmeetZeroMoustafa,formerlobbyboy,nowownerofthehotel.Ashe recountshiscareerasaLobbyboy,weseeyetanotherflashback,thistimefocusingonthemain plotofthefilm.Thisstoryisbuiltonflashbacksandreccountedmemories,amplifyingthe nostalgicandwhimsicalstyleofWesanderson.
ThemainactionofthisfilmsurroundsayoungZeroMoustafa,protegetoveteran conciergetotheextravagantGrandBudapestHotel,M.GustaveH.Gustaveisknowntobe extremelypersonableanddedicatedtotheguestsofthehotel,developingheartfelt,and sometimessexual,relationshipswiththem.WhenGustavelearnsthatoneguest,MadameD,has suddenlydied,HeandZerotraveltoherestatetopaytheirrespects.Upontheirarrival,they learnthatMadameDhaswrittenGustaveintoherwill,bestowinguponhimapricelesspieceof artknownas Boy with Apple.Dmitri,MadameD’sbitterandindignantson,becomesseton destroyingGustave.ZeroandGustavemakeitbacktotheGrandBudapestwiththepaintingin theirpossession,butshortlyafter,GustaveiswrongfullyarrestedforthemurderofMadameD. WiththehelpofAgatha,abakerandgirlfriendofZero,Gustaveandhisprisongangescape.
Fromthere,GustaveandZerotakeoffontheirjourneytoretrieve Boy with Apple andescapeto
somewheresafe.Astheyretrieve Boy with Apple fromitshidingplace,theydiscoverMadame D’ssecondwill,inwhichshebestowesherentirefortunetoGustaveinthecaseofherdeathby murder.Heinheritsallofherproperty,includingTheGrandBudapestHotel,andbecomesthe wealthiestmaninthecountry.Zero,beingGustave’ssoleheir,theninheritsthefortuneafterhis passing.
ThesequenceIwillbeanalyzingtakesplaceasGustaveandZeroarrivebackatthehotel afterescapingMadameD’sestatewith Boy with Apple.Thepolicearriveatthehotelandarrest Gustaveforhermurder.Zerothengoestovisithiminprisonwithanupdateonthecharges againsthim.HeprovidesinformationgatheredfromdeputyKovacs,thelawyeronthecase.I havechosentoanalyzetheuseofmiseensceneandbothdiegeticandnon-diegeticsoundsin thissequence.Theseelementsensurethatthetoneofeachsceneisclearandthestyleis consistentwiththerestofthefilm. The Grand Budapest Hotel’suseofspecificcolorpalettes andlighting,non-diegeticmusic,anddiegeticambientsoundeffectscreateasenseof urgency,adventure,andrevelationthathighlightthepoweroffriendshipandloyaltyinthe midstofwarandcorruption.
Mise-en-sceneplaysanincrediblyimportantroleinthisfilm.Inthissequencein particular,weseemultiplesettings,allwithverydifferenttonesandpurposes.Thesequence beginsinthehotelbreakroomandthentravelstothelobby.Fromthere,weseetheoutsideand insideoftheprison,andseeaflashbackofZero’svisittoDeputyKovacs’office.Thespecific useofsetting,color,andlightingdirecttheviewer'sattentiontocertaindetailsandinfluence theirinterpretationofthescene.Witheachchangeinsetting,thereisalsoanoticeablechangein colorpaletteandlighting.Thismakesiteasyfortheviewertoseethecontrastbetweeneach
changeofscenery,promptingthemtofeeltherollercoasterofemotionsthatthecharactersmay havefelt.
Thesequencebeginsinthehotelbreakroom,asmallroomwithlotsofstorageanddim yellowlighting.Thecharactersthentraveltothehotellobby,agrandroomwithredcarpeting andmarblepillars.Theatmosphereinthelobbyishazyandweseeahordeofuniformedpolice waitingforGustaveandZeroatthefrontofthelobby.Thisaddstensionanduneasiness,as GustaveandZeroemergefromthefogtogreetthepoliceinthefoyer.
ThenextsettingweseeisthecriminalinternmentcampwhereGustaveistakenwhenhe isarrested.Wefirstseeashotoftheoutsideofthebuilding,atallandsolidlookingstructure, surroundedbysnow-coveredtreesandabodyofwater Theslightdownwardanglemakesthe buildingappearintimidatinganduntouchable. ThereisashotofZero,lookingverysmall standinginfrontofthegiantprisongate,emphasizinghowsecurethisprisonis.Whenwefinally seetheinsideofthebuilding,weseeblue,gray,andcooltones,whichdirectlycontrastthered, orangeandwarmtonesoftheGrandBudapestHotel.WealsoseeGustavewearingagrayand whitestripedprisonuniform,whichcontrastshisusualvibrantpurpleconciergeuniform.This starkandobviousdistinctionbetweentheluxuryandgrandeurofthehotel,andthebleaknessof theprisonisnotonlyextremelyappealingtotheeye,butitalsoemphasizesthecorruptionand cold-heartednatureof Gustave’sarrest.AlthoughGustaveseemstobeingoodspirits,seeing himwithabruisedfacethroughtheprisonwindowinthebrightwhitelightingcreatesafeeling ofdefeatandhopelessness.
ThelastsettingweseeinthissequenceisthroughZero’sflashbacktoDeputyKovacs’ office.Thissettingisperhapsthemosttheatricalofthemall.WeseeKovacssittingatadesk,
surroundedbycandles,whichappeartobetheonlysourceoflightinthescene.Asherecounts thechargesbeingheldagainstGustave,heflashesthroughacollectionofpicturesand documents.Thedark,candlelitsettingcreatesafeelingofsignificanceandurgestheviewerto paycloseattentiontowhatheissaying.Again,thisdarkandominoussettingisastarkcontrast againstthebrightandmonotoneprisonsetting.Theuseofspecific,sometimesmonochromatic colorpalettesisintentional,notonlyinthissequence,butthroughouttheentirefilm.The contrastbetweensettingsinthissequenceiscongruentwiththerestofthefilmandhelpsdirect theaudience’sinterpretationandunderstandingofthestory.
Non-diegeticmusic,ambientsound,andsilencearealsousedtomanipulatetheviewer's feelingstowardtheaction.Forexample,upbeatandintensenon-diegeticmusicisplayedwhen thingsescalatequicklyorbecomerushed.Thistriggerstheviewertofeeltheurgencythatthe charactersmayfeelinthismoment.AnexampleofthiscanbeseenwhenGustaveandZerofirst learnthatthepolicehavearrivedattheGrandBudapestHotel.Quickpacedmusicbeginstoplay, almostmimickingaheartbeat.Thiscreatesafeelingofanxietyandquietpanic.Musicisalso usedtoaddstresstothesituationwhenZeroflashesbacktohismeetingwithdeputyKovacs. Soft,yethauntingmusicplaysinthebackgroundasitreadsthecharges.Thiscontraststhe silenceoftheprisonandagain,promptstheviewertopayattentiontowhatheissaying.
Similarly,silenceisalsousedtolettensionbuildanddrawattentiontospecificpeople, props,ordetails.Ofteninthissequence,themusicwillcausethepacetobecomestressedand quick,onlytojolttoastopthroughtheuseofintentionalsilence.Forexample,whenGustave learnsthatthepolicebelievehehasmurderedMadameD,themusiccutsoutandthereisa momentofsilencebeforehetakesoffrunning,thepoliceclosebehindhim.Thisallowsthe
tensiontobuildbecausetheaudiencedoesn'tknowwhatwillhappennextandthemomentof silenceallowsasecondforthemtoguessorquestionwhatisgoingthroughGustave’smind. Silenceisheavilyembracedthroughoutthisfilm,asatooltokeeptheaudienceengagedand encouragethemtoaskquestions.
Certaindiegeticambientsoundsalsoplayahugeroleinbuildingtensionandsettingthe tonesinthissequence.Forthemostpart,thereisminimalbackgroundnoise,butsoundsofdoors opening,feetonstairs,andevenwindblowingareoftenamplified.Ambientsoundeffectsare alsousedironicallyinthissequence.WhenZeroarrivesattheprisontovisitGustave,heisseen standinginfrontofthegiantprisongate.Wethenhearwhatwecanonlyinfertobetheindustrial locksandgearsshiftingtounlocktheheavygate,butasthecamerapansovertotheleft,wesee thatthoseobnoxioussoundswerecomingfromasmall,normalsizeddoorintheprisonwall. Thisisanexampleofambientsoundnotonlybeingusedtobuildtension,butalsoused ironicallyandforcomedicreasons.Insidetheprison,itismostlysilent,otherthansometypical prisonsounds.Soundslikesqueakyprisondoors,keysjingling,andtheechoingsoundof footstepsinamostlyemptybuilding.Otherthanthesestereotypicaljailsounds,thereisalsothe audiblesoundofwindblowinginthebackground.Thisaddstothedesolateandgrimfeelingof thecriminalinternmentcamp.
Inthissequence,GustaveiswrongfullyaccusedandarrestedforthemurderofMadame D.HeandZerohavesuccessfullyescapedwiththepainting, Boy with Apple,andastheyare hidingit,thepolicearrivetoarresthim.WhenZerogoestovisitGustaveinthecriminal internmentcamp,weseehimbruisedandbehindbars.ZerothenrecountshisvisitwithDeputy Kovacs,thelawyerassignedtothecase,andtherestofthedetailsarethenrevealed.Zeroand
Gustavecomeupwithatheoryandaplanregardingthechargesagainsthim.Gustaveknowshe isinnocentandZerohascompletefaithandloyaltytohim.ZeroistheretosupportGustaveand advocateforhim,eventhoughhedoesn'tknowallofthedetails.GustavetrustsZerotofollow directionandnottobetrayhim.ZeroisalsothereasafriendtoGustave,encouraginghimnotto giveup.ThisisatestamenttoZero’sloyaltyandloveforGusave.
Thissequencealonepresentstheideasofbetrayal,corruption,andviolence,butitalso presentstheideasoffriendship,loyalty,andtrust.Althoughthesethemesarepresentthroughout theentirefilm,theyareespeciallyapparentinthissequence,asGustaveandZeroworkasateam toovercomethistrial.WhenGustaveisfirstarrestedandweseehiminthecoldlookingprison, thetoneofthissequencefeelshopelessanddefeated.WhenZeroarrives,notonlybringingwhat
Kovacstoldhimintheirsecretmeeting,butalsobringingafeelingofhopetoGustave.Although theybelieveGustaveisinnocent,Gustaveworries.Heknowswhoheisupagainstandisnot willingtopresenthisalibi.Overwhelmedbythisnewinformation,hefindscomfortinZero,who tellshimnottogiveup.ItisthissmallgesturethatbringsasmiletoGustave’sface.Whetheror nothetrulybelievestheywillfindawayoutofthis,Zeroishisfriend.
Althoughthisfilmisoutwardlyverydramaticandcomical,underthesurface,itisvery dark.AlthoughittakesplaceinafictionalEuropeancountryinthe1930’s,therearemany parallelstoWorldWarIIandHItler’sriseinpower.Evidenceofthisparallelcanbeseenin Zero’sbackstory.Heisanimmigrant,fleeinghishomecountrywherehisfamilywaskilled,his villageburnedtotheground,andhewasimprisonedandtortured.HecametoZubrowkawith nothingbuthisstory;astorysimilartomanyminoritiesthatwerepersecutedduringthe Holocaust.AmoreobviousparallelbetweenthisstoryworldandEasternEuropeduringWorld
WarIIcanbeseenwhenthemilitaryconvertstheGrandBudapestHoteltomilitarybarracks.
Flagswiththeirspecificemblemarehungoutsidethehotel,referencingthoseusedbyNazi forces.
InthesequenceIchoseinparticular,aparallelcanbeseenintheprisonuniformGustave wears.ThegrayandwhitestripedoutfitGustavewearsinthecriminalinternmentcamp referencestheuniformswornbypeopletorturedinJewishconcentrationcamps.Thisfilm addressestheseinjusticesusingironyandsubtly.Forexample,ThedeathsofM.Gustave, Agatha,andZeroandAgatha’sinfantson.Allverybrieflydiscussed,butcausedbysoldier brutalityandillness,commoncausesofdeathatthetime.Althoughthisfilmisnotdirectly focusedonWorldWarIIorthetragediesoftheHolocaust,itdoesnotignorethemanyproblems theycausedintheworld.Thisstory,aboutGustaveandZeroandtheirjourneytofreedom,just happenstotakeplaceatthesametime.Insteadofdancingaroundtheseideas,asiftheydidnt happen,Andersonprovidesatastefulandauthenticfilmthatisfullyimmersedinthecauseand effectsoftheHolocaust.