Anderson is used to filling the corners of his movies with the colors and details in his mind. In his "Island of Dogs", Anderson basically has a thorough understanding of Japanese culture.
Text | Lorenzo Editor | Quinn first published on the public account of Southern Metropolis Weekly
The screening of "Canis Island" in the Year of the Dog is of great significance, because this film is a purely dog-oriented film about dogs. Watching such a good movie with high scores in the Year of the Dog is really an inexplicable enjoyment for dog lovers. If you happen to be a Wes Anderson fan, you should not miss this movie.
Generally speaking, Anderson's movies have a strong personal style, and he particularly likes to construct the illusory world in his mind. This time in "Island of Dogs", he made up a fictitious future city called Megasaki in Japan (the name of the city was changed from Nagasaki), and the story revolved around a Japanese boy named Atari and his Spread between dogs.
Due to the canine flu outbreak, the mayor of Megasaki City-Atari's father decided to put all sick dogs on a garbage island isolated in the isolated sea, including Atari's pet dogs. In order to find a dog, Atari went to the garbage island alone, and became partners with five dogs with different personalities, embarking on a journey full of adventure and subversion. Because the search for dogs affected the mayor’s dog ban, a student movement attempting to subvert the government was also quietly brewing. With the thrilling journey on the Isle of Dogs, the two finally merged into one, revealing the reason behind this dog ban. the truth.
The greatest manifestation of the excitement of the movie "Canis Island" lies in the presentation of Anderson's unique visual style. Since "Papa Fox", Anderson, who is almost paranoid about restoring details, has tried to bombard the audience's eyes with dazzling artistic details. This is reflected in his later work "Moonrise Kingdom". The "Budapest Hotel" reached its peak.
You will never forget the pink cake boxes in "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and the strange observation decks on the snow-capped mountains, as well as the finely crafted Central European carvings in the hotel bathrooms. Anderson is used to filling the corners of his movies with the colors and details in his mind. In his "Island of Dogs", Anderson basically has a thorough understanding of Japanese culture.
The Japanese paintings that occasionally appear in the movie mostly refer to the works of the 19th century Ukiyo-e engraving painters Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, and the Japanese taiko drums at the beginning and the end of the movie, the original soundtrack quotes from "Seven Samurai" and "Enchanted Angels", Continue to bring the audience into the Japanese atmosphere. As for the statue erected for Spots at the end of the film, it is reminiscent of the statue of Hachiko, a faithful dog in Shibuya, Tokyo. After Anderson's sculpting, the Megasaki city in the eyes of the audience is already real.
In addition to its unique aesthetic attainments, "Canis Island" also has a magic weapon for surprising success, which is to open a unique perspective of the dog. At the beginning of the movie, the myth of Gono-Kamiya was popularized to the audience, and then with a big stroke of a pen, it was directly informed that Gouyu had been translated into adult language and would be broadcast in English, while no Japanese subtitles were given. So the conversations between the dogs were sentimentally by the big-name movie stars we know, such as Edward Norton, the old white in "Breaking Bad", the goddesses Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Swinton, with witty words. The different personalities and characteristics of the dogs: Chief is brave and loyal, Rex is gentle and just, Nutmeg is sexy and beautiful, Oracle is extremely intelligent, and the dogs’ personalities happen to form an intertextuality with the actor's image. This is really wonderful.
And when the audience unconsciously brings the dog's perspective, all the crazy actions the dogs do become taken for granted. Anderson gave us this kaleidoscope to gain insight into the psychological world of dogs, but he also threw us a sad reality. In the eyes of dogs, the power struggle of human beings due to greed is such a loss. The heart is crazy, in vain.
Many people have tried to find political metaphors in "Canis Island", hoping to find Anderson's creative intentions. Some people say it may be a reflection on the war, after all, Nagasaki is a city destroyed by World War II. Some people say that it may be a flogging against the party. The Mayor of Megasaki, because he is a cat slave, hit the dogs badly, which is similar to the Nazi's extermination of Jews. Others say that it may be a satire of the impermanent politics of black and white. In the end, the dogs are the masters and the cat slaves and cats are reduced to prisoners. The new regime rotation does not seem to bring any change to the world.
The author believes that the above three points may or may not be correct. It’s true that this movie is one of Anderson’s most politicized movies. Compared with the little characters in "Papa Fox" against the power, the "Budapest Hotel" protects artworks in war, and "Canis Island" goes further and straight. Refers to regime change and racism.
Audiences familiar with Anderson's movies should know that most of his movies are adult fairy tales, and the ending of the story is always true, good and beautiful. What Anderson emphasizes is based on fiction and reality. He is obsessed with tracing the fantasy world in his mind, hoping that the audience can enter his fairy tale kingdom and walk a fantasy journey with him. The introduction of political elements may only be his narrative needs, or his expression based on experience and insights, but it is by no means the main theme of his films.
Interestingly, Anderson himself is an otaku with a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder and Virgo and his symmetrical aesthetics. In many interviews about "Island of Dogs", he did not make clear the political meaning of the movie for a long time. I guess he I didn't intend to figure it out at all, I just wanted to tell a story for the audience to experience. And this is why, watching Anderson's movies is always so easy, and you never have to worry about whether the real world has been precarious.
Political appeals may not be much in Anderson's films, but love and friendship abound in his films, and this "Canis Island" is certainly one of them. In 2016, Anderson's wife gave birth to a daughter. Anderson, who was born in 69 years but with a childlike appearance, was born in the middle age. This "Island of Dogs" was born at this time, and it must be full of his joy and love as a father. So we can see in the movie Atari crying when she misses her dog, and we can see Chief crying after being fed biscuits and taking a bath. Movie fans have a high opinion of Anderson, and they all like his unique and self-contained movie style. However, there are many directors with styles, and few are so successful and attract fans. Movie fans, like me, are happy to live in Anderson's time.
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