It's set in three different time periods: present day, 1968, and the '30s and '40s. He switches back between three different aspect ratios so you know where you are. A lot of his films have framing devices where you feel like it's a story being told to you by someone.
The owner's story begins in 1932, during the hotel's glory days, when he worked as a lobby boy. Zubrowka is on the verge of war, but this is of little concern to Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), the Grand Budapest's devoted concierge.
When would your film be set? Think about how a time period influences the production design of a film. Most of The Grand Budapest Hotel is set during the 1930s, just prior to World War II, when (to put it mildly) Central Europe would experience political and social unrest.
THE FILM. THE FILM IS NARRATED ON FOUR DIFFERENT TEMPORAL LEVELS IN FIVE CHAPTERS, WHICH ENCOMPASS THE 20TH CENTURY. IN ITS CENTRE IS THE EPONYMOUS »GRAND BUDAPEST«, WHICH IS REMINISCENT OF THE LEGENDARY HOTELS IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE AT THE FIN DE SIÈCLE, THE HEYDAY OF EUROPEAN LUXURY HOTELS.
Each ratio was picked because they were popular in the decade they were set. “The movie jumps through three time periods; the different aspect ratios tell viewers where they are in the timeline,” Anderson said in an interview.
The Grand Budapest Hotel uses three aspect ratios as framing devices which streamline the film's story, evoking the aesthetic of the corresponding periods. The multifarious structure of The Grand Budapest Hotel emerged from Anderson's desire to shoot in 1.37:1 format, also known as Academy ratio.
Violence. The Grand Budapest Hotel has violence scattered throughout. Most of the violence is comical and cartoonish. But some of it is brutal and realistic, and there is some blood and gore.
Is The Grand Budapest Hotel based on a real hotel?
Is the Grand Budapest Hotel real? The Grand Budapest Hotel isn't real because the whole movie is set in an imaginary world: Zubrowka, however it was designed after the famous real life hotel in Budapest: Hotel Gellért and other hotels in Karlovy Vary.
It's hard not to notice that Zero in 1968, portrayed by F Murray Abraham, is far older than makes sense, chronologically. If going by the actors' ages, zero was around 18 in 1932, but somehow appears as a 74 year old in 1968.
“ZZ,” their signature emblem, recalls the alliterative “SS” (it could also stand for Zubrowka, Anderson has pointed out), and the symbol of the fasces rods (which give “fascism” its name) pop up elsewhere in the film.
The hotel is inspired by an actual hotel in Budapest. It was founded in 1896 and the original name was Grand Hotel Royal Budapest. Today it's called Corinthia Hotel Budapest, and it's a five star hotel in the city centre. It has quite a history, especially in regards to film history.
This uniqueness is what makes "The Grand Budapest Hotel" worth seeing. It's an odd story where a story is told within a story--and it's filled with famous actors making lots of odd cameos. And, like Anderson's other films, it's full of odd characters, unusual dialog and brisk-paced editing.
Most of Wes Anderson's movies are a melancholic blend of comedy and drama, but The Grand Budapest Hotel is funny enough to play as a straight comedy. All its comedic moments land. The timing is perfect, like when Gustave runs away from the police and their bumbling reaction is a couple of seconds late.
While the Eastern European city of Zubrowka is fictional, production designer Adam Stockhausen and director Wes Anderson spent time across the Czech Republic pulling inspiration from various multicolored towns including the famous spa town of Karlovy Vary.
Is The Grand Budapest Hotel based on Stefan Zweig?
In Wes Anderson's latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, a writer relates the long and twisting life story of a hotel owner. It's about youthful love and lifelong obsession, and while the story is original, there's a credit at the end that reads: "Inspired by the Writings of Stefan Zweig."
The bright and saturated colors in the 1932 timeline are used to create a fantastical vibe of beauty and comfort, despite the challenges that they have outside of it. It looks like the Grand Budapest Hotel is a disguise to hide the cruelty of war for the rich at least.
Is Grand Budapest Hotel okay to watch with parents?
Parents need to know that The Grand Budapest Hotel is another quirky, irreverent movie from Wes Anderson, but with more violence than his previous films. There's some gory violence -- one character is a killer who attacks his prey with glee, stabbing them, cutting off their fingers.
Who She's Playing: Madame D, the elderly lady that Gustave romanced enough to crack her heart and weasel his way into her last will and testament. Yes, that's Tilda Swinton caked under pounds of old-lady makeup.
Depp was found unconscious in the incident that emerged when the group members, who could not hear from him, informed the hotel authorities. It is estimated that the famous star, who was unconscious and urgently hospitalized, lost consciousness due to high doses of drugs or alcohol.
