Director Profile: Wes Anderson

The auteur theory suggests that a director is seen as the ‘author’, defining the details that make up the finished piece. A director’s job is to take charge of the creative process and make important decisions that affect how the finished film will look. Most directors work closely with various departments throughout the entire production, but for some directors, it is essential that they green-light every decision to ensure the finished film is exactly as they envisioned.

Wes Anderson is one of these directors. A true auteur whose film catalog has proved, time and time again, his ability to make films that have his own personal stamp.

History

Wes Anderson (born Wesley Wales Anderson in 1969) grew up in Houston, Texas. His parents divorced when he was eight and this has often been cited as being a defining experience within his life. This is clear in his work and families are a continually recurring theme.

While studying Philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin, Anderson took part in a playwriting class alongside future collaborator and actor Owen Wilson with whom he became close friends. This was to be a friendship that would help start Anderson’s career. It was also at University that Anderson discovered his love for European cinema and the French New Wave, an interest that is clearly a huge influence in Anderson’s directing style and one of the many characteristics that define him as an auteur.