Both Anders(s) [Wes Anderson & Roy Andersson] share more than just their surname (well, technically, they don’t). In terms of style and aesthetics, both filmmakers are poles apart. Arch plot v/s anti-plot, bright primary colors v/s dull, monochromatic colors, artificiality v/s absurdity. The similarities lie in their influences, character motives, obsession with details, and rejection of social conventions. Both filmmakers primarily focus on human behavior. Both are fascinated by usual objects, i.e., dead beetle earrings and vampire teeth. Both have made films about teenage romance- Swedish Love story and Moonrise Kingdom. But the fact remains that both the directors have a very distinctive style when it comes to presenting dark subject matters. The neo-realism is quietly evident in both of their works. Also in spite of the whimsical and the absurdist comedy in their respect works the characters in their films fail to show genuine emotions.
The following well researched video essay cleverly titled The Magnificent Anders(s)ons – The Look of Reality by Beyond The Frame, talks about the shared aesthetics in the works of the two modern day visual masters of storytelling. My personal knowledge of Roy Andersson’s work doesn’t go beyond The Living Trilogy (Songs from the Second Floor [2000], You, The Living [2007] and A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence [2014]) and the video essay has fueled my desire to explore his work more deeply in the coming future.
![A Spike Lee Joint: 25th Hour [2002]](https://www.highonfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/site_28_rand_201609877_25th_hour_627.gif)
