Champagne Tuesday…Wes Anderson, Not Man’s Best Friend

Last week I finally got a chance to see “Moonrise Kingdom”. A huge fan of Wes Anderson myself { “The Royal Tenenbaums” has been the only movie on my iPod since I was 16} I fell in love with his new movie and can not wait to add it to my permanent collection. While I was reading some articles on The New Yorker‘s website I came across one suggesting Wes Anderson may not have a soft spot for dogs like the rest of America.

Although true, many Wes Anderson films have a tragic end for man’s best friend, I think this is no coincidence. The article suggests a few theories of why Anderson never lets a dog see the beginning of the credits, but I feel there is one theory to add to the basket. Anderson’s movies, to some, are not received well because they are too “weird” or “out there”. Clearly these people can not get past the surface meaning of Anderson’s movies and see the deeper commentary on life Anderson portrays. I do not feel Anderson despises dogs, but rather feels that human’s do not view relationships as lasting entities.

What better way to show this lack of importance than with “man’s best friend”. Anderson takes a dog’s relationship with his fellow man and uses it as an example of how humans discard many interactions throughout our lives to pick up new ones. To me, Anderson is showing audiences how no relationship in someone’s life truly has meaning because we find one to replace the old, even man’s best friend. If humans can not value the most natural relationship between their beloved canine, relationships between other humans has no hope.

Whether you or I agree with is not for us to say. Wes Anderson will continue making social commentary through his films and entertaining millions with his dark humor, something I am quiet looking forward to.

{Moonrise Kingdom}