Based on Roald Dahl’s short story “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (1977), Wes Anderson adapted the tale into a short film composed of multiple itinerant settings that support the narration of the life of a single, miserly, and millionaire man who inherited his wealth and dedicated his life to amassing more money through gambling. He stumbles upon the notebook of a doctor, which recounts the story of the man who could see without his eyes. Beyond delving into the details of Henry Sugar’s story, this perspective aims to highlight the most interesting and innovative aspects from the standpoint of design and architecture. While it’s clear that Anderson has a distinctive language that sets him apart from other directors in the film industry, this case was no exception. Anderson demonstrated his extraordinary ability to recreate a tale through a production that integrated cast, photography, art direction, and screenplay, earning him an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th edition in 2024 (The New York Times, 2024).
The stylistic universe of Wes Anderson
Before delving into the details of “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” it is essential to recognize Anderson’s style in creating unique and peculiar films. Among Anderson’s main distinguishing elements are pastel color palettes, symmetrical and harmonious framing, distinctive sequence shots (lateral travelings and rapid zooms), elaborated scripts with a humorous tone, detailed art direction, music ideally suited to complement the scene’s atmosphere, and a recurring cast of actors.
“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is no exception for Anderson; on the contrary, it is an irrefutable showcase of the director’s ingenuity in articulating all these elements in a story. To begin with, the color palette is diverse and variable according to the setting, ranging from warm tones to cold tones, and even contrasting to create visual tensions and enrich the narrative of the photography. Likewise, the script enhances the development of the drama by meticulously describing its lines of dialogue, movements, gestures, and actions of the characters. This synchronization between the visual and the auditory is an interpretative challenge for the actors to offer a more immersive experience to the viewer with a touch of humor.
Symmetry is a universal concept that evokes proportion, balance, and order (de Dios Varela, 1992), as previously mentioned favorites of the director. The framing in “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is symmetrical. In this way, Anderson illustrates the visuals of the scene’s narrator and connects the dialogue of the characters with the viewer. Through the proportion of the scenarios, Anderson expresses all the characteristic elements of his style in the implementation of the short film in a balanced and harmonious manner. To achieve this, the photography considers architectural elements such as regular textures, sequential windows, distribution of furniture in contrasting colors, and utilization of perspective through the depth of the spaces, among others.
Theatrical narrative: Sequence shots and stagecraft
Another relevant aspect to consider is the narrative of the story as a theatrical work. This is reflected in the sequence shots that show the stagecraft in situ and the interaction of the characters in its configuration. Here again plays the importance of synchronizing the timing, the set design, the script, and the actors to materialize a complex shot into a fluid and aesthetic composition. This resource is reflected in the scene where Roald Dahl narrates Henry Sugar’s stay in the vestibule omnipresently and then heads to the library where he finds the book that develops the plot of the story. Sensitivity to details is required to recognize the articulation of all elements in a scene, where an infinity of additional concepts such as depth, atmosphere, and visual narrative arise. This theatrical approach with meticulously choreographed sequence shots characterizes “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” as a short film with great production and an immersive experience for the viewer.
Furthermore, and respecting the theatrical narrative, Anderson represents visual effects in a stylized manner to figuratively convey what he wants to express. Two important elements stand out in the film, such as the optical illusion with mirrors to emulate the levitation of the characters in their meditation, and the graphical representation of X-rays to showcase the abilities acquired by Henry Sugar. These representations offer a symbolic visual to the viewer and contribute to the solidification of Anderson’s surrealistic atmosphere with the careful aesthetic and harmonic scene composition.
Architectural perspective of the frames
Undoubtedly, the composition of the scenarios holds many visual attractions for designers, especially for architects. The cinematography of the short film employs a series of shots with common views for architects, such as the frontal view, side view, top view, and cross-sections. Although these elements may go unnoticed by a viewer unfamiliar with the profession in question, they demonstrate the importance of design in inhabiting spaces. Regardless of the activities, the space must be configured from every possible angle to consider all aspects involving the project’s needs.
In Anderson’s case, the shots of the room with Ralph Fiennes in the armchair highlight the space’s details from two perspectives: the side view showing access to the room and the detailed background of an illuminated hallway. Additionally, it reflects implicit details of the character by the way the space is occupied: a wall full of notes, photographs, a side table, a desk, and the armchair as the main element. Although this composition is part of the art direction of a film like this, the frontal and side views highlight these elements without the need for additional angles. Likewise, this resource is repeated in other moments, such as the conversation between Henry Sugar and the police officer, where the scene is divided by the door frame to separate the interior of the main character’s home from the hallway. This technique is also evident in the overhead view of the blackjack table.
Anderson demonstrates his talent for storytelling from an artistic perspective far from the conventional. The use of itinerant settings with a theatrical touch elevates the work to a composition of art, designs, and architecture. Although the main story does not revolve around architecture, the interaction of the characters with the settings highlights the result of a complex work that brings together lighting design, framing, architectural perspectives, sequence shots, contrast of color palettes, and editing. The meticulous attention to detail results in a production that merges narrative, visual, and architectural elements and communicates an immersive cinematic experience full of surrealism and aesthetics.
References:
The New York Times (2024). Oscar 2024: lista completa de ganadores [online]. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/es/2024/03/10/espanol/oscar-2024-ganadores.html [Accessed 20 March 2024].
de Dios Varela, J. (1992). Simetría y estructura. Revista de la Universidad Nacional (1944-1992), Volume 8 (26), pp. 27-32.
NETFLIX (2023). The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar [online]. Available at: https://www.netflix.com/title/81388090 [Accessed 13 March 2024].
IMDb (2023). The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar [online]. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16968450/?ref_=tt_mv_close [Accessed 20 March 2024].
