Why is Wes Anderson's style so unique?

A few images are enough to recognize his unique cinematic style. A perfectly symmetrical shot, pale or acidulous hues, strange models in old-fashioned tones, characters recognizable by a prop... Here we are with Wes Anderson, whose universe is being honored at the Cinémathèque Française (Paris), which is dedicating a retrospective to the American filmmaker until July 27.

The Houstonian by birth, who lives between France and Kent (United Kingdom), is known for working meticulously, leaving nothing to chance. A methodical approach resulting in an aesthetic that is, let's say, splendid. But how does he do it? Les Décodeurs delved into his filmography to understand its grammar and establish a small, non-exhaustive manual of Andersonian magic tricks, while his latest creation, The Phoenician Scheme , is released in theaters on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.

It is a "central" characteristic of Wes Anderson's image composition, perhaps the one that comes to mind first: symmetry, which the Dutch philosopher Erasmus wrote was "the supreme harmony of the world."

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