The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

      Inside the fantastically royal film, The Royal Tenenbaums, the ever-so creative director, Wes Anderson, gives us an inside look at the Tenenbaum's troubles through the camera's lens. This film is centered primarily around the Tenenbaum family and their crumbling relationships with one another. The Tenenbaum family consists of the father (Royal), the mother (Etheline), adopted daughter (Margot), and the two sons (Chas and Richie). Due to leaving his family abruptly, Royal sends chaos and separation throughout the family while he lives in a hotel room on credit.  Years and years pass on and each family member slowly drifts away on their own. Broke and being evicted out of the hotel, Royal decides to confront his family. He keeps them bound up close and tight by convincing them that he is dying, when he's really not. Royal begins to lead a life of joy and happiness by spending time with his kids and wife whom he had neglected in the past. The family eventually comes back together all thanks to Royal’s false health problem. However, it's not quite a fairy tale ending.

      Elements such as costume and make-up help define each and every character within this film. For instance, Margot Tenenbaum always wears heavy eyeliner which mirrors her dark, complex and unique character. She wears a large, fur coat which also helps symbolizing her secretive personality, as she starts smoking at the age of fourteen and continues until she is thirty. Richie, a young tennis prodigy wears the same headband and wristband he wore as a kid even as adult, showing how much of an identity it is for him.

      Colors also play a big role in this film. The entire film, except for a few distinct scenes, has a gold hue to it which helps symbolize the royalty of the family. Certain characters only wear certain colors, for instance, Chas and his sons only wear red tracksuits which mirrors their way of life – having to work fast and competitively in order to make it to the top.  Raleigh St. Clair, on the other hand, wears the same brown blazer and brown pants, which help show is boring personality. It is this same boring personality that is seen when he makes no effort to talk to his own wife, resulting in her hidden addiction to smoking cigarettes and staying in the bathroom for six hours a day.

      This film is a wonderful masterpiece, with its intricate and pleasing use of cinematic techniques. The Royal Tenenbaums had just the right amount of comedy to keep it funny and the audience laughing, but also just enough seriousness to grab your attention and having you sit at the edge of your seat. Throughout this film, all the secrets which were revealed from the individual characters helped give the story a solid foundation. During the last scene, where everyone was gathered around Royal Tenenbaum’s grave, it said he saved his family from a sinking battleship, and in reality, he did. If it wasn't for Royal, the family would not have talked to one another presumably and would have continued to live their miserable lives. The final scene gave the audience a feeling of remorse with a hint of satisfaction, a hint of satisfaction that the family is happy and they are all living together – peacefully.