A lot of directors are known for their unique use of color in their movies, Wes Anderson is arguably at the top of this list. Anderson uses popping colors and bright contrast in many of his films but perhaps the most prominent is his manipulation of color in The Grand Budapest Hotel. The film uses a pastel filter over most of its scenes ranging from a light blue to a dominating pink (the films dominant color). The use of this light pastel filter meshes with the film’s light hearted and nonchalant tone. ‘

Anderson makes a few departures from the light pastel tone though, most notably in the final scenes of the film (SPOILER ALERT) in which M. Gustave and Moustafa are attacked by French military. The scene mirrors the same exact situation which occurs earlier in the film, except the first, time the pair are saved by an old friend of Mr. Gustave. The first scene, of course, bares the film’s classic pink pastel tone. However, the second time over, M. Gustave is shot to death by the military and this is shown by the entire scene being shot exclusively in black and white. The striking color change shows the bleakness of the situation and the sadness that Moustafa feels as he tells the story.

The use of in The Grand Budapest Hotel is just one of the many amazing things about the film like its stunning cinematography and cast/acting. It’s one of my ALL TIME favorites and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a mind blowing film experience.

I rate it a 10/10