On Monday, November 1, Larry Buskey’s film majors went on a class field trip to see Wes Anderson’s latest film: The French Dispatch.
Wes Anderson is an American filmmaker who produces films that are known for their eccentricity and unique narrative and visual style. The French Dispatch is Anderson’s latest creation; starring Timothée Chalamet, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and many other Hollywood names. The film was released on October 22, 2021, and has received praise ever since.
Buskey knew that he wanted his class to go see a film as a collective and that he wanted his students to be the ones to choose the film. The class decided to go see The French Dispatch, mostly because it stars Chalamet, Buskey noted.
Buskey was pleased with his class’s decision because he deeply appreciates Anderson’s work. “Wes Anderson films pack a lot of punch,” he said. Anderson’s work always incorporates many different visual and sound techniques, which makes viewing a Wes Anderson film a thoughtful learning experience.
Before his class ventured to the movie theater, Buskey provided them with an introduction to Anderson’s work. Buskey said, “I gave a lesson on Wes Anderson: who he is, what he does and what to look for in the film. My class is in the process of making their own movies, and I want them to take away techniques from what they see in the film.”
Anderson’s films include The Grand Budapest Hotel, a 2014 film about a luxury European ski resort and the death of one of its main patrons; Moonrise Kingdom, a 2012 film that follows the adventures of two children who are in love; and Isle of Dogs, a 2018 adventure comedy that focuses on a young boy and his bodyguard-dog. Anderson has been nominated for seven Academy Awards for his work on these films and many others. Additionally, Anderson has received nominations for six Golden Globes, winning one for his directing of The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The French Dispatch is a piece that honors the New Yorker magazine’s former urbane, funny and insightful writers. This group of intellectuals notably included James Baldwin, A.J. Liebling and Joseph Mitchell. The film documents the creation of a particular issue of the New Yorker magazine, which turns out to be its last issue. Included in the last issue is what Buskey called a “little Sunday insert into the paper about this fictitious French town.”
It was Buskey’s third time viewing the film when he accompanied his class on the field trip. Buskey said, “The beauty of a Wes Anderson film is that you can see it multiple times and every time, get something new out of it. The first time around, you don’t know what to focus on; sometimes there’s voiceovers, multiple panels and titles on the screen at the same time. I enjoyed watching it many times because each time I saw it, there was something else to see. The experience was pretty rewarding in that way.”
Buskey was not the only one who appreciated The French Dispatch; his film major students enjoyed it too. “I think that everyone liked at least some aspects of the film. It’s a lot to take in, so I guess some people were somewhat confused or slightly put off. Nonetheless, everyone said they enjoyed it during the discussion on Wednesday. A few folks were super enthusiastic about it and truly loved the whole trip,” Buskey said.
Marisa Hirschfield (V) is one of the film majors that saw The French Dispatch. When asked about the film, Hirschfield said, “Anyone who likes Wes Anderson will like The French Dispatch. Usually, I wouldn’t enjoy a film that doesn’t mean much to me in the context of our world, but Wes Anderson creates his own world. When you walk into a theater and a Wes Anderson film is showing, you know you’re in for a treat. Everything transports you: the colors, acting, lighting. I would be stupid to say that I didn’t enjoy this film.”
Buskey’s students annually participate in a youth film festival hosted at Lincoln Center. Every year, Fieldston students walk away with an overwhelming amount of praise and recognition. Buskey said, “We have won national and international awards every year. One year, we were even selected to go to Denmark to present our films at a prestigious international film convention of the best student films.”
Hirschfield is also one of the passionate students who attends these festivals. She has participated in the Fieldston film program since she was in 8th grade and has loved every minute of it. “I love film because it’s so multidisciplinary. I’ll go into class and we’ll be talking about every aspect of a film that we watch. Essentially, we discuss all of the techniques that were employed to make the film good: lighting, technology, sound, blocking, camera skills and more. We will also talk about all of the themes in the film. I feel like I can bring all my experiences and humanity to class. The program is so welcoming to any of our ideas. I enjoy the liberties that the program provides for me and the entire filmmaking process from start to end,” said Hirschfield.
Buskey plans on taking both his film major class and film production minor class out again to see new films in the future. Buskey’s majors want to see Paul Anderson’s new film, Licorice Pizza, when it comes out in the spring. Also in the spring, the Upper School will view the film major’s productions at the Film Assembly. Buskey plans on either showing the trailers of all of his students’ films or showing only the seniors’ work. The Fieldston community always enjoys this meaningful display of students’ hard work and cannot wait to see the films that Buskey’s class produced this year!
