Rushmore (1998)

Wes Anderson. Need I say more?

Okay, just a few words. Not Anderson's first feature-length film, although it is the first in which we really recognize his 'stilo'. Stilo was the term used by Truffaut and friends to indicate the mark a director left on his motion picture. Anderson was a distinct fan of the French new wave directors and that is sure to be seen in all of his works. He directs his movies almost as if they are theatrical plays. Costumes and decors are as important to him as dialogues and script. Still through the use of subtleties he creates movies which are full of drama, humor and compassion.

Rushmore, a story on friendship, love and ambition set against the backdrop of the American university tradition. A tradition of competition that opened up the door to the new elitist 'ivy style'. A style lately more and more popular resulting in the re-release of the Japanese classic Take Ivy and the British The Ivy Look. Anderson was long familiar with the ivy look. The button-down Oxford shirts worn by all the students, the turtleneck sweater under a tweed-jacket and the iconic harrington jacket. The classic chicano look, light-blue oxford shirt with only the top-button fastened and accompanied by all black sunglasses, is not ivy at all but it has just as much style. And note the giant headlight on Max's racebike.

ps. I had to select all these portraits of Bill Murray. He's the king of facial expressions without expression. Together with Anderson he's just it. Every single shirt matches his tie, or the other way around. Awesomeness.