Commentaire de Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom Review

Once again, Wes Anderson successfully creates a unique magical atmosphere that will drag you into the narrative, all while making you reflect about universal themes. The entire film is filled with meaningful and aspiring lines. As, for instance, the famous question: “What kind of bird are YOU?” asked by Sam to Suzie when they first meet. Or the question that made us all laugh: “Are your ears pierces?” asked by Sam as he shows her the fish hooks. Other lines make us think, such as the questions ask to Suzie by her mother: “My poor Suzie, why is everything so hard for you?”

        You will be amazed by the accuracy with which Wes Anderson describes your childhood dreams and thoughts throughout a series of symbolic scenes. One of the best comes before Sam and Suzie get married, when they step aside to reflect upon the decision that they are about to make. They both go stand in front of a trampoline on which a child is jumping, to then walk away from the trampoline and their childhood, toward marriage and adulthood. This scene show a very childish but also very mature view of marriage. Another symbolic scene is when we see the reaction of the Bishops, when they learn that their daughter is missing. Mrs. Bishop goes out like usual, to “share a cigarette” with Captain Sharp, while Mr. Bishop goes to the back yard to “find a tree to chop down”. Once again, the children are left unattended.

        In the beginning, Sam and Suzie are surrounded by adults who love and care about them, but refuse to see them for who they are. They are seen are entities to be protected, not as children with unique and complex personalities. This reaches a climax with the introduction of Social Services, a cold, authoritarian figure whose goal is, ironically, to protect Sam. She helps everyone realize that she is unfitted to save him, and that he needs attention, which he later receives from captain Sharp.

        Throughout the movie, Wes Anderson describe a dream, the dream that every child wants to live. I recall having such a dream. When I was Sam’s age, I would go to bed every night hoping that something special would happen. I dreamt of going on an adventure, an adventure so hard and long that it would shape who I am for the rest of my life. An adventure so spectacular that the person I would live it with would become the love of my life, and we would grow up and old together. Just like Sam, I wanted to take the girl I loved into an adventure.

        We all dreamt it, but Wes Anderson did it. He took Sam and Suzie into an adventure, a perfect one. They face a great danger when the khaki scouts find them, and have to fight for their lives and stab one of the scouts. They also face discord, when Suzie says that she regrets not to be an orphan. This forces Sam to become more mature and give the adult response:  “No Suzie, you don’t. I love you, but you don’t know what you’re talking about. ” (Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom) They ultimately find love, which is immediately challenged by their parents. They then have to learn to adapt for their love to live.

Its very relatable story, as well as its overwhelming colors seems to be what caused Moonrise Kingdom’s success. Released in 2012, it was immediately acclaimed. With a budget of only $16,000,000, grossed $45,507,053. Soon after its release, Moonrise Kingdom was nominated for one Oscar, one Palme D’or, two Golden Globes for Wes Anderson’s screenplay and direction, and got very positive review. For instance, Roger Ebert, one of the most trusted and respected film critics, wrote: “It immediately becomes more than a series of events and is transformed into a world with its own rules, in which everything is driven by emotions and desires as convincing as they are magical” (Rober Ebert, 2013)

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