Upon watching The Grand Budapest Hotel for what is now the third time, I took particular interest in a specific aspect of mise-en-scene (forgive me, I do not have the accent marks): costuming! A large part of what makes The Grand Budapest Hotel and other Wes Anderson films so memorable is his ability to instill the images of eccentric (oftentimes, also suave) characters into the minds of viewers through their appearances.

In an effort to understand just how Anderson approaches the costuming in The Grand Budapest Hotel, I have come across an an interview, in article form, with the costume designer Milena Canonero, who worked with Anderson on the Grand Budapest to execute his creative vision regarding costuming.

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Simply put, this interview exemplifies the core values of costuming in film. In class, we have discussed how appearances silently hint at a character’s nature, and how crucial this information can be as we learn more and more about their identity. Canonero furthers our views through the example of Madame D’s costuming in relation to her character. “A Klimt-like print was envisioned for Tilda Swinton’s elderly art collector,”–Jaime Soto Jr, Film 101 (Atlanta: Emory University, 2024). In making Swinton’s costume design reflect a Klimt-like style, the identity of Madame D as an art collector in the story is reinforced. Without appropriate costuming, her character would be less identifiable, making her not only less interesting, but less concrete in Anderson’s narrative.