Planimetic Techniques In Wes Anderson's Kingdom

Often this is done by presenting subjects in a 3/4 view, over-the-shoulder shots, depth-of-field or off-centering the subject to create visual interest. While Wes Anderson doesn’t ignore these traditional techniques, he rarely employs them, opting instead for the planimetric approach.

His technique is further emphasized through meticulous technical mastery. Aside from the linear, frontally-focused framework of the planimetric schematic, Anderson has brilliantly achieved bilateral symmetry within these shots, throughout the oeuvre of his work. Even after tracking shots or pans the camera always lands in a perfectly centered, symmetrical shot. He also employs what Bordwell calls “compass-point editing,” which essentially places the camera at the center of a compass, and the cuts jump from zero to 180 degrees (the reverse shot) or at 90 degrees (the action in profile) (Bordwell 2007).

This planimetric, flat approach, as Anderson discusses, was intentional to
Sam and Suzy decide to run away into the wilderness of the idyllic fictional island, New Penzance, first out of love for one another, second to escape the confines and struggles of the adult world around them, including Suzy’s two lawyer parents (Bill Murray and Francis McDormand) in a sterile marriage, the bumbling Khaki Scout Master (Edward Norton), and a lonely island policeman (Bruce Willis). Though a narrative about children, Moonrise Kingdom addresses adult issues of love (or the lack thereof), newfound sexuality, infidelity, parenting, identity, and the sense of belonging. Sam and Suzy, traversing through the wilderness, equally must navigate the rocky terrain of their own maturation while finding their place in the complicated adult