Isle of Dogs: The Eye of The Audience

Watching Isle of Dogs at the Prince Charles Cinema in the heart of Leicester Square in London was nothing short of an experience. Tucked in the corner of a busy walkway, one can't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by all the human activity going on.

Looking at Leicester Square, taking in the sights and smell, one could assume the power film holds over our society. Film has become an integral part of life, just like literature was in the 17-1800s. In a way, film has become a form of literature; a different medium of expression. This is why it is intriguing to think about the message certain films try to convey to their audience. Who knows--maybe film is like art; subjective. The audience may have a certain power regarding the narrative once the film hits the big screen. However, films like Wes Anderson's are interesting to discuss thoroughly to uncover the main message, even though it may vary depending on the individual.

Wes Anderson, director, filmmaker, animator. It seems that as of recently, before the Isle of Dogs, the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox was his most recent movies eliciting financial success. (Wikipedia). When thinking of both of these animated movies, one can immediately notice the specific style that is shown throughout his films. For an animated film, Anderson seems to uncover very serious themes that seem to be plaguing our society at this current time.

One has to keep in mind, in the film industry, the audience seems to have a specific role in driving the narrative. What is this movie really about? How did it make me feel? What thoughts or emotions did it invoke? are some of the questions one could think about regarding this topic. People like Wes Anderson, or film directors in general, try to guide the narrative in the way they create the movie. Like they say, it is all in the details. This is why it is never a coincidence when a viewer notices a small detail... most likely than not, this detail was not missed or overlooked. The director meant to add these small moments on the screen to guide the narrative. However, in the end it all comes down to the audience and how they react to it. This eventually drives sales, reviews among other things once the film is premiered.

After watching Isle of Dogs, I felt a vast array of different themes in this movie. There is the human vs. animal debate--which one is more humane?--there is also themes regarding political unrest, negative rhetoric in society and propaganda among with the effects it may have. Some of the effects of these themes are moments like the children who become more involved about what was going on in their current society. I feel like Wes Anderson's film is a depiction of our American society today. For example, the character that signifies the leader reminded of our current political unrest in the United States. There seems to be a commentary on how easy a person in power can spew negative rhetoric to the people, and how easily the people eat that up because of their leadership position. There seems to be less critical thinking going on and more blind faith, which is being represented in this film when one looks closely at the society as a whole in this imaginary (not so imaginary?) story.

There are many other representations that this movie can take, sometimes it depends on the eye of the audience. Therefore, in a way, film is subjective because an individual's reaction is important along with people like Wes Anderson, who use their creative power to create beautiful, intriguing, imaginative, thought-provoking films.