Another way in which the assembled cast in any given Wes Anderson film attempt to ‘locate’ themselves is through their distinct, identifiable costumes, worn as you would a uniform to signal their place and role in the world. Characters often communicate more through their choice of clothing than they may directly express in words. This can be as straightforward as the hats worn by Zero in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Sam at the end of Moonrise Kingdom, declaring their job titles and affiliations (‘Lobby Boy’ and ‘Island Police’, respectively) or more subtle, as in The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Clothing is frequently used to connect characters in Tenenbaums, perhaps most obviously in the case of Chas Tenenbaum, who wears the same style of red-and-white tracksuit as his sons, Ari and Uzi. The film goes further in making these connections with regards to adoptive siblings Richie and Margot. The striped headbands worn by Richie, a former tennis champion, often complement the patterns in his sister Margot’s tennis dresses, subtly hinting at the complicated connection between the two of them that must be kept hidden. That flashbacks reveal the siblings’ wardrobe has remained largely the same since childhood makes for a funny visual gag, but also speaks to a long-lasting, and developmentally-arrested, obsession. Both seek to obscure this through other accessories: Margot is frequently cloaked in a huge fur coat, while Richie hides behind his large sunglasses, long hair and full beard.
The blue shirts and red caps worn by Team Zissou in The Life Aquatic fulfil this same function of connecting people; but also show when this connection has been broken. Eleanor, Steve’s estranged wife, is notably not wearing any component of this uniform at the beginning of the film – there’s not a red cap or speedo in sight in her wardrobe. Instead, she’s clad in white gowns, suits, and tunics. These outfits are directly comparable to the fashions of her ex-husband, and Steve’s self-proclaimed ‘nemesis,’ Alistair Hennessey. However, after coming to Steve’s aid after the Belafonte is hijacked by pirates, and she gradually starts to reconnect with him, her outfits slowly begin to incorporate more of the colour and structure of Team Zissou’s uniform. Eleanor donning a blue shirt in the film’s end-credit sequence suggests a reconnection with her husband and their team.
32 CinÉireann / April 2018