Here’s the first trailer for Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, and it looks old-timier than usual. Note the full frame aspect ratio throughout most of the trailer, which was probably a conscious decision to help evoke the look and feel of a pre-war film.* What’s surprising is how well Anderson’s distinct color palettes and chockablock diorama compositions still work in a square frame.
Inspired by the work of Ernst Lubitsch and Billy Wilder (the vibe of both is there in this trailer), the film’s ensemble includes Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Léa Seydoux, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson.
Whew.
The Grand Budapest Hotel comes out March 7, 2014. You can see the poster for the film here.
* Unnecessary editor’s note: If I’m not mistaken, 1.33:1 and 1.37:1 aspect ratios were standard up until the early 1950s.
