THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU

US, 2004, 118 minutes, Colour.
Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Angelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Bud Court, Seu Jorge.
Directed by Wes Anderson.

This is Wes Anderson’s fourth film (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums). The response to his films is both amusement and bemusement.

On the amusement side, he creates a gallery of quite extreme characters who are unpredictable and offbeat, writes amusing lines and has a way with wayward situations.

On the bemusement side, it is the gallery, the lines and the situations which are so offbeat that you are not sure where Anderson is going or where we the audience are going. You might not like the ride and get off. But, there is a certain oddball fascination that keeps you going.

Bill Murray does a splendid turn as Steve Zissou (a bemusing Jacques Cousteau parody), a kind of Discovery Channel explorer who has taken to the seas, made a series of programs, has had his best friend eaten by a ‘jaguar shark’ and who has fallen on hard times in his own self-esteem, Zissou company morale, in losing grants to his rival (and, possibly, his wife) and who finds a young man who could be his son has turned up. What is he to do? Go on a voyage and make a program on finding the jaguar shark.

In real life, the program would not have a chance of getting on a respectable channel – but that is part of the humour as the film is divided into the sections of the documentary. His crew is a collection of strange characters including Willem Dafoe doing a very funny turn as an over-loyal but rather slow German, a singer of David Bowie songs in Portugese, Noah Taylor and Michael Gambon as his producer. The brains behind the project is Angelica Huston as Zissou’s wealthy wife (who was once married to his rival, Jeff Goldblaum). Regular Anderson collaborator, Owen Wilson, is the possible son. He gives a performance that is the opposite of his usual screen persona (just in time as he as been ubiquitously overdoing it), a quietly well-mannered Kentucky gentleman. Add to the mix, a pregnant British journalist who is both tough and hormonally geared to outbursts of weeping, Cate Blanchett, and you might guess what you are getting into.

It is set in Italy and the Mediteranean, has a lot of sea action (including pirates) and some animation of the reefs and fish by Henry Sellick.

Obviously this kind of film could drive some audiences mad with its touches of the absurd – but for those who go along on the voyage, it is cleverly amusing/bemusing.

1. Wes Anderson and his offbeat comic style, the blend of the serious?

2. How did the film work as parody, satire, deadpan humour? Verbal humour, visual?

3. The Italian settings, the open ocean? The cross-section of the boat and the audience understanding the structure of the boat and the interconnections? The Italian town, the island, the resort? The underwater laboratory? Underwater photography?

4. The musical score, the David Bowie song sung in Portuguese – and the audience adjusting to translate them?

5. The title, the series of Steve Zissou’s films, the Discovery Channel and the parody? The human story of Steve Zissou? The political implications, finance, the media?

6. The opening, Italy and the gala premiere, the wealthy audience, the questions and answers? Steve’s presence? His immediate impact, disappointed and disillusioned? Still ambitious? The party, the people at the party? Steve’s relationships with Oseary, Alistair Hennessy? Klaus and the discussions? The young boy? His fearing failure? The contrast with the ending, the people at the new premiere, the seats, Steve outside, with the boy? The triumph, the procession, the final credits and the boat?

7. The visuals of the television show? The introduction to each of the members of the team, their character, their particular work, seeing them in action? The introduction to Esteban, underwater, his death? The mystery of the killing of Esteban? Steve’s anger, the disbelief – and his quest?

8. Bill Murray as Steve Zissou, his screen presence, his capacity for deadpan presentation, humour, the blend of the serious and the comic? A complex and unpredictable character? The memory of his life so far, Jacqueline, his separation from her? The island of Ping? His marriage to Eleanor? The background of Eleanor’s marriage to Alistair? Eleanor as the brains behind the expedition? His producing the series, the visual style, confiding in the audience? The chapters for the film and for the episodes? His relationship for the crew, the interns and their grades and his being demanding, their uniforms? Jane’s arrival, the plans for the article, his hopes? His relating to Jane? Her being pregnant? The arrival of Ned, the discussions, the revelation about his mother, the possibility that Ned was his son? His relating to Ned, inviting Ned along, seeing Ned on the beach with the fish and accepting him into the team? The ring and the uniform? Their talking, the bonding between the two? His coming on to Jane, her preferring Ned? The balloon episode and watching the ship and the sea? His growing jealousy of Ned and Jane? Bill, his arrival, being seen as a policy and insurance stooge? The voyage, the raid on the laboratory, the antagonism and jealousy towards Alistair? The arrival of the pirates, the attack, the fight, Steve killing one of them? The funeral? Alistair and his having lost everything to the pirates? The sense of mission? Going to Eleanor, asking her for money? Her finally deciding to give it? Jane, her disillusionment, her wanting to leave? The relationship with Ned? The siege, Alistair and the dog, going on the mission? The helicopter, Ned and his death? The attack on the hotel, the beach, Klaus and his wanting to be the surrogate son? The funeral? The sense of failure, seeming to be a fake? The challenge to his being a true leader, his vision of the shark, pursuing it?

9. The character of Eleanor, her relationship with Alistair, the divorce, marrying Steve – her motivation? The brains, the wealth? Her owning the island? The clashes with Steve, her relenting? Her relationship with Ned – and saying that Steve was impotent? Her conversations with Jane? At her home, the toy boy gardener? At the end on the expedition?

10. Alistair, his getting all the grants, the extended crew, the lavish uniforms, the high-powered boat, his boasts, his being robbed, the pirates destroying his headquarters, taking him prisoner, the rescue? His relationship and the joke about being half gay?

11. Ned, his arrival, from Kentucky, Kentucky Airlines, getting leave of absence? The discussions with Steve, the revelations about his mother, his being brought up in Kentucky, a gentleman, her revealing the truth? The letter? Going with Steve in the helicopter? On the beach, Steve’s invitation and his accepting? His relationship with Jane, telling her his story? The letters from Jane? The final confrontation, the siege, his death and funeral?

12. The character of Jane, the journalist, priggish English style? Pregnant, the phone calls to the father and not wanting to have anything to do with him? Her writing, her knowledge about science, her reaction to Steve’s advances, the balloon ride? Her moods and bursting into tears? Her changing, her attitude towards Ned, writing him the letters, on the mission, present at the end?

13. Oseary, Michael Gambon’s style, the money man, the deals with the Arabs, his relationship with the law? Coming to the end of finances? On the final expedition?

14. Klaus, Willem Dafoe’s comic style, jealousy on the boat, literal Germanic style, wanting to be a surrogate son, jealous of Ned? Steve finally giving him responsibility and his being grateful?

15. The different members of the crew, Vikram, the cut? Laple and his singing? Vladimir and his technical knowledge? Gunther and the recordings? Each and their relationship to Steve, membership of the team, the photography, the editing, the technical know-how? Their personalities – and their relationship with Steve?

16. Bill, coming on board, an object of ridicule, his being abducted, his being rescued, his coming into his own, strength, in the final expedition?

17. The importance of the boat, its layout, the boat as a character?

18. The point of this kind of semi-absurdist comedy? The meaning of life?