Barber Shop Scene

 
  
    This scene in Wes Anderson's Rushmore portrays Max's feeling of dismay because he thinks that he will have to follow in his fathers footsteps after he was kicked out of Rushmore. The background in this shot is quite boring and bland.This plainness is shown through the use of the colors white and brown. This plainness helps draw the focus of the scene to Max and the mirror. It also emphasizes how unexciting it is to be a barber. This bland overtone contrasts with Max's exciting and adventurous personality because Max is always doing something adventurous like trying to build an aquarium, bee keeping, or writing plays. The mirror illustrates how Max is doomed to being a barber because it shows only Max and his father. The way Max's father is positioned in the shot reinforces Max's fate because his father’s face is smaller than his and in the corner of the mirror drawing attention from max’s father. This makes it seem as if Max is isolated and contemplating this by himself. The feeling of isolation also contrasts with Max’s personality because he is always surrounded by people helping him with projects like when he was walking through the public high school and had people that were acting as his assistants. Max's facial expression and body language suggest that he is saddened and defeated because he will be a barber just like his father. Max even lies about his dad's job because he is embarrassed of it and expresses this embarrassment when he says to Mr. Blume " I may not be rich, Mr. Blume. And my father may only be a doctor. But we manage.”  The bright lighting in the shot contrasts with the gloomy mood in the scene ;however, The shot is also using the lighting to display a plain, boring feeling which makes Max envision his future.The plain white robe covering Max's clothes reiterates how his creative personality is being suppressed by his lack of opportunity. A good item to add to this seen would be a trash can filled with his plays and items from Rushmore because he has lost all of the things that define him and has been forced to be something that he doesn't want to be.
Rushmore. Dir. Wes Anderson. Perf. Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray. Touchstone Pictures, 1998. DV