It goes without saying that some of the most unique and memorable movies the past few decades. One aspect of filmmaking that the director appears to be taking an interest in is stop motion animation.
To date, Anderson has directed two stop motion movies, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs. The focus of this article will be on his most recent animated movie, Isle of Dogs, taking a look behind the scenes of this Oscar-nominated movie.
Toho Mountain Is A Shout Out To Toho Studios
The film itself is heavily inspired by both Japanese culture and Japanese cinema. One particular element of Japanese culture and cinema that received its own Easter Egg in the movie was Toho Studios.
For those who are unaware, Toho Studios are one of the giants of Japanese Cinema, with the group having released the legendary Godzilla movies.
Yoko Ono Was Dubbed
Yoko Ono rose to fame due to her culturally significant relationship with John Lennon. While some assume that she was the main factor behind the break up of the Beatles, Paul McCartney has said on several occasions that this isn’t the case.
Yoko Ono also starred in Isle of Dogs as an assistant scientist also named Yoko Ono, with the Japanese singer and actress speaking fluent Japanese throughout the movie. Despite her ability to speak the language perfectly, Ono was still dubbed over in the film's Japanese release.
The Film Was Nominated For Two Oscars
Isle of Dogs was one of the most technically impressive animated movies of all time, with the film picking up two Academy Award nominations as a result, one for best Original Soundtrack and the other for Best Animated Feature.
While the movie would go on to lose both of the nominations, it was the only animated feature in 2018 to nominated for two awards.
There's A Homage To A Children's Book
One of the most iconic scenes in Isle of Dogs was the cleaning of Chief, with the dog finally getting washed of all the dirt and grease that had built up over the years to reveal the bright, white fur beneath.
This scene was an homage to the popular children’s book, Harry the Dirty Dog, in which a similar scene occurs. When the children in the book give the dirty dog a bath, they recognise it as their own dog. Chief even has similar spots to the dog in the original picture book.
Greta Gerwig Voiced Her Character In Two Dubs
The film had an all star cast, with the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, and Scarlett Johansson voicing characters. One actor in particular that turned in a stellar performance in the film was the fantastic Greta Gerwig, who voiced the foreign exchange student Tracy Walker.
What’s interesting to note is that because Gerwig can speak fluent French, she was able to also voice her character in Isle of Dogs' French dub. Gerwig, of course, directed the critically acclaimed Lady Bird and Little Women.
The Dogs Reenacted A Famous Photograph
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie shows the dogs eating their lunch atop a metal beam. On a stylistic note, the shot is one of the most attractive in the whole movie, showing the dogs on their island.
The shot is memorable for another reason. The scene draws inspiration from the iconic ‘Lunch Atop A Skyscraper’ photograph of construction workers eating their lunch on a metal beam above Manhattan.
All Of The Dogs Have Stereotypical Leaders' Names
The idea of being a pack leader is frequently mentioned throughout the movie. This calls back to the dogs reverting back to their ancestral ‘pack state,' with Chief appearing to the dominant dog of the central group.
That being said, all the dogs in the group have a name that means leader. Rex, Chief, King, Duke, and Boss are all synonyms for leader.
The Film Was Made Near An Actual Isle Of Dogs
The title Isle of Dogs is interesting for several reasons. The first is that, in English, the title is an interesting wordplay. When spoken aloud it sounds like ‘I love dogs’. The second is that the title, obviously, highlights the Island of Dogs.
What is interesting is that the film was produced in an East London studio, placing the production location three miles from an actual location known as the Isle of Dogs.
The Dog Shogun Has Historical Basis
One of the central plot points of the film is this century-long vendetta by an evil cat-loving dynasty to instigate a ‘cat-dominate’ rule over Japan. However, this is actually vaguely based on true Japanese history, though it was a dog-loving Shogun rather than a cat-loving shogun.
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was a Japanese Shogun who was known as the ‘Dog Shogun’ due to his love of dogs, with the Shogun even instituting several animal protection laws specific to man’s best friend.
Alpaca Wool Was Used For The Dogs' Fur
Wes Anderson’s movies always have a Anderson’s animated films that make them appear even more unique and surreal.
Perhaps one of these decisions that help make the dogs in the film stand out further is the use of alpaca wool for the dog fur. It is this unique use of alpaca wool that helped give the dogs their ramshackle design while on the island.
