"Ugh," you might say when watching The Grand Budapest Hotel. "Look at those moldy, vain, snobs. They're so concerned with their art and their L'Air de Panache, Pouilly-Jouvet, and chiaroscuro."
However, The Grand Budapest Hotel doesn't only mock this excess of what might be called "culture"—it also celebrates it. The Grand Budapest itself is a bastion of art, and a central plot point, Boy with Apple, is an artistic masterpiece.
Questions about Art and Culture
- In what way is art and culture valuable within the film?
- What can we make of Gustave's poetry? Is it a joke about what people consider(ed) to be beautiful verse?
- How can we see the taste in art changing between 1932 and 1968?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
The Grand Budapest is an argument for the value and longevity of art and culture.
The Grand Budapest argues that art and culture are pompous and without purpose.