You need look no further than the various settings to know The Grand Budapest Hotel is going to have a lot to say about the past and how it's remembered. We start with a girl reading a book written by a man who tells the story of his younger self, who met a man who tells a story of his younger self.
Basically everything we see is a memory, open to misconstruction and interpretation. Perhaps even more thematically important, however, is how Gustave himself is remembered and how his presence itself is a callback to a past long gone.
Questions about Memory and the Past
- Whose memory are we really in? Is this Mustafa's head that visualizes his past, or is it the Author picturing the events as Mustafa describes them?
- What is the point of having so many layers and in distancing the core action of the story so far from what you might call the "present"? Is Anderson just being artsy, or might it serve a purpose?
- Do you think we can trust what we see on the screen? Is The Grand Budapest a story about how old minds bend the past over time, or should we take what we see for granted?
Chew on This
Gustave's inability to adapt to his present era is what ultimately causes his downfall.
Gustave's outdated ways are what brought him so much success. His ability to charm everyone around him with his genteel manners helped him gain the deserved trust and respect of those who knew him.