The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014
Wes Anderson's THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is the director's celebration of Central Europe culture and fashion in the years between the World Wars, and an elegy for what was lost with the rise of fascism and communism. Set in 1932 in a fictional country called Zubrowka, the streets, military regalia and (ersatz) German names we are shown could have come from anywhere between Germany and Estonia.

Told in flashback by a man who lived it, the story of the Grand Budapest Hotel is both wildly fantastic and incredibly heartbreaking. Meet Zero Moustafa, a refugee from a war-torn land who has come to the famous European hotel to begin a better life. He signs on as Lobby Boy under the respected and enigmatic Mr. Gustave H, the concierge of the hotel and the lifeblood of every event within it. Gustave takes Zero under his wing, teaching him the secrets of a good hotelier, and becoming his fast friend. So when one of Gustave's mistresses dies, leaving behind a great fortune, the pair become blood-brothers & co-conspirators, attempting to win their share of the wealth. But it won't be easy...

Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray
Country: Germany, USA
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime


BD50, 2xDVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:39:55 | 45.7 Gb + 13.5 Gb
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by Wes Anderson, co-writer Roman Coppola, actor Jeff Goldblum, and critic Kent Jones. The commentary offers an abundance of technical information about the conception of The Grand Budapest Hotel, its narrative structure and visual style, some possible classic influences (Ernst Lubitsch is mentioned), the use of music, etc. There is plenty of information about the specific locations that were chosen for the film as well. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2020.

Vising "The Grand Budapest Hotel" - three-part program. In English, not subtitled.

-- Design/Special Effects - special effects artists Jeremy Dawson and Adam Stockhausen discuss the evolution of their professional relationship with Wes Anderson and some of the specific work that was done in The Grand Budapest Hotel. (26 min, 1080p).

-- Music - music supervisor Randall Poster some of the music choices that were made while creating the soundtrack for The Grand Budapest Hotel. Raw footage from a recording session is included as well. (6 min, 1080p).

-- Miniatures - highlighted in stills and raw footage. (3 min, 1080p).

The Making of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" - this program offers raw footage from the production of The Grand Budapest Hotel and highlights Wes Anderson's working methods. In English, not subtitled. (22 min, 1080p).

Storyboards Animatics - six storyboards-to-film pieces from key sequences of the film. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 1080p).

Video Essays -

-- "Wes Anderson Takes the 4:3 Challenge" - in this video essay, professor David Bordwell discusses Wes Anderson's unique cinematic style as well as some of the most common themes in his films. The Grand Budapest Hotel is deconstructed as well. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 1080p).

-- "The Grand Budapest Hotel" - Matt Zoller Seitz analyzes The Grand Budapest Hotel and comments on the manner in which comedy and melancholy give it its identity. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

Featurettes - the following collection of featurettes focuses on Wes Anderson's working methods and the conception, production and visual style of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Clips from various cast and crew interviews are included.

Trailer - original trailer for The Grand Budapest Hotel. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).