Wealth and Wickedness: The Dark Side of a Director's Latest

Wes Anderson has a knack for creating worlds that are both visually stunning and emotionally complex. His latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, is no exception. This time, Anderson delves into the world of extreme wealth and the moral dilemmas that come with it. The story revolves around Anatole "Zsa-zsa" Korda, a super-rich businessman played by Benicio Del Toro. Korda is a man who has everything money can buy, but he's also a man with a dark past and a questionable future. The Phoenician Scheme is set in the 1950s, a decade known for its post-war boom and economic growth. But unlike Anderson's previous film, Asteroid City, which was a nostalgic ode to the American Southwest, this movie is a chillier, more global affair. Korda travels the world in private jets, making deals and enemies along the way. He's a titan of industry, an international man of mystery, and a man who destabilizes governments and exploits local workers. Korda's latest scheme is to develop a massive infrastructure project in a place called Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia. To pull this off, he decides to reconcile with his estranged daughter, Liesl. Liesl, played by Mia Threapleton, is a novitiate who scorns her father's dishonest business practices. There's also a rumor going around that Korda killed Liesl's mother. Despite all this, Liesl reluctantly goes along with Korda's plan, hoping she can do some good along the way. The Phoenician Scheme is a film about reconciliation, but it's also a film about the hollowness of extreme wealth. Anderson's style is often described as whimsical, but here, he's made a movie about the literal whims of tycoons. The film has his signature visual touches, but there's an uninviting coldness to the backdrops themselves. It's as if we're seeing the hollowness of extreme wealth. The Phoenician Scheme is one of Anderson's darker, angrier, more violent films. One of the first things we see is a man being blown in half by a bomb intended for Korda. Whenever he's in danger, Korda says, "Myself, I feel very safe, " which is hardly reassuring to those around him. The film is well aware that men like Korda make life worse for everyone else, which is why the happy ending is puzzling. The conclusion could be read either hopefully or cynically: for the "Zsa-zsa" Kordas of the world to do the right thing might well require an act of God. The Phoenician Scheme is a film that makes you think. It's a film that challenges you to look at the world of extreme wealth and ask yourself, "Is this really what we want? " It's a film that reminds us that money can't buy happiness, and that sometimes, the things we think we want are the things that hurt us the most. It's a film that's worth watching, even if it's not always easy to watch.