Inside The Phoenician Scheme: A Fantastical New Chapter in an Imagined Middle East
Charmingly esoteric director Wes Anderson’s latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, is another transportive venture into the filmmaker’s singular visual and narrative aesthetic. Set in the imagined year of 1950—but anchored in no real timeline or geography—the film unfolds across “Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia,” a fictional land evoking a stylized Middle East.
But this is no ordinary fantasy. Through ornate production design, metaphysical detours, and a globe-trotting antihero, Anderson once again distills time, space, and eccentricity into something entirely of his own making.
At the heart of the story is Anatole “Zsa-zsa” Korda, a flamboyant European business magnate portrayed by Benicio del Toro. A man constantly dodging death—having just survived his sixth plane crash when introduced—Korda is part tycoon, part conman, and entirely Andersonian.
His mission, or “scheme,” is to push forward a sprawling portfolio of infrastructure projects throughout the fictional Phoenicia. It’s a role designed to channel the spirit of old-world industrialists like Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos, as well as Lebanese businessman Fouad Malouf—who, notably, is the director’s own father-in-law.
The film’s ensemble cast includes regular collaborators like Willem Dafoe and Jason Schwartzman, joined by newcomers such as Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Riz Ahmed, Rupert Friend, and Tom Hollander.
Notably, the role of Korda’s daughter Liesl is played by Mia Threapleton—marking a breakout performance for the young actress, who happens to be the daughter of Kate Winslet.
And of course, there are other A-list surprises in the film, such as Tom Hanks, whose brief but pivotal appearance is classic Anderson misdirection—unexpected, sly, and oddly touching.
The opulence of Korda’s lifestyle is integral to the film’s lush production design. Rather than sourcing a real-world palazzo, Anderson and longtime production designer Adam Stockhausen crafted Korda’s world from the ground up inside Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, Germany. Babelsberg, a studio steeped in cinematic history—from Metropolis to The Grand Budapest Hotel—provided the perfect canvas for Anderson’s architectural fantasies.
Korda’s residence, a dreamlike Italian palazzo stuffed with priceless artworks, nods subtly to the legacy of oil magnate and collector Calouste Gulbenkian, whose Lisbon-based museum preserves his 6,000-piece collection.
The film also ventures into unexpected metaphysical territory. As assassination attempts escalate and Korda’s empire begins to wobble, he experiences a surreal vision of the afterlife. These scenes, anchored by Willem Dafoe playing a spectral judge of sorts, place Korda inside a celestial chamber lit by a greenhouse roof—one of several ethereal sets designed to play with the idea of “heaven” without resorting to clichés.
This luminous sanctuary, constructed on a Babelsberg soundstage, reinforces Anderson’s desire to let the theatricality of filmmaking remain visible.
Back on Earth, Liesl—a sharp-eyed nun played by Threapleton—serves as the film’s moral compass, confronting her father’s shady dealings with quiet urgency. Her presence grounds the otherwise operatic tale in emotional terms, hinting at redemption even as her father’s empire teeters on collapse. Anderson’s dedication to constructed environments—combined with carefully choreographed camera work and dense visual metaphors—keeps The Phoenician Scheme rooted in his signature style.
From an overhead bathing scene inspired by Brian De Palma to the barely contained chaos of high-stakes diplomacy in Phoenicia’s gilded halls, every frame reflects the obsessive craftsmanship that fans have come to expect. Though set in an unreal place, the film resonates with our very real fascination with ambition, moral ambiguity, and the global titans who reshape history while escaping accountability.
In The Phoenician Scheme, Anderson doesn’t just create a new world—he builds a fable out of the ruins of several.
And, oh did we mention also in the film are Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend and Hope Davis.
The Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEuMnPl2WI4
No comments:
Post a Comment