Chris, I am a 61-year old mother of 4 grown children. I have watched "Life Aquatic" at least 20 times over the past 10 years or so. Since the first time I rented the DVD from Blockbuster, I've always watched it ALONE. I can't explain the movie to others - - so I've never bothered asking anyone to sit and watch it with me. It has become my own private "deep dive" into whatever meaning of life I take away. You've said it well - - the take-away message changes each time, because our perspective of life changes.

I just saw Grand Budapest and thought, “what a perfectly crafted, beautiful movie.” This movie, i thought, “what a messy, imperfect, beautiful life.”

"Are you finding what you were looking for... out here with me? I hope so." I adore this quote, it sticks with me.

I have "this is an adventure" tattooed on my chest. I can't explain why I connect with this film as good as you but ending scene when you expect a climax and instead he just ponders "I wonder if it remembers me" kills me.

I'm a middle-aged man. When I was younger, I had my own puzzle films that revealed new facets with every viewing. Blade Runner, 8&1/2, Barton Fink, etc. They're great films, which I highly recommend. Still, I envy you this weird masterpiece, which will still reveal new truths for years to come. Your video definitely revealed a facet I never noticed, about the confusion between public identity and self in the internet age. That stuff blindsided some of us. I can't imagine what it must have been like to grow up in a world where Andy Warhol's prophecy, that everyone would be famous for 15 minutes, would literally come true. But I think you caught something profound here with Steve's struggle to find his true self outside the public persona he's so addicted to, that's slowly running dry. He's like an addict chasing the dragon of external validation, and each hit yields less satisfaction. In calling out how prophetic this is of the internet age, I think you hit on something really heavy. But if I may spoil the future, I think you have yet to see the biggest, deepest experience of this film. I think Wes and Noah wrote it as an exploration of middle-age, the onset of old age, and the sudden, certain awareness of eminent death. The shift from youth to middle-age often brings with it the reality of death with shocking clarity. It comes with anxiety, disappointment, and no small amount of self-loathing. When faced with middle-age, you realize that whoever you are is the person you were destined to grow up to be. You can't imagine how disappointing that can feel. Even for those of us who've seen a few dreams come true, many childhood dreams are dashed. Countless possibilities disappear in the rear-view mirror. And regardless of how absurd and unrealistic those dreams were, it's inevitably heartbreaking. In Life Aquatic, Steve's quest is to get revenge on death itself, for taking his illusions away. By killing Esteban, his symbolic brother, perhaps even his other self (Esteban being Spanish for Steven), the jaguar shark takes away Steve's innocence of death. Watching Esteban die, Steve saw the endpoint of his descent into obsolescence; his own inevitable end. So his revenge quest is to kill death, just as Captain Ahab sought revenge on the whale that took away his illusion of invulnerability. But what makes this story so modern, and so moving, is that it's less about a man dashed against the inevitability of death, as with Moby Dick, but about finding peace with it, even admiration for the magnificence of the natural cycle. In the end, amid the ashes of his lost dreams, surrounded by loved ones, Steve sees the beauty of it all. I don't know if this makes sense to you. But I think someday it might.

I never understood Eleanor until your video. Thank you so much for diving into her arc. The funeral scene is so much more intense with the casket floating down now that I understand the gravity behind her feelings. I saw a hell of a lot in myself in Steve and Ned both and this movie has helped cope with my own flaws. Life is like the shark. No matter what you do, it moves on without you. You have all these great expectations of what you’re going to do when “that one moment” comes along but when it happens sometimes you just have to sit there and watch. The world is out of our control, no matter how much we want to tame it. Thank you for this movie analysis. It struck a few great chords with me.

My favourite movie of all-time, and this is the best video I've seen on it. I will always return to this... beautiful work

Another thing at the end of the movie that relates to your analysis, he leaves the film award on the stairs to carry the boy on his shoulders. Great analyses, i’m definitely going to check out your other videos

When I first watched this movie (my step-dad showed it to me) I really got the theme of family, and mostly fatherhood, out of it. With Steve trying to show off in his documentary what a great father he is to Ned but clearly showing how he has no idea what being a father is actually about. I think in the end he comes to realize how much of a father figure he already was to his crew and he doesn't have to put on an act to be a god father. The second time, I watched it when I was on holiday with my father (,who honestly was a pretty rubbish father). Throughout the film, he didn't laugh or even smile once and at the end of it, he even said "I don't get it... I didn't get any of this" and this only made me laugh, my own shitty Dad saying he didn't understand a movie about someone finding out what being a good father means was like he had downright admitted to being a bad father to me.

i wouldn't say the storytelling in this movie is the best, but i enjoyed this movie a lot, and found quite a few truths in it. to me, it was the story of becoming old and washed up, and losing the joy in everything you've built and loved to do, the ultimate pointlessness of material gain, and how much more important people are. after all, materialistic gains are the spice of life, friends and family are the meat.

The Life Aquatic is such a dreamy film. Great work. Thanks so much.

I remembered seeing the cover for The Life Aquatic in a DVD rental shop in a town I used to live in, probably around 2005. The cover (being a massive yellow submarine) caught my eye, but I didn’t catch the name of the film; I never saw it and it slipped my mind. Skip forward to 2013 and I’m at a second-hand sale; the cover jumps out at me from a pile of other DVDs. I buy it for £2 and watch it as soon as I got home. How I view the film has changed since I first saw it: first time I thought it was decent, then I started to watch other Wes Anderson films. Now I view it in a completely different way, how the characters interact with the different scenarios, how Steve changes from the film premiere to facing the Shark for the last time. It’s one of my favourite films and a beautiful one as well. Your video analyses it perfectly! Well done!

This is one of the best movie commentary/analysis videos I've seen!

Hey man I'm not sure if you'll ever read this but I really want to thank you for this video. My father loved this movie and so do I, it is easily my favorite Wes Anderson movie with Grand Budapest Hotel close behind. He passed unexpectedly earlier this year and this movie has been on my mind ever since then, your video was the most I've seen of this movie in a very long time. I think the last time I watched it was with him in 2020. The themes you brought up in your video are all thoughts I've had every single day since that awful day, especially about self worth and lying to yourself. I'm very much a "stuff it down" type of person when it comes to these emotions but you've really helped me deal with some emotions that I really needed help dealing with. I miss him tremendously, every day. I think I'll try watching the movie tonight. Thank you very much for this video, I wish you the best in life.

I think this movie was pure genius. And ur assessment of the main characters and the emotional turmoil they each face to overcome their own individual fears is dead on. The first time i watched this movie i too was extremely confused, but ultimately that's what kept me coming back to it over and over. And now it is one of my favorite drama/comedy.

That was a beautiful expression of the movie that captured me all those years ago, summed up in words that I could never fathom to express. Bravo.

For me music plays a mayor role on the film, and in my reaction to it. I’ve watched it so many times! I find a deep nostalgia for things that haven’t happened yet, maybe never will… Not my favourite Wes Anderson film, but maybe his best. Thank you for this video.

"I wonder if it remembers me"...the point of mortality and life? I need to watch this. Tried once and failed for probably the reason you cited. But I find that Bill Murray usually is attached to really good films. Anderson, also, is an excellent storyteller. As for presenting a happy face: just recently realizing that so much is sacrificed when we want to appear to be one thing to be accepted. Considering that quite a lot right now. Excellent commentary. Thank you.

My all time favorite movie. I must revisit this movie at least once or twice a year, though its usually more. It's nice to know there are others that are just as drawn to this masterpiece as I am. It's just not talked about enough. And maybe its because none of us really know what to say, and why we're drawn to it. We just are.

Life aquatic is the most beautiful, poignant movie about fatherhood I have ever seen. Many characters in the film are searching for the idesl father, and Steve is full of regret for the father figures he’s lost and for the father and husband he’s failed to be, that’s what the shark represents: recall that when he finds it he confesses he’s out of dynamite (he shoots blanks - another reference if inability and regret to be able to father)Is all from perspective of an 11 1/2-year-old boy and a boy failing as a father to his stand in sons. To see a father in the harsh light of reality it always brings tears to my eyes and purges my soul. Fantastic film.

I was saying this to my boyfriend last night! I always notice something different every time I’ve watched it and iv watched it a lot. watched it four times in one day.

Thanks man. I was totally confused first time I saw it too. I've probably only watched it about 15-20 times since, but every single time I get a chill when Steve sees the jaguar shark. That piece of music, star alfur has stayed with me and has very deep connection as I had that song at the funeral of my youngest child. I think I know what I'm going to do next weekend. I'll be watching it again 😉

Steve is, himself, full of meaning to those around him. These different takes is probably what it feels like living on that boat. "Was it like this? Was it me? Was that intentional?" To which a humbled Steve would say, "I'm sorry that happened to you, I'm just trying to get through this."

The film is messy, like feelings usually are.

Me too , Dude . Me too . This movie hooked me hard as well.

I have always felt the same with the Life aquatic, it's my favourite Wes Anderson movie for the very reasons you described! I relate so much to different characters each time and also dealing with disappointment. It's much deeper than it seems initially. Great vid.

Thank you for this video essay it's one of the most genuine I've every seen.

Thank you SO MUCH for creating this. It is absolutely beautiful. I've also always had a strange emotional connection with this film since seeing it in the theater when I was about 12. Its been a constant for me throughout life ever since. I've never been able to explain but hearing someone else express the same thing and give their perspective means so much.

Dude your video gave me cold chills! Your interpretations on the movie are amazing and I've never been able to describe why I watch this movie so much. You explained it perfectly. Thank you

Great Video! I love this film so much and I always try to find new meaning in it every time I watch it. I love that Ned is standing on the top of the Bellafonte at the beginning of the credits. It always makes me smile.

6:35 I never understood that shot...til literally just now. Great video dude, I've totally subscribed and I would be watching more...but I need to watch Life Aquatic again now. Thank you so much :)

1 meaning of the movie: The shark is an analogy for each charecters greatest fear, and the way they talk about and approach the topic of the shark, is at least one of the main points of interest.

Thank you! Thank you for shedding light on the depth and multifacetedness of this movie. Yesterday was my first, for some reason I was afraid of watching it (while I'm a Wes Anderson admirer). And now? Your text makes me wonder if this is more ingenious than Tenet - and even less people get it. I will watch it again and again from now on.

Just recently watched the film and loved it, found some things from this video that I didn’t realize about it, great work

This is a movie that means different things throughout your life. I feel like Royal Tennenbaums has a similar effect, as you gradually start to identify with different characters as your life circumstances change.

well i just cried at the part at the end where you showed ned and mentioned how this movie is a mirror for times when you're lacking direction. that hit me really hard.

I find it peculiar how like our experiences are with this very personal film. Thank you for your Summary, Adustus. It was Brilliant.

I just watched this film a day ago, and I must say that while I didn’t love it, it’s still a fascinating character study. Zissou is a man who has made many mistakes in his life and it’s clear that he probably regrets the path he chose for himself. I also think he has a hard time opening up to people like Ned and Jane because they know him as a heroic adventurer but not as a real person; he has to drop the mask to let people in but he’s scared to because the real Steve Zissou isn’t nearly as great a person as the persona he has cultivated is.

Life Aquatic was the first movie by Wes Anderson that saw. I love it more than the others, and always will.

Really nice analysis Adustus. Bill Murray's subtleties always convey so much with so little. Finding the shark really gives him the validation and closure he needed to move on.

"We start the voyage home in our wounded vessel..."

I just watched this for the first time. I was absolutely stunned. Every character felt like a different internal struggle. The ending challenged me but also empowered me to step up to the task of life in a heavy and important way. As a very light-hearted, silly person with a lot of internal struggles, it felt like a gift to find so much substance in such a silly and fun movie. Definitely an all-time favorite viewing experience.

I understand you perfectly. This is my favorite film of all time,and every time I tell someone this I get weird looks... it doesn't matter though. It's a masterpiece and holds a special place in my heart,both for personal and aesthetic reasons.

Life Aquatic is my favorite Wes Anderson film. Wasn't really sure why until I saw your video. Time to rewatch. Great video! Really great.

You deserve FAR more credit for this.

How is Wes so wise beyond his years ? How did he grow up to see what he produces. Genius .

Thankyou for making a video on this film, it's one that's always held my interest whilst a lot of my friends dismiss it, in preference for the more loud I suppose wes Anderson work, and it's nice to see a video on it

Thanks 🙏🏾 Really. Your video opened a chapter for rewatching the film in a different view. Congrats for sharing.

the way you talk about this movie reminds me of myself and how I watch movies, honestly its just cool to see how you explained this and your reaction to it.

Thank you so much for putting words on things I feel since 20 years with this movie

This movie changed my life when o first saw it in high school. And I have no idea why. I’m excited to watch it again.

This was an absolutely fantastic analysis, thank you so much for sharing!

I love this video. The Life Aquatic is my favorite Wes Anderson film. I always see it as Steve is so obsessed with killing that shark that his priorities go crazy, and he loses everything, but then when he puts his priorities back in order, they find the shark, but his obsession is gone, and the things that are the very most important to Steve were things he always had to begin with. There are so many awesome ways to look at this film, and I'm glad I'm not the only person that thinks that.

Thank you for putting into words 1/10 a way this film made me feel. I will never truly be able to describe how I felt watching every scene, but I feel that’s the beauty of Wes Anderson’s films.I will never need describe how is cinematography and storytelling evokes emotions because the film makes me feel them, it’s personal in that way.

It's a movie about people. That's why it's the best movie I've ever seen.

Great take on one of my favorite movies. I find myself in all the characters at times.

Damn, I too was confused and had mixed feelings about this movie, but couldn't put my finger on what the problem was. You helped me understand this movie and appreciate it a lot more. This will be one I'll revisit every now and then.

I had a similar experience with the Royal Tennenbaums. The first time I watched it I was around 21, and was estranged from my father so a lot of its themes connected with me. When I got around to A Life Aquatic I had a similar experience - I was Ned, a grown man with a child's need for a father, realising that my father was a real, flawed, human being, utterly terrified of vulnerablility just like the rest of us. This film genuinely helped me learn to forgive my father and I still go back to it frequently, although as I get older I find I'm starting to project more onto Steve and so the themes of aging and being passed my prime are becoming more prominant.

16 of us went to see this movie when it came out. every range of review and feeling was experienced. from "well if that's what is passing for movies these days..." to "best movie ever!" ... myself and one other person laughed so hard at the oddest things like the way bill murray sat in the jeep and the swamp leeches...i still cry if i hear the ending song... i don't understand why this movie is such an emotional roller coaster. i don't care. it is one of the best movies ever made. it is in a class all by itself.

This was a superb piece. Your views really aligned with what I took from the movie and your perspective was really interesting and well presented. Great job!

Yes! I can watch this on so many levels and find myself watching this way more than any other🖤🐋

I totally feel you on the fact that I really can't explain my love for this movie or why it's so high on my favorites (#4) but I always get different feelings whenever I watch it. "I wonder if it remembers me" always get me sad and I cried the first time I watched it. Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Royal Tenebaums are way superior movies to The Life Aquatic but this is definitely my favorite Anderson film. Thanks for the video.

Maybe it takes a bit of energy to follow this, but I laud this speaker. Thank you for baring your soul and telling us something new!

What a deep beautiful emotional review. Goosebumps... Thank you

beautiful video man just watched that masterpiece yesterday and... wow, what a simple yet complex movie!

Thanks for the really insightful video. Like you this film has a lot of meaning for me, has multiple layers of interpretation and mood but is ultimately a positive and uplifting film. I love talking to people about this film as it’s a world in itself.

This is the only film interpretation that made me cry. It was painfully insightful. I'm keeping this.

You nailed it, buddy, (All of) Wes Anderson's films portray a visual mystique to change your narrative the number of times you watch his films. That's what makes Wes Anderson one of the most profound filmmakers of his generation.

That scene with the shark at the end, pulls the entire movie together. Without it, or if it had been done even slightly different, would have made the entire thing fall apart.

I just watched this movie today for the first time and I was looking for some analysis since I felt exactly as you described at the beginning, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this one. That scene at 6:27 finally made sense, I agree with you. This made me revalue the whole thing and shed some more light on its deep meaning, thank you! :) (also the fact that no matter what kind of situation you're going through, you keep being brought back to this movie shows how much life wisdom is put into it I think..)

Wow. Thanks for this video. It recently dawned on me that this may be my most watched film. Haven’t seen it in 10 years. After seeing it for the first time around 2007, I must have watched it a good 15-20 times over a few year period. This reminded me to order the Criterion Collection of this excellent film. The Royal Tenenbaums is also up there in terms of viewings. I always find a different interpretation of them. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood may also become one of this type of films.

I see the shark as a part of zissou, all his regrets and mistakes, that’s why he is trying to kill it. But in the end he faces those regrets and instead of fighting them he accepts them and moves on.

Possibly the most beautiful review I’ve ever heard.

this essay resonated with me very very much. thank you for this. analysis with an emotional investment.

I have a weird connection too this movie too...and I'm not even a Wes Anderson fan. I'm glad I found your review. And I'm glad I'm not alone :)

Love this video and love you sir. Incredible perspective and I am moved

Love the film, love your analisis. I watch it whenever I cant watch the movie, by the same reasons you watch it. Thanks, really thanks man

This has been my favorite movie since I first saw it years ago. It is a very special piece of cinema indeed.

Excellent review. You really put a lot of thought into it. It’s almost 5 or 6 movies in one when you analyze it from the perspective of each character. I’ve only seen it a few times, but it is one of my favorite films. If you had asked me why, I wouldn’t have been able to give you a definitive reason. I’d probably say it was funny or goofy. But there is something about this film that is haunting. It’s a warning - Don’t lose sight of what is important in life. And if you don’t know what that is, you’d better find out quick.

I think this is one of Anderson's best, despite critics ecc... I loved everything about it and this is also the movie that introduced me to Anderson's cinema, and I feel so grateful for this. But above all, I feel a sort of connection to this movie because part of it was shooted in my birth place, Naples (Italy) the very week I was born, and the fact that all these great people were in Naples while I was coming into this world is so meaningful to me

Nicely done. Also my favorite movie for many of the reasons you noted.

Amazing! Thank you and Wes! Jakub and Hanka, 52, calm, collected, born in Brno, Czech Republic.

Ive just watched this movie for the first time and didn’t know what to think of it. Some scenes really blew me away and others felt like there was no meaning behind it, contrary to other Wes Anderson films. But after watching this analysis and reevaluating the synopsis of the film, I’ve come to realize that those seem to be meaningless moments are the reasons that the impactful scenes have so much purpose. Wes Anderson’s movie’s always seems to have an impact on my life somehow and in someway, really looking forward to this re watch

Fantastic video. Thank you so much for this. I just watched this movie again for the first time in years and it felt so different from the last time I watched it. I think it's because I'm different, as is the world around me. But that's great art, you can get different things from it depending on how you approach it.

I can't get enuff of this gem 💎 of a movie ever since it came out, I feel Steve's character so much he's the zissou

I love when the lighting changes in the pirates scene. Stevezie it sounds better.

There's so many layers to it. It's a beautiful journey

Wonderfully done. Thanks for sharing this.

What a beautiful, poignant, and honest video. Thank you

💯 Best movie ever... Great commentary 👍 ✨💫🐎

Your video is quite great I've watched it many times watching it again now

this is and will always be one of my favourite movies its so sweet and made me cry a lot. love it (also imo it has the best score like ever)

Oh man. This is an incredible analysis. I don't know how much I agree with it objectively but I know that's not the point at all. I love your subjective approach to this and what it means to you. I totally get the point you made really early on - something draws you to this film and you don't know what. The ending (the Staralfur part) to me is so significant, and there's an obvious surface-level meaning to it, but I know there's something deeper that resonates me and I don't really know how to put it into words. It feels intentional. Anyway. Damn, you're good.

For me also it’s a movie that I revisit often. I’m not sure that I fully agree with you on some points, but in general I can see your approach. Steve is indeed a unhappy man that must show to others he’s happy. And bill Murray is perfect for the job. Good clip.

Great video. I absolutely adore this movie.

This movie is so subtle and amazing and there is so much to say about it.

I won't say that this is my favourite movie, but like you, I have a particular connection with it. It reminds me of the type of universe that I could build when I was a child. And like you, I relate to this film when I feel some emotions in my life. (One of the few movies that creates the same effect on me is Magnolia.) I think what this movie try to capture is summed up in the last cue : "This is an adventure." Sometimes, when I get confronted to events in my life that I could not fortell and that somehow teach me something, I think of this cue.

I'm happy I watched this, thanks.

I'm late to the party, but just want to say thank for this analysis of one of my favorites!

Great movie, great criticism of it. On the outside, I always saw it as a love note to the undersea world of jaques cousteau, something I connected with my dad by watching with him when I was like 4. I think alot of people who saw it didn't know who the hell cousteau was or at least, never saw his old documentaries and so they might not get it.