Drawing inspiration from the writings of Austrian author Stefan Zweig, particularly Beware of Pity, The Grand Budapest Hotel dazzles audiences with its vibrant storytelling and distinctive visual flair. The film unfolds within the opulent spaces of the eponymous hotel, weaving a tale of intrigue and humor around the sophisticated concierge Gustave H (portrayed by Ralph Fiennes), his protégé lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori), and a cast of colorful hotel staff and guests. The narrative accelerates when Gustave H is unjustly accused of murdering a wealthy patron (Tilda Swinton), prompting a daring escape with Zero through the fictional land of Zubrowka. Throughout the escapades, the story touches on moments of poignant humor, the blooming of friendship, and Zero’s tender romance with Agatha (Saoirse Ronan).
The screenplay, crafted by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, stands out for its wry dialogue and understated wit, peppered with moments of reflective depth. Garnering numerous accolades, including a BAFTA and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, the script’s memorable lines echo long after the film ends. Below is a curated selection of sixteen remarkable quotes from The Grand Budapest Hotel.
- Mr. Moustafa: Gustave H was, without a trace of doubt, the most generously scented man whose presence heralded from afar and whose essence seemed to linger indefinitely.
- Mr. Moustafa: I came to the realization that our most esteemed and revered guests were drawn by his charm. This seemed like an integral part of his role… which he indulged in with pleasure. Their profiles were consistently similar: affluent, elderly, insecure, vain, superficial, blond-haired, and desperate.
Author: Why precisely blond?
Mr. Moustafa: Well, it was simply that they all were. - M. Gustave: Professional experience?
Zero: Hotel Kinsky, kitchen assistant, half a year. Hotel Berlitz, janitor, quarter of a year. Before that, a dishwasher.
M. Gustave: Experience – negligible. Educational background?
Zero: Basics of reading and writing. Initiated primary education – nearly completed.
M. Gustave: Educational level – negligible. And your family?
Zero: Non-existent. - M. Gustave: Heavens! What have you subjected your fingernails to? This outrageously mischosen varnish is absolutely repugnant!
Madam D: Is it not to your liking?
M. Gustave: It’s not a question of disliking, it actually provokes a visceral revulsion. - M. Gustave: What’s the shortest time you require to pack?
Zero: Merely five minutes.
M. Gustave: Proceed swiftly and fetch a chilled bottle of Pouilly-Jouvet ‘26 accompanied by a pair of glasses. I refuse to endure the subpar wine offered in the dining carriage. - M. Gustave: It’s fascinating how within this brutal abattoir once known as humanity, there remain faint whispers of sophistication. That’s precisely the service we offer, though in a way that’s unassuming, humble, inconsequential … Oh, to hell with it.
- M. Gustave: My dear, you’ve never looked better. Whatever concoction they’ve used on you at the funeral home is truly remarkable. You appear almost as though you’re amongst the living once more.
- Kovacs: Has he just flung my pet feline out of the window?
- M. Gustave: Might you grace me with a couple puffs of L’air de Panache, if it wouldn’t be too much? Can’t I even have a puff?
Zero: The L’air de Panache was overlooked.
M. Gustave: You’ve genuinely overlooked the L’air de Panache? This is unfathomable. I have been detained, Zero! Do you grasp how degrading this is? - M. Gustave: And how is our precious Agatha faring?
Zero: “With the dawn’s first rays I beheld her visage upon the moor; ever since I’ve been enchanted to return each day: though my soul was preserved in bitterness, yet…”
M. Gustave: That is quite enough, we’re interrupted by the alert but make a mental note to continue later, for you must surely conclude your tale. - M. Gustave: Impoliteness is but a manifestation of fear. People fear not acquiring their heart’s desires. The most vile and undesirable individual merely requires love, and they will unfold like a blooming flower.
- M. Gustave: Serge X, gone. Deputy Kovacs, gone as well. Madame D, deceased. Boy With Apple, now in our possession. Dmitri and Jopling, heartless murderers. Gustave H, a fugitive. What else is there?
Zero: Zero, baffled.
M. Gustave: Zero, certainly baffled. The story becomes more complex. By the way, is that a reference to thickening broth? - M. Gustave: What does being a lobby boy entail? A lobby boy is simultaneously invisible and omnipresent. A lobby boy recalls what clients detest. A lobby boy foresees desires before they even emerge. Above all, a lobby boy epitomizes discretion. Our clientele trust that their darkest secrets, some frankly disgraceful, are safe with us. Thus, your lips must remain sealed, Zero.
- M. Gustave: There’s truly no purpose in partaking in anything in this life since it all concludes in an instant, and before you know it, one succumbs to the rigidity of death.
- M. Gustave: What a pleasure to see you, gentlemen.
Soldier: Your documents, if you please.
M. Gustave: I shall present them with delight… Rather unflattering depiction, isn’t it? Once upon a time, I was regarded as somewhat of a beauty. - M. Gustave: You cannot apprehend him simply for being an unfortunate foreigner; he has committed no crime! Cease this immediately! … You despicable, pockmarked fiends! Release my lobby boy this instant!