Director Wes Anderson's newest film, "The Darjeeling Limited," is a story about three estranged brothers who try to reconnect after the death of their father. Francis, the oldest brother, is played by Owen Wilson, who has been a staple in almost all of Anderson's films to date.
The movie opens with Bill Murray (another favorite of Anderson's) dressed as a businessman running to catch a train that is already moving. The next shot shows Adrien Brody, who plays the second oldest brother, Peter, passing Murray and leaping onto the train's caboose. It is soon revealed that Francis has convinced Peter and their younger brother Jack (Jason Schwartzman) to travel to India to take part in what he constantly refers to as a "spiritual journey."
"The Darjeeling Limited" is similar to some of Anderson's past films, like "The Life Aquatic," in the sense that it is an aesthetically stunning work of art. The entire film is flooded with the serene colors of blue and green, which work well to accentuate the characters' idea of a "spiritual journey."
The majority of the film was shot on a moving train, which constricted the director's shooting space. Because of this, the inside of the train was decorated lavishly. As explained in one of the DVD's special features, a border of 500 elephants was hand painted along the inside walls of the train by local Indian artists. The dining cart, which was only used for one scene, was also decorated with all hand-made furnishings, including blown glass, one of a kind chairs and chinaware.
Also, throughout the film, the three brothers are constantly lugging around pieces of a matching set of idiosyncratic luggage, which was designed especially for the movie by Marc Jacobs.
The film is a far cry from a slapstick style comedy. Instead, humor is generated through several reoccurring motifs that force the viewer to pay close attention.
When we are introduced to Peter, he is constantly rubbing his temples and squinting because of a headache. Soon after, we learn that the sunglasses - which he refuses to take off at any point during the movie - are his father's, who needed a prescription lens.
Likewise, the viewer never really gets a good look at Francis' face either. The reason for this? Francis was in a motorcycle accident just before the trip and his entire face is bandaged throughout the entire movie, with the exception of one scene where he peels the bandages off before deciding he still needs time "to heal." This scene, which occurs when the brothers are about to cut their trip short, foreshadows the action to come.
Another noticeable quirk in "The Darjeeling Limited," is that Jack is never seen onscreen wearing any shoes or socks. In fact, he's even barefoot in the film's predecessor, the short film, "Hotel Chevalier," which was also directed by Anderson.
"Hotel Chevalier" is one of two special features included on the DVD. The 13-minute film was shot in Paris, and it takes place a short time before "The Darjeeling Limited." Natalie Portman plays Jack's ex-girlfriend, who arrives in Paris unexpectedly to spend the night with him in an expensive hotel room that he has been renting for over a month. When starting the movie from the root menu, the short film will automatically play before the feature starts. While skipping the short will not render anyone clueless, it does provide the character of Jack with a greater depth.
The DVD's second special feature is a 21-minute, behind-the-scenes documentary. Although the documentary does show viewers how some aspects of the film were shot, it lacks substance. Instead of featuring interviews with Anderson or the actors, the documentary more or less shows viewers what it would have been like to be an observer on set. Although Anderson never speaks to the camera, there are a few instances where the viewer can see him interacting with the crew and explaining his thoughts and intentions.
Overall, the film succeeds in portraying the love-hate relationship between brothers who have grown apart but still care deeply for one another. The constant bickering and shifting of "who is on whose side," makes "The Darjeeling Limited" a film anyone with siblings, or even close friends, can relate to.
Contact Ashley McGown at Ashley.McGown@UConn.edu.
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