Spring Break
'Darjeeling Limited' Entertaining For Unlimited Audiences
Ashley McGown
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Focus
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.
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.
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