Darjeeling Limited

On a Scale of 1-10, with 10 Being the Best

7

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Plot: Three brothers haven't seen each other in a year due to their father's death. To make up for lost time one of the brothers, Francis (Owen Wilson) decides that all the brothers should go to India to "find themselves." It is found at later that Francis has a hidden agenda and all the brothers feel they can't trust the other about their lives. They deal with grief, estranged relationships, and anger on a train called, "Darjeeling Limited." 

Characters/Actors of Note:

Owen Wilson playing Francis: Usually, Owen Wilson plays more comedic roles and sometimes his monotone voice gets sort of boring but not in this film. Francis has a bandaged face that he blames on a "car accident" but we find out later was caused by something much different. Each one of these characters has some sort of information they hide from the others and Owen Wilson's character is the one that hides the most, though he is the first to blame others for their attempts of hiding. I think that the bandages he wears are most definitely a metaphor for his grief. He tells others he is fine all the time when he is obviously the one most hurt by grief and poor relationships with his two other brothers and his mother. I thought that Owen Wilson did a good job of hiding his character's grief. So often I see in movies that hidden pain is always hinted at which was different from this movie. I thought he was strongest (grief wise), and appeared strongest to us, was in fact the weakest.  

Adrien Brody playing Peter: This brother is trying to feel connected to his father by wearing and using his father's things, most notably his glasses. He is the brother that is more obvious with his grief but shrugs it off like it's a normal thing to wear glasses that still have your dad's prescription in them after a year. Francis and Peter have an ongoing back and forth on when they like and dislike each other. Francis is jealous that Peter has more of their dad's things and Peter hates being treated like a child. Peter also has a great symbolism in more than one part. We see that he blames himself for his father's death and has to deal with, not only his blame, but with a new child and losing a child during the river and village scene. Adrien has a lovely balance with his character's secrets and openness.
Jason Schwartzman playing Jack: This character was more different than his brothers. Instead of guilt and grief being his main issues, Jack has issues with his on-and-off relationship and writing. Jack is a writer who is purely "fiction" but only can write about his brothers, dad, and girlfriend as that is all that's in his mind. He is similar to his brothers in that he won't admit that he is writing about himself, but about a made up character. Jack has an unusual relationship with an attendant on the train. The essence of this character is when she asks, "What is wrong with you?" and he answers, "Can I get back to you on that?" Jason has to play a character that doesn't understand his own grief, relationships, and motives when it they are plain to his brothers. Jason plays a nice contrast with his attitude. It gave an airy and fun feel compared to the dense power war between his older brothers.

Music: As most Wes Anderson films, the movie is set between the 60s and 70s and the music is from that time as well. I found myself bobbing along to the songs and thought the music choices were playful, serious, and also fitting well with the time period. Personally, I listened to Les Champs-Elysees by Joe Dassin at least five times after watching the movie. Listen to the rest of the music below, courtesy of YouTube.

Camera Work/Cinematography: This is directed by Wes Anderson so it has earmarks of his meticulous nature, list making, and a general color scheme. The colors in this movie remind me of the color powder that India uses for their festivals. I love the way the camera is used which has a classic Wes Anderson style to it. Usually the camera is set in one spot and the characters frantically move around that space and then the camera spins around to film the characters in the next space. It gives the camera frames a more crisp feel especially when the events happening are chaotic. 

RECAP TIME:
Having dealt with grief myself, I understood this movie on its approach on death. People feel angry, depressed, and left out. Each character was hidden and yet exposed enough that a viewer could understand even if they haven't dealt with grief. The symbolism in the movie was great. There was a man eating tiger, a poisonous snake, and each of the drugs that the brothers took. This movie has a lot of depth and feeling to it that makes me want to watch it again and again. With all the grief though, there was lightness with the small comedic bits and the craziness of their relationships. Music fit well and was enjoyable to listen to! The filming and colors were well used and the preciseness and neatness of it all brought this film together through all the chaotic emotions.

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