2008 Woodie Awards
Daring DVD
Franklin K.R. CLine
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: TruLife
"The Darjeeling Limited," seminal 21st-century writer/director Wes Anderson's latest feature, was met with mixed critical reviews and subsequently humdrum box-office results. This is unfortunate because it's his best film since 1998's "Rushmore," a modern classic. With the recent DVD release of "Darjeeling," those who are unfamiliar with Anderson's oeuvre have been given a chance to immerse themselves in a work of astounding depth and beauty rarely paralleled by modern mainstream cinema, especially considering its relatively short duration (a little over 100 minutes, which is nearly half the length of "There Will Be Blood" and a good 45 minutes shorter than this year's Best Picture winner, "No Country For Old Men").
"Darjeeling" is a simple story - simple in the way that so many classic tales are: three consistently intoxicated brothers reunite for a trip centering around finding themselves by way of reconnecting with one another following the death of their father and their mother's flight to a nunnery. The movie is named for the train upon which the journey begins, and the primary theme of the film is travel - externally, the brothers traverse a series of strange new places, all the while internally embarking on the abovementioned search-for-self as only a group of rich people could. The movie's true genius is the way in which it refuses to acknowledge its inherently bourgeois message - only those who can afford to take a trip across the globe in order to transcend the physical world or what-have-you are rewarded with the spiritual benefits. Ironically, one must build up a great deal of capital before freeing one's self from its chains, Anderson seems to be saying, a point which is subtle but drives the film, like its title vehicle.
Besides its vaguely anti-capitalist message, the film also benefits from gorgeous, vintage-Anderson cinematography and vibrant colors, in addition to the standard Anderson themes of loss, family and death and the way in which all those intertwine. The acting is great, too, with Jason Schwartzman (as the youngest brother) pulling his best role yet, holding his own with consistently fantastic actors Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson.
"Darjeeling" is a simple story - simple in the way that so many classic tales are: three consistently intoxicated brothers reunite for a trip centering around finding themselves by way of reconnecting with one another following the death of their father and their mother's flight to a nunnery. The movie is named for the train upon which the journey begins, and the primary theme of the film is travel - externally, the brothers traverse a series of strange new places, all the while internally embarking on the abovementioned search-for-self as only a group of rich people could. The movie's true genius is the way in which it refuses to acknowledge its inherently bourgeois message - only those who can afford to take a trip across the globe in order to transcend the physical world or what-have-you are rewarded with the spiritual benefits. Ironically, one must build up a great deal of capital before freeing one's self from its chains, Anderson seems to be saying, a point which is subtle but drives the film, like its title vehicle.
Besides its vaguely anti-capitalist message, the film also benefits from gorgeous, vintage-Anderson cinematography and vibrant colors, in addition to the standard Anderson themes of loss, family and death and the way in which all those intertwine. The acting is great, too, with Jason Schwartzman (as the youngest brother) pulling his best role yet, holding his own with consistently fantastic actors Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson.
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