 | Director: Wes Anderson Stars: Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, Jason Schwartzman |
Three brothers that have not spoken to each other for a year went for a spiritual journey in India, to become brothers again. The elder brother Francis have it all planned out, which means sightseeings and meditations. All three brothers have their own reasons of coming to India and hesitations to share with each other. But the journey which the other two brothers Jack and Peter thought to be only a formality to comfort Francis, turned into a quest for facing their past and bond.
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| Very Indian style train journey, in the Western eyes I must say. |
On the first viewing of this movie I get a bit lost and do not know what is going on or what it is trying to tell. Nothing really exciting happens. There are some comedic moments on the Caucasions meeting India culture, but that's it. But on the second viewing I compare it to Lost in Translation (2003), in which both involves people sortof trapped in un-familiar culture, changing from alienated to attracted by the culture, and the establishment of bonds with each other.
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| Francis (Owen Wilsoon), despite passionate about bonding, was upset about Peter (Adrian Brody) using his belt. |
The exposition in the beginning was done in a way with multiple layers. We know the facts by the brothers telling another, ending with the phase "do not tell the other". Besides telling us what they were going through, it shows that they do not trust each other. They have complains with each other that Francis is always trying to decides for the others, Peter is depressed on having a new-born baby, and Jack is struggling with his own relationship. The changing point here is that they came across a group of kids, doing honestly I dont know what in the river, were in danger. They tried to save them but one could not be savaged. The three brothers attended the funeral, and related to the funeral of their father, in which I imagine they did not attend fully.
It is a little hard to review this movie because you do not know actually what you have learned, but that maybe the whole beauty of it. We witness things and encounter situations, and we got matured. Thinking back of what we have learned from those experiences, we could not tell for sure but we have changed. That is the feeling this movie gave me. At the end they threw away the packages which contained things of their deceased Dad, symbolising they have thrown away their burden and their attachment to their past father.
However the India overtone that many people appreciate did not work out for me, maybe because I am an Eastener and India culture is not so distant to me. It does polish up India a lot, or else I wouldnt think you would stand it. Overall, I do enjoy Lost in Translation more, considering I am fasincated with the Japanese culture so much more. The Darjeeling Limited is for one that would like to take a spiritual journey.
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