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The Darjeeling Limited (2007) DVD Review
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) DVD Credits:
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Directed by:
Wes Anderson
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Written by:
Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Cast:
Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) DVD Release Date:
26th February 2007
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The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Synopsis:

"The Darjeeling Limited" starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman is an emotional comedy about three brothers re-forging family bonds. The eldest, played by Wilson, hopes to reconnect with his two younger siblings by taking them on a train trip across the vibrant and sensual landscape of India.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) DVD Review:

Wes Anderson, director of the film The Darjeeling Limited, is widely considered to be one of the primary young talents in the American film industry today. Along with a small number of other young filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher, Wes Anderson’s films are simultaneously artistic, thought provoking, and entertaining. However, in addressing the merits and drawbacks of The Darjeeling Limited, it is necessary to give some context regarding how Wes Anderson stacks up against his fellow filmmakers.

In the past year, Anderson’s contemporaries have released arguable masterpieces that have proven to be a dynamic leap forward in their canon of work. First, David Fincher released his calculated and deliberately paced murder mystery film, Zodiac. Then at the end of last year, Paul Thomas Anderson unleashed his unnerving anti-hero epic, There Will Be Blood. Whereas their previous films had been great, these two films illustrated that David Fincher and P.T. Anderson had matured immensely as filmmakers, growing beyond their trademark filmmaking styles in a bold new direction.

With those two films fresh in everybody’s minds, it was with eager anticipation that we waited for the hat trick, as Wes Anderson’s new film The Darjeeling Limited was soon to be released. Would he continue the winning streak set by his contemporaries? Finally, The Darjeeling Limited came out and it turned out to be none other than…another Wes Anderson film.

Like his contemporaries, Wes Anderson has a unique style that is instantly recognizable. He creates hyper-real worlds filled with eccentric characters and films them from beautifully composed angles that heighten the comedy. The difference between Wes Anderson and the other two filmmakers I’ve mentioned is that David Fincher and P.T. Anderson have grown beyond their familiar styles with their most recent films, whereas Wes Anderson has stayed in safe territory with The Darjeeling Limited.

In the film, Anderson stock actors Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman team up with Anderson newcomer Adrien Brody as three disgruntled brothers. They’re taking a train called The Darjeeling Limited across India to see their mother. Along the way they try to heal old wounds and forge new bonds. There’s honestly not much to say about the plot because the film (as with all of Anderson’s films) is focused on the eccentric characters and their quirky relationships rather than a riveting plotline.

The three lead actors shine in their respective roles, and do an admirable job handling Anderson’s sardonic, wry humor. Wilson and Schwartzman have proven themselves capable numerous times before in Anderson films, but Brody proves here that he could easily be added to the stock company. He may have won an academy award for his dramatic role in The Pianist, but if his work in this film is any indication, I look forward to seeing him in more comedies.

One of the wonderful things about the movie is the way it explores its thematic ideas on a very literal level. At the start of their train trip, Owen Wilson’s character Francis Whitman tells his brothers in a matter of speaking, “this trip is meant to be a spiritual journey that we can all learn and grow to become better people from.” The frankness with which the character establishes what is normally left as subtext in a film is endearing. It seems as if from the very start Wes Anderson (as writer) is saying “look, I have nothing up my sleeve.” The literal nature of the film can be seen in other ways as well. As mentioned previously, the brothers are healing from old wounds on their journey. Although this is meant to be an emotional healing, Francis’ face is bandaged up throughout the entire film due to a motorcycle accident. The brothers are also carrying lots of baggage, literal and figurative, throughout the film, and as their journey progresses they leave behind that baggage. The entire film is literal in this way, but it’s not in the annoying “you’re too stupid to figure this out so I’m going to spell it out for you” way, but rather in a playful way that is enjoyable to see unfold.

As is to be expected, The Darjeeling Limited features Wes Anderson’s trademark blend of beautiful visuals and well-chosen music. One of my least favorite things about comedy films is that they often only feature inspired writing and acting, while the directing takes a backseat to the proceedings. Wes Anderson is an exception to the rule. His films are always lovingly shot in cinemascope, with every inch of the frame carefully filled in with plentiful detail. Beyond the look, Anderson always manages to find the perfect piece of music to complement his visuals. Like all of his films thus far, Darjeeling Limited is a wonder to behold.

Unfortunately, there’s not too much insight regarding Anderson’s filmmaking process on this DVD. All that you’ll find in the way of behind-the-scenes footage is a 20-minute production diary. It’s a nice look at the on-set experience, but it’s over far too quickly. The only other inclusion on the DVD is the short film Hotel Chavelier which Anderson created as a prequel to be shown before the film itself. Unfortunately, very few theaters honored Anderson’s wish, but at least it’s available on the DVD to be shown as Anderson intended.

I didn’t mean to damn the film with faint praise at the start of this review, as The Darjeeling Limited is not only a very good film, it’s one of Wes Anderson’s most accomplished films yet. Just go into it expecting an evolution in his filmmaking oeuvre rather than a revolution. The characterizations are a little more pointed and the style is a little more controlled, but this is still very much a Wes Anderson film. In fact, he’s essentially made the same film three times in a row now, first with The Royal Tenenbaums, then The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, and now The Darjeeling Limited. In each of these films Anderson tackles a similar story addressing similar themes and portrayed by similar actors. While they’re all good films, they’re bringing Anderson dangerously close to being labeled a one-trick pony. But hey, at least it’s an impressive trick.

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The Darjeeling Limited (2007) DVD review written by: Anthony Berk

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