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There are a few things that I can definitely understand about director Wes Anderson’s latest film, The Darjeeling Limited.
First of all, I can understand that traveling with your family isn’t easy. In Darjeeling, three brothers meet for what’s supposed to be a spiritually enlightening, brotherly bonding kind of journey by train through India. The three—Francis (Owen Wilson), Jack (Jason Schwartzman), and Peter (Adrien Brody)—haven’t spoken in a year, since their father’s funeral. So Francis decides that it’s time for them to become brothers again. Francis has the whole thing planned, plotted into minute-by-minute itineraries, which are to be presented to them daily by his personal assistant, Brendan (Wallace Wolodarsky).
From the beginning, the journey isn’t what it’s supposed to be. Francis is a control freak. They’re all keeping secrets—because they don’t trust each other. And they’re constantly self-medicating with various Indian cough syrups and pain medications. Things continue to get worse until a deadly snake and some pepper spray get them thrown off their train and stranded in the desert with approximately two tons of luggage, a printer, and a laminating machine.
And I can understand all that. In fact, as I was making my way to the theater, I recalled a particularly nightmarish family journey, which featured just as much bickering as Darjeeling, only without the Indian medications to dull the pain.
I can also understand how difficult it is to travel when you’re carrying all that baggage. I’ve been there—and I almost got stranded in a train station in the Netherlands because of it.
At the same time, though, there are plenty of things that I don’t understand about The Darjeeling Limited—but that’s just the way Anderson works. His unconventional and often awkward films don’t usually tell traditional stories that have a beginning, a middle, and an end. They’re not always comfortable. They might have a point—or they might not. And Darjeeling is no different. It tells a simple story about three brothers on a very strange road trip. We don’t really know all that much about the three characters outside the story. We know that Francis is rich—and that he had a brush with death before planning the trip. We know that Jack is trying to get over a failed relationship. And we know that Peter is about to become a father—and that he’s still clinging to his own father’s possessions. The characters aren’t fully developed, but you’ll be fascinated by their interactions anyway—mostly because of the three actors who portray them. They work well together—and they’re just fun to watch.
As for their story, it’s mostly a lot of talk. It wanders around for a while, not really heading anywhere in particular. At times, it’s funny. At others, it’s insightful. And sometimes, it’s just plain strange (more so in the film’s second half). But through it all, it’s beautiful. The settings are stunning. They’re colorful and noisy and captivating.
Don’t go into The Darjeeling Limited expecting to understand every minute of it. If that frustrates you, it might be best not to try at all. Anderson’s movies aren’t conventional—and they’re not for everyone. But even though you won’t understand it all in the end—you’ll definitely feel like you’ve been on a fascinating journey.
