Last week Lumino Magazine got the chance to sit down with director Wes Anderson and his co-writer and star of the film, Jason Schwartzman. “We tried to make a very personal movie, a lot of our own experiences are in the movie and that’s what we hope people will relate to” said Anderson of the movie.
Anderson has been directing for over 10 years, a relatively short time by Hollywood standards. In that time he has made a name for himself with his unique and consistent camera style.
The Darjeeling Limited tells the story of three American brothers who have been out of contact for a full year. They attempt to reconnect by taking a spiritual journey through India with disastrous and unexpected consequences. Once their journey takes them off their originally meticulously planned course a true adventure begins for the brothers.
Wes Anderson and his crew spent 38 days filming on location in Jodhpur, India an experience that had a profound effect on both of them. “It is the kind of place where every minute something new is happening that is beautiful and amazing…it is the kind of place where every time something happened I’d just want to share it with everybody” said Schwartzman passionately.
“We were very welcome and we tried to just be respectful and I think in the process we learned a lot about the rituals that were being practiced and that we got to participate in” said Anderson. “You know when you have a great dream and you wake up the next day and try to explain it to someone but can’t…this is like a shared dream…this is our shared dream” explained Schwartzman.
It is no surprise that they chose to work together again. The chemistry between Anderson and Schwartzman comes naturally and without effort. After all it was Anderson’s film “Rushmore “nearly 10 years ago that gave Schwartzman his start in movies. Since then Schwartzman has been splitting his time between acting and pursuing a music career. “I always try to be writing music. When I work on a movie I go home and work on my lines and then as kind of a ritual thing I go home and write a song” says Schwartzman “For instance when I was in India I wrote 40 songs and all of them have sort of an Indian sound to them”.
The culture of India and Indian films has had a tremendous influence on Anderson’s work. “My oldest friend is from what was Madras in India…so I had Indian friends from a young age” says Anderson. “I was interested in Indian films since I was a teenager, the films of Satyajit Ray…there’s another film culture in Calcutta that is sort of an art movie culture. Those films are what drew me to India as well”.
The Darjeeling Limited is not your average film, neither are the people who made it happen. Each week Hollywood releases dozens of new films that fall victim to formula and unoriginal directing. Getting the chance to sit down with Anderson and Schwartzman allows the viewer a glimpse of hope for the future of cinema. In the hands of these two visionaries the world is still a place of imagination and wonder.
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brilliant
Written by Guest on 2007-10-19 17:30:49
brilliant! |
great article
Written by Guest on 2007-10-20 23:14:33
 my new friend sure knows how to write. |
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