68. "RE: I have a couple questions... *SPOILERS*" In response to In response to 64
>1) What do u think was the symbolism (if any) of Bill Murray >missing the train in the beginning?
The first thing it made me think of was the Steve Martin/Kevin Bacon taxi-cab footrace in Planes Trains and Automobiles.
As far as 'symbolism', I dunno... I really liked that scene though. I don't know that Bill Murray missing a train is symbolic in and of itself, but the fact that Adrian Brody outran him and caught the train had a lot of subtext to it. Here he was pretty much in the same predicament and the only reason he made it onto the train was because he was younger and more agile (He may have been carrying less luggage, I don't remember). He should be happy he made his train, but instead he seems fixated on Murray's character, and I'm guessing some level Brody is aware of the inevitability of the situation, that if he doesn't make some changes in his life one day he's gonna be that Bill Murray guy.
And if you wanna get all meta with it, I thought it was kind of a funny clever thing for Wes to open the movie with an actor with whom he's so closely associated with, and then sort of pull the rug out from under the audience by having him play such a bit part. Had the movie been a drastic departure from the Wes Anderson house style, that scene might have had a bit more of a statement to it, like he was moving on from all that, but I felt like Darjeeling was more or less your run of the mill Anderson flick. Maybe Wes is that Bill Murray character and he's lamenting the fact that he can't seem to let go of his baggage.
>2) How many of you thought it was kinda weird to have them >just rip their plane tix up and stay in India at the end?
Well I didn't take it to mean they were gonna 'stay' in India, they just decided they were gonna say 'fuck it' and go find their Mom. So I didn't think it was weird at all, it's kind of what had to happen.