While attending the funeral of a young boy they had failed to rescue from a river, brothers Francis, Peter and Jack Whitman (played by Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody and Jason Schwartzman) are transported back to their father's funeral, the last time all three had seen each other. In the sudden switch from India to back home, their positions remain constant but their ceremonial white dress has snapped, seamlessly, into a sombre, almost military black. This flashback sees them crammed into the back of a limo, rushing to pick up their late father's car from a garage en route to the funeral service. Although The Darjeeling Limited has varying degrees of success with its symbolism (the brothers dropping their literal and metaphorical luggage as they chase a train isn't particularly subtle), watching them struggling to drive away the car - which isn't yet repaired - acts as a neat and powerful reminder of their inability to grieve.
Yorkshireman (hence the surname). Often spotted sacrificing sleep and sanity for the annual Leeds International Film Festival. For a sample of (fairly) recent film reviews, please visit whatsnottoblog.wordpress.com.
