Tom Waits once described Jim Jarmusch's films as "that little piece of hair that's projected on the corner of the movie screen." Tom Waits does have a way with words and Jarmusch certainly has a way with consciousness. "Mystery Train' is the third film by director Jim Jarmusch and as he describes it: "its the third film of a trilogy." The other two films were "Stranger then Paradise" and "Down by Law". The connection that links these films together is the theme of cross-cultural influence and miscommunication. It is probably more accurate to observe all of Jarmusch's films as one continuous thought process much in the same intuitive style as Wim Wenders's films.
"Mystery Train" is one of the most poignant films of Jim Jarmusch's career because it suggests a little of everything in his world of metaphors: Religion, rock and roll, racism, being cool, and cultural politics. Who is the king? Elvis Presley or Carl Perkins? Why is Elvis so famous when all his music came from black artists like Junior Parker and Rufus Thomas? These questions are not answered in "Mystery Train" but they are addressed like random thoughts which pass by like cars on a train. In fact the film does not feel serious like most drama's are. Its more of an off beat comedy. The film is set up like a journey on a train divided into three separate stories that find their way in the same location. The first story involves two Japanese tourists who plan on visiting Graceland but instead get sidetracked by wandering into Sun Studios. They smoke cigarettes and contemplate on Elvis Presley and the birthplace of rock and roll. The second story is about a neurotic girl who complains about her boyfriend "Elvis" and a dreamy Italian widow who see's a ghost in the middle of the night . The last story "Lost in Space" is about the boyfriend Elvis and two other friends who drive around drunk and later get in trouble with the law.
As with all of Jarmusch's films, the plot is never as important as the details and nuances. It is not difficult to miss these elements as Jarmusch plays with them in very ironic ways. We also get a strong sense of atmosphere where much of the landscape in this town is demolished and shabby like the photographs in Robert Frank's "The Americans". There is also an amazing cast of musicians from Screamin jay Hawkins, Joe Strummer, a guest appearance by Rufus Thomas and a disc jockey voice by Tom Waits. This sounds much like the same disc jockey Tom Waits played in Down By Law. And Screamin Jay Hawkins's put a spell on Jarmusch's first film "Stranger the Paradise" as his presence does here. There are all kinds of details one can ponder on or shrug off. The beauty of this is that Jim Jarmusch never pulls you by the hair to tell you what to think about. It is left for the audience to interpret it and to allow the chips fall where they may. For many viewers that can be an irritating ordeal but on the other hand it can also be totally refreshing. Mystery Train has a strange rhythm but as far as the story goes, it moves at just the right beat.
"Mystery Train" is one of the most poignant films of Jim Jarmusch's career because it suggests a little of everything in his world of metaphors: Religion, rock and roll, racism, being cool, and cultural politics. Who is the king? Elvis Presley or Carl Perkins? Why is Elvis so famous when all his music came from black artists like Junior Parker and Rufus Thomas? These questions are not answered in "Mystery Train" but they are addressed like random thoughts which pass by like cars on a train. In fact the film does not feel serious like most drama's are. Its more of an off beat comedy. The film is set up like a journey on a train divided into three separate stories that find their way in the same location. The first story involves two Japanese tourists who plan on visiting Graceland but instead get sidetracked by wandering into Sun Studios. They smoke cigarettes and contemplate on Elvis Presley and the birthplace of rock and roll. The second story is about a neurotic girl who complains about her boyfriend "Elvis" and a dreamy Italian widow who see's a ghost in the middle of the night . The last story "Lost in Space" is about the boyfriend Elvis and two other friends who drive around drunk and later get in trouble with the law.
As with all of Jarmusch's films, the plot is never as important as the details and nuances. It is not difficult to miss these elements as Jarmusch plays with them in very ironic ways. We also get a strong sense of atmosphere where much of the landscape in this town is demolished and shabby like the photographs in Robert Frank's "The Americans". There is also an amazing cast of musicians from Screamin jay Hawkins, Joe Strummer, a guest appearance by Rufus Thomas and a disc jockey voice by Tom Waits. This sounds much like the same disc jockey Tom Waits played in Down By Law. And Screamin Jay Hawkins's put a spell on Jarmusch's first film "Stranger the Paradise" as his presence does here. There are all kinds of details one can ponder on or shrug off. The beauty of this is that Jim Jarmusch never pulls you by the hair to tell you what to think about. It is left for the audience to interpret it and to allow the chips fall where they may. For many viewers that can be an irritating ordeal but on the other hand it can also be totally refreshing. Mystery Train has a strange rhythm but as far as the story goes, it moves at just the right beat.