MYSTERY TRAIN

Mystery Train

Mystery Train

Introduction

Mystery train is a film that was written as well as directed by Jim Jarmusch in 1989 and was set in Memphis. The film features stories that involve foreign protagonists that unfold in a night. A Japanese couple on a blues pilgrimage has been featured in “Far From Yokohama”. Moreover, “A ghost” that lays its focus on an Italian widow who is trapped in the city overnight. The story “Lost In Space” focuses on the misadventure of an Englishman who is single and unemployed. This man has been shown along with his companions. Among the contributors of Mystery Train were Robby Muller, cinematographer and John Lurie, musician. The film was financed by JVC, a Japanese conglomerate and it was made with the budget of US $2.8 million. The film was released in the United States by Orion Classics, under rating that was restricted. The film was shown at the New York Film Festival and was also shown in London and at Toronto film festival. Besides this, Mystery Train was also awarded with Best Artistic Achievement Award and was nominated in Independent Spirit Awards. Reponses and reviews of the film that was received were positive and the structure as well as humor was praised (Whitburn 2004, pp. 55).

Discussion

Three stories have been shown in the film on the same night in Memphis. All three stories have been linked with another by Arcade Hotel. This is because the important characters in the film spend their nights, and every room of the hotel was decorated with the portrait of Elvis Presley.

Like the other films that were directed by Jarmusch, Mystery Train also received a warm welcome form the critics, and this evident with the number of nominations and the awards that the film received. However, Hal Hinson was not impressed with the film and was termed as least engaging. Moreover, David Denby from the New York magazine mentioned that the director has pushed hispetrism and justice has not been done to it. Besides this, postmodern cultural critics have also mentioned about the film. It has also been concluded by Shawn Levy that the film allured the American pop culture (Wolfe & Akenson 2000, pp. 100).

Speaking of pop culture involves the association of MTV, its role and contribution to the history of popular culture in the world of music, he has been the musical accompaniment of the events, characters and places that have marked the history of popular United States , where the music of the great, classic pop and contemporary socio-cultural revolutions, have been able to live in a dynamic that currently involves not only America, but Latin America and the rest of the world through globalization. The 1980 entry of cable television in the United States of America integrating the wealth of pop culture musical revolution that now, well heard could be seen. The music video was their platform in the music channel MTV in the summer of 1981 and three years after the video was ...