Movie Maven

Mystery Train (1989)
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase, Youki Kudoh, Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Written and Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
IMDB Listing

Photo by: DVDBeaver.com

Who wants to see a film with an actor named "Screamin' Jay Hawkins?" You know you do. Hawkins is actually the composer for many of Jarmusch's films, and appeared in Mystery Train as a sage old night clerk of a seedy, yet fated hotel. He's best known for his single "I Put a Spell on You," a truly hot song, now shafted and abused in jean commercials. There is no justice in the world.

But this strangely riveting film uses Hawkins to his best ability, as well as a host of other talented unknowns (you know you're indie when your biggest name is Steve Buscemi.) Mystery Train centers around a block of strangers in Memphis, including two young Japanese tourists (Nagase and Kudoh,) an a recently widowed Italian woman (Nicoletta Braschi) and a local barber (Buscemi.) They never actually meet in any significant way, but through different circumstances are forced to stay in the same motel on the outskirts of the city. It's a story about music and Elvis, about foreigners and strange happenings, about love and silence.

One would think another movie about the interconnectedness between human beings would be tired and pointless- the theme has been a favorite of directors since the dawn of time. But Jarmusch's freshness and originality keeps the idea alive. Jarmusch recently directed the wonderful Broken Flowers, and what seems to set him apart is his celebration of the mundane. He has a fantastic attention to detail, and a willingness to let a look or moment of silence steal the scene, which is rarely found in "mainstream" directors. Many people would find this merely dry and unmotivated (he is an acquired taste) but for me it's a wonderful demonstration of the world in all it's quirkiness and banality.

My favorite characters hands-down are Jun and Mitsuko, the Japanese tourists. Obsessed with 1950s American culture, they travel from city to city on the train, seeing rock-and-roll landmarks. Kudoh is both funny and charming as Mitsuko, the Elvis-obsessed girlfriend, dressed in a series of vintage T-shirts and carrying around a stuffed-dog purse. Nagase is similarly hilarious as Jun, Mitsoko's sullen yet loving boyfriend. The two are perhaps a bit of a caricature, but there's something about the way they carry the stereotypes that makes it entirely genuine.

Some of the best scenes belong to Hawkins, however, and the bellboy (Cinque Lee.) The smattering of conversation between the two lights up the movie. Though the bellboy is young, he seems like an old face in the hotel along with the night clerk. In the end they become part of the scenery itself- the broken-down, overgrown outskirts of Memphis, TN, barren and clinging to its glorious past.

A touching little piece of American cinema, Mystery Train allows us to explore the run-down beauty in our own backyard. It's well worth having a look at.