The film consists of three stories that take place on the same night in downtown Memphis. Youki Kudoh and Masatoshi Nagashe play two Japanese youth who have come from Yokohama to visit Sun studios and Graceland. They are completely different- she is outgoing, he’s quiet; she loves Elvis, he prefers Carl Perkins. The second story is about an Italian widow who is at the airport making arrangements to ship her husband’s body back to Rome. The final story introduces Johnny who is upset after losing his job and his girlfriend. The three stories are linked together by the Arcade hotel and Elvis. Cinematographer Robby Muller captures Memphis in such a manner that u will never forget the city. John Lurie contributes a piercing Sun Studio-style guitar score and the cast makes a near-perfect ensemble. “Mystery Train” concerns the intertwining stories of foreigners in a quintessential American city. The main theme here is the tragic, drastic juxtaposition of Elvis’ magic spell, and the reality of what Memphis looks like years after his absence. It clings to his image , but seems incapable of moving forward, of producing any new commodities.
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