Dead Man (1995) 
Stupid, fucking white man!
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This is the second Jim Jarmusch film I have seen and I am beginning to get a feel for a “Jarmusch” style: black and white, interesting images, notable actors and uncomfortable overtones with bits of quirkiness thrown in.
Dead Man is not an easy watch despite the quirkiness. The plot, pacing and music all combine to give it a deliberate yet aimless feel. We don’t know exactly where it is going, but it takes its time getting there. My wife compared it to a Shakespearean play with archetypical characters and slow fade in/outs between scenes. It is safe to say that there are no cheap thrills in Dead Man.
What it does have is an interesting story, some great cinematography and some great characters. I really enjoyed most of Nobody’s work and I can’t imagine many people doing a better job than Johnny Depp at the William Blake character. I am still trying to get a handle on the violence in the film, I don’t know quite what to think of it. Tons of people got shot, but it was always in a very calm, matter of fact way. The ‘action’ sequences involving this gunplay got my attention but did not really get me wound up either. All in all, I think it is safe to say that Dead Man, is a surprisingly lively film.
You said, “wife”. Craziness. Carrie. Hi.
Comment by Darren — August 22, 2006 @ 3:20 am
yeah the wife part was going to be my first comment. he successfully used ‘where is my fiance’ enough times, so now he’s moved on.
dead man is one the more difficult jarmusch movies, so if you like this you’re definitely a fan. his big 3 are down by law, stranger than paradise, and mystery train. it’s been way too long since i’ve seen night on earth, so i don’t even remember it at all - if only such an excellent service like criticalblogs existed in 1994 or whenever i saw it i could tell you more. ghost dog is pretty different from those, but it’s a great film - maybe worthy of a space in my hallowed favorites. stay far far away from coffee and cigarettes.
Comment by Unfrozen Cavedan — August 22, 2006 @ 5:05 am