When you see Jim Jarmusch’s boring “Dead Man”, the funny artsy dramatic “Broken Flowers”, the intuitive and experimental “Coffee and Cigarettes” and now “Down by Law”, this is a man who makes movies for the fun of it, every second of film has the stamp of his precise thought process and ideas. In the Criterion DVD extra features of his voice under “Thoughts & Reflections”, he says that this is one movie made with American money and smiles saying that the rest of the movies are different because American money comes with many strings attached. I do not know how many “strings” attached, that statement is a reflection of how much he wants his way of doing things. And that is the reason that this movie even though with no big twists, plot is clinically drafted and yet able to give a new feel.
As Tom Waits voice in “Jockey Full of Bourbon” hits out with the streets dull and having an identity, we associate immediately to the mystical New Orleans (which I have heard a lot about for its cultural mixture and authenticity but never got a chance to visit). It is the regular approach of Jarmusch on characters. With black and white cinematography, it promotes into the flick every one should be patient about on expecting some dry comedy drama. We venture into the lives of Jack (John Lurie), a pimp and Zack (Tom Waits), a DJ finding it hard to settle in one place. We get to know about these numb thick skinned characters through their female counterparts Laurette (Ellen Barkin) for Zack and for Jack it is Bobbie (Billie Neal) one of the “merchandise” as he quotes. Both are setup and end up in prison. There they meet up with the bubbly and innocent Roberto (Roberto Benigni) but seems to be guilty of a crime or more of an accident.
The prison scenes wherein they gel without a choice is thoughtful and makes us to think about being there, I mean losing your freedom. Lot of films has already dealt in depth about being in prison and the Jarmusch’s way is novel and unique. The individual shots of Jack, Zack or Roberto wherein they simply stare or do nothing are those forming the simple cruelties in prison. With three sharing a place and time endless, you got to either become thick friends or kill each other. Jack and Zack cannot stand each other but have their moments of fun as well. To these opposite poles comes the proper link Roberto with his broken Italian English. They begin to co-ordinate and connect.
Robby Müller’s camera work can be dissected into three parts in the film. The first part being the streets and rooms of city life and a life where crimes are dealt on desolated gas stations and rooms with shut windows, always. The mood and light shines up to lighten the dark world. In the second part it appears pretty much simple to show a room but there too, the camera shift inside and outside the cell gives different perspectives towards the mood of a scene. The third part is the closely packed trees wherein the sunshine is not stopped though. The small streams, swamps and the bayou in night and day bring another tone of independence but a prison of its own.
The best part of the way the movie works is how Benigni is brought in. He is being himself than being the character lot of times which has brought the ethnicity and some one thriving to communicate. He has so many thoughts and so little words in English. He reads from “English book” as he calls the scratch pad. While Jack and Zack are grumpy and complaining, it is compromised by the cheerful and funny Roberto. Jack and Zack sit in dark unknown location in a dense forest thinking of what to do and Roberto comes back with a Rabbit. A small fight separates them. Each have their monologue and Benigni comes up with something very funny but also tells so much about the character and Benigni as a person (Jarmusch mentions in the DVD extra features saying it was improvised by Benigni somewhat based on his own child hood).
The film will not please many audiences. It is a short story with a sweet ending. The film needs to be praised and enjoyed for Jarmusch’s style, performances and the camera work. These are the movies which exist for the art of it. It does not attempt on big things or trying to be a great profound approach on delicate and controversial debates. It stays to itself and forms a territory of its own through creative and artistic instincts.
As Tom Waits voice in “Jockey Full of Bourbon” hits out with the streets dull and having an identity, we associate immediately to the mystical New Orleans (which I have heard a lot about for its cultural mixture and authenticity but never got a chance to visit). It is the regular approach of Jarmusch on characters. With black and white cinematography, it promotes into the flick every one should be patient about on expecting some dry comedy drama. We venture into the lives of Jack (John Lurie), a pimp and Zack (Tom Waits), a DJ finding it hard to settle in one place. We get to know about these numb thick skinned characters through their female counterparts Laurette (Ellen Barkin) for Zack and for Jack it is Bobbie (Billie Neal) one of the “merchandise” as he quotes. Both are setup and end up in prison. There they meet up with the bubbly and innocent Roberto (Roberto Benigni) but seems to be guilty of a crime or more of an accident.
The prison scenes wherein they gel without a choice is thoughtful and makes us to think about being there, I mean losing your freedom. Lot of films has already dealt in depth about being in prison and the Jarmusch’s way is novel and unique. The individual shots of Jack, Zack or Roberto wherein they simply stare or do nothing are those forming the simple cruelties in prison. With three sharing a place and time endless, you got to either become thick friends or kill each other. Jack and Zack cannot stand each other but have their moments of fun as well. To these opposite poles comes the proper link Roberto with his broken Italian English. They begin to co-ordinate and connect.
Robby Müller’s camera work can be dissected into three parts in the film. The first part being the streets and rooms of city life and a life where crimes are dealt on desolated gas stations and rooms with shut windows, always. The mood and light shines up to lighten the dark world. In the second part it appears pretty much simple to show a room but there too, the camera shift inside and outside the cell gives different perspectives towards the mood of a scene. The third part is the closely packed trees wherein the sunshine is not stopped though. The small streams, swamps and the bayou in night and day bring another tone of independence but a prison of its own.
The best part of the way the movie works is how Benigni is brought in. He is being himself than being the character lot of times which has brought the ethnicity and some one thriving to communicate. He has so many thoughts and so little words in English. He reads from “English book” as he calls the scratch pad. While Jack and Zack are grumpy and complaining, it is compromised by the cheerful and funny Roberto. Jack and Zack sit in dark unknown location in a dense forest thinking of what to do and Roberto comes back with a Rabbit. A small fight separates them. Each have their monologue and Benigni comes up with something very funny but also tells so much about the character and Benigni as a person (Jarmusch mentions in the DVD extra features saying it was improvised by Benigni somewhat based on his own child hood).
The film will not please many audiences. It is a short story with a sweet ending. The film needs to be praised and enjoyed for Jarmusch’s style, performances and the camera work. These are the movies which exist for the art of it. It does not attempt on big things or trying to be a great profound approach on delicate and controversial debates. It stays to itself and forms a territory of its own through creative and artistic instincts.
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