Down by Law

source: Down by Law

Trailer—Down by Law

Down by Law

I first saw Down By Law when it first came out, and loved it. I watched it again recently, and it really hasn't aged at all. In fact, it has gotten even better. I'm not sure there's another movie like it (unless the other Jarmusch ones are -- I haven't seen them). There are very few movies that spend so much time on character development that still have great plots. Like the "Big Easy" where it is filmed, this one takes its time but has an easy charm once the plot gets where it was going. The dialogue is wonderfully written, and better acted. Each scene is like a work of art in how it is staged. The soundtrack uses one of the best albums ever recorded, "Rain Dogs" by Tom Waits, who stars. One of my all time favorites.

Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Begnini share a Louisianna prison cell together, and a prison escape film, with all of the actual escape parts cut out. Funny, wonderful performances, stunning black and white cinematography, great music, a human story, an oddly heart warming ending about people coming together and moving apart. There's subtle poetics at work here, with all of Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, references, but somehow it all falls together naturally. Still though I appreciated it more than I actually enjoyed it, but with time I can see myself coming back in the future. Great dry comedy, and beautiful everyday images.

Jim Jarmusch's 'neo-beat-noir' follow-up to his quirky debut feature 'Strangers In Paradise' was the in-film for the in-crowd when first released: a hip-to-distraction ersatz comedy in which the only joke is that there is no joke. With his deadpan disdain for the Hollywood mainstream Jarmusch might be accused of being a cinematic rebel simply for the sake of rebellion, offering as his only alternative a numb new form of motion picture in which most of the motion as been deliberately discarded. The result is either an exhilarating departure from convention or a supreme test of patience, filmed in handsome high-contrast black and white and bolstered by a trio of likable if not exactly memorable characters: Jack, Zack and Bob the Italian, three misfits who meet in jail and subsequently escape into the Louisiana bayous. That's about it. Recommended for aficionados of tongue-in-cheek obscurantism.

I didn't quite die of boredom but I did drop off into a coma. I could not stay interested in this movie. The story, the dialog, time itself was slow. I can attest to the fact time slowed down as I was watching this movie. As the world moved on I was stuck in a semi-trance state waiting for "Down By Law" to trickle to an end. There were no laughs to be had, there was no action, and there was no stimulating dialog. There was, however, ceaseless boredom accompanied by yawning and eventual sleep.

This is one of the best movies ever made. I cannot begin to emphasize how much heart is in it. It is really a story that transcends even realism and belongs to the realm of literature, music and art. One cannot claim to know anything about movies without having seen this one. It´s like Chaplin reading the classics of American literature. Nietzsche breathing the fresh desert air. Milton creeping into the left foot of Blake. Watch it! Watch it! Watch it!

In New Orleans, Radio DJ Zack (Tom Waits) is berated by his girlfriend Laurette (Ellen Barkin) for losing his job. He gets $1000 to drive a car across town but the cops stop him and find a dead body in the trunk. Jack (John Lurie) is a pimp who is offered a new young white girl. Before he notices that she's underage, cops bust in and arrest him. They end up in the same cell and Roberto (Roberto Benigni) who speaks little English is brought in. He writes down phrases that strike him. He tells them that he's a card cheat who killed a man with the pool 8-ball. Then he leads them on a breakout. The camera lingers in slow moving long continuous scenes. The sparse settings give a surreal feel to it all. Everything has a dreamlike quality. It has an interesting atmosphere but it doesn't have much tension which is Jim Jarmusch's style.

This may very well be a mans' journey film, actually literally, but philosophically, it's still one that serves to be a reminder of all of the things in life and about how our choices eventually need to come to a head. The three lead actors are very naturalistic, except Benigni who seems to overdo it at times. The writing and the directing are typical Jarmusch, and we are able to experience just what he is feeling in every frame. So typical that audiences themselves will be wondering what is going on, and seeing as how it's plot less besides the obvious already in the summary, only Jarmusch fans who know what they're getting into will not be surprised by its narrative. If anything, it's one of his plottier films.