Rate this film: Dead Man (1995)

I fell instantly and deeply in love with Dead Man upon its release. I was already a fan of Jarmusch. His Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Law were strong introductions to a distinctive cinematic voice, and while his development continued with Mystery Train and Night on Earth they already felt a bit like Jarmusch parodying himself or hitting too many of the same notes. Dead Man was his biggest budget at the time and for me a true leap forward, encompassing all of his gifts for tone and quiet humor but integrating them into a Western, of all things. For me it is a Post Modern bit of genius, and if you were an English major like me or know William Blake’s poetry via some other route, the allusions to his work throughout are clever and sometimes profound (“The vision of Christ that thou dost see is my vision's greatest enemy”). In addition to all of that is Gary Farmer and the depiction of a Native American. His Nobody, who was also given the name He Who Talks Loud, Saying Nothing by other Natives, is the inverse of Hoffman’s Jack Little Big Man Crabb in that as a boy he was taken from his tribe and forcibly raised by whites. Therefore he too has bits of both cultures, most obviously identified by his appreciation of Blake’s poetry, but he is a unique character. With Chief Dan George’s Grandfather Lodge Skins in Little Big Man Nobody is my favorite Native American portrayal in cinema: humanistic, humorous, respectful. I love Dead Man’s melancholy rumination on death and poetry wrapped up in a Western.

Neil Young's fuzz guitar score is aces - it's a spiritual death journey, but with a fair share off kilter humor.

Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, 1995)
Imdb

Date Watched: 04/25/2020
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: MoFo Top 100 Westerns
Rewatch: Yes.

This is the tale of a stupid f***ing white man named William Blake, who is slowly dying from a gunshot wound to the chest, and a native called Nobody who is determined to help Blake cross into the spirit world.

It is amusing, confusing, surreal, tragic, and hilarious all while maintaining a heavy dose of atmosphere and feeling simultaneously ridiculously over the top and refreshingly authentic. It's clear that Jarmusch went to great lengths to give this gritty acid-trip of a movie a strong sense of realness and his attention to detail with the costuming and the representation of the language and culture of the native peoples is really impressive.

The performances are also all very strong. This bizarre role is tailor-made for Johnny Depp and he shines in it. Also great is Gary Farmer who brings warmth and humor to his role as Nobody. But the smaller roles, too, are quite impressive, with Iggy Pop stealing his scenes as a cross-dressing trapper who tells a rather unique version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

This was my third or fourth time watching this movie and I could never quite seem to decide if I liked it or not. It's so strange and original that I've long not known what to think of it, but after tonight's viewing I can confidently say that I enjoy it. It's really f***ing weird, but it's also really f***ing good.

I vaguely remember it as weird and amateurish. It was a long time ago.