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teh b0lly!!1 · 07:33 AM

Dead Man

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...dManPoster.jpg

this post sponsored by buzzard, who was kind enough to provide me with a copy of the film. thanks, buzz.

so i've been wanting to get into jim jarmusch for a while. the only reference point i have from him is Ghost Dog, which i love. while watching Dead Man, i noticed a lot of conjoined themes and motives, so even though they may be disparate, it's hard to avoid comparing them.

both are oddly surreal. both tell the story of an improbable friendship between two people who don't seem to understand each other very well. both are highly spiritual, and show a great respect for the majesty of nature (while criticizing humans who mercilessly destroy it). both feature a strangely eclectic group of "villains" (for lack of better word). both feature a main character who denies the traditional concept of identity.

anyway. jarmusch films (at least the ones i had watched so far) beautifully walk a thin line between deploying traditional narrative filmmaking, and being completely surreal. they constantly push the envelope in terms of what's considered 'straightforward' storytelling, but on the other hand, it never gets TOO bizarre, as to become completely disattached.

i think this movie is kind of rare in that, its reach extends beyond that of just a film. the way it deals with spirituality, zen mentality, peacefully persevering in the face of kafkaesque adversities - the experience you get from it is pretty meta. it's like a meditation. a process. it leaves a lot of space for the viewer to experience their own journey from it. it certainly made me relate, and think a lot about my life. how it's ok to let go of control, and just accept reality, and do your best to stay true to yourself. not being afraid, cause we're all already dead. bend like reeds in whatever direction the wind is blowing.

much of that can be attributed to the unusual way the film is paced. it's very, very slow. very scarce. bare bones. most of the time it's people out in the woods, in broad daylight, with neil young playing trippy, unaccompanied guitar over it. even when something DOES happen, it's not treated with the usual cinematic sense of bombast or grandiosity. it feels very incidental. very lifelike.

johnny depp's performance is pretty cool here. his demeanor is so tame and stoic, almost, especially in the face of all the strange and trying things that happen to him. as the film progresses, the arc his character goes through is not quite clear: is it a slow process of deconstruction, a downward spiral, or is it a story of enlightenment and redemption? that's part of the 'meditative' quality i was talking about. you have a lot of time to process things, and think about where you want to take them.

i felt he had a slight 'knee' to his acting, though - like, at some point halfway through, the transformation in his acting was too steep. from boring, oppressed accountant, to unaffected badass. not really a big complaint though, just an observation.

it's a very thought provoking piece of work, very atmospheric. it's amazing how the confidence of people has such a huge impact on the art they make. you can tell jarmusch is not too concerned whether he might be boring you or not. he's taking all the time he needs to make his statement. i find that admirable, but it was arguably a liiittle too slow and low key. though undoubtedly skillfully made. it's a very interesting sidestep, conceptually, to what cinema is usually about, but perhaps it could have been more engaging. still gonna check out more jarmusch.

08-05-2016, 06:13 AM	#152
teh b0lly!!1 Braindead Location: PROWLING THE BADLANDS Posts: 17,399	Dead Man https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...dManPoster.jpg this post sponsored by buzzard, who was kind enough to provide me with a copy of the film. thanks, buzz. so i've been wanting to get into jim jarmusch for a while. the only reference point i have from him is Ghost Dog, which i love. while watching Dead Man, i noticed a lot of conjoined themes and motives, so even though they may be disparate, it's hard to avoid comparing them. both are oddly surreal. both tell the story of an improbable friendship between two people who don't seem to understand each other very well. both are highly spiritual, and show a great respect for the majesty of nature (while criticizing humans who mercilessly destroy it). both feature a strangely eclectic group of "villains" (for lack of better word). both feature a main character who denies the traditional concept of identity. anyway. jarmusch films (at least the ones i had watched so far) beautifully walk a thin line between deploying traditional narrative filmmaking, and being completely surreal. they constantly push the envelope in terms of what's considered 'straightforward' storytelling, but on the other hand, it never gets TOO bizarre, as to become completely disattached. i think this movie is kind of rare in that, its reach extends beyond that of just a film. the way it deals with spirituality, zen mentality, peacefully persevering in the face of kafkaesque adversities - the experience you get from it is pretty meta. it's like a meditation. a process. it leaves a lot of space for the viewer to experience their own journey from it. it certainly made me relate, and think a lot about my life. how it's ok to let go of control, and just accept reality, and do your best to stay true to yourself. not being afraid, cause we're all already dead. bend like reeds in whatever direction the wind is blowing. much of that can be attributed to the unusual way the film is paced. it's very, very slow. very scarce. bare bones. most of the time it's people out in the woods, in broad daylight, with neil young playing trippy, unaccompanied guitar over it. even when something DOES happen, it's not treated with the usual cinematic sense of bombast or grandiosity. it feels very incidental. very lifelike. johnny depp's performance is pretty cool here. his demeanor is so tame and stoic, almost, especially in the face of all the strange and trying things that happen to him. as the film progresses, the arc his character goes through is not quite clear: is it a slow process of deconstruction, a downward spiral, or is it a story of enlightenment and redemption? that's part of the 'meditative' quality i was talking about. you have a lot of time to process things, and think about where you want to take them. i felt he had a slight 'knee' to his acting, though - like, at some point halfway through, the transformation in his acting was too steep. from boring, oppressed accountant, to unaffected badass. not really a big complaint though, just an observation. it's a very thought provoking piece of work, very atmospheric. it's amazing how the confidence of people has such a huge impact on the art they make. you can tell jarmusch is not too concerned whether he might be boring you or not. he's taking all the time he needs to make his statement. i find that admirable, but it was arguably a liiittle too slow and low key. though undoubtedly skillfully made. it's a very interesting sidestep, conceptually, to what cinema is usually about, but perhaps it could have been more engaging. still gonna check out more jarmusch. Last edited by teh b0lly!!1 : 08-05-2016 at 07:33 AM.