Fav Flix Friday - Down By Law

Down by Law, directed by Jim Jarmusch 1986

The first time I saw Down by Law I was immediately spellbound by the opening scene- a montage of traveling shots of New Orleans with a husky Tom Waits sound over. The film is shot in black and white with a rich tonal range. Every still is a perfect photograph- exquisite cinematography! Not everyone likes a Jim Jarmusch film, but anyone who appreciates film as art will. What Hollywood or mainstream film considers extraneous and unimportant, Jarmusch considers significant and essential. He has a particular way of focusing on characters over plot and accentuating life's mundane moments that usually occur in between events. The main characters, Zack (Tom Waits), Jack (John Lurie- who also composed the great and moody score), and Bob (Roberto Benigni) are all marginal characters that live for the moment and literally go where the road takes them. The basic story is about a jail break yet all the details of the jail break are left out because the real story is about the characters, their relationship, and their journey.  This film is poetic, atmospheric, human, and funny. I highly recommend it!

Other Jarmusch films I loved: Coffee and Cigarettes (which has a super awesome cast!), Night on Earth (especially Roberto Benigni's bit!), and Dead Man (with the beautiful Johnny Depp)