Directed by:
Jim JarmuschScreenplay:
Jim JarmuschCinematography:
Tom DiCilloComposer:
John LurieCast:
John Lurie, Eszter Balint, Richard Edson, Cecillia Stark, Danny Rosen, Rammellzee, Tom DiCillo, Richard Boes, Rockets Redglare, Harvey Perr, Brian J. Burchill (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
With this breakout film, Jim Jarmusch established himself as one of the most exciting voices in the burgeoning independent-film scene, a road-movie poet with an affinity for Americana at its most offbeat. Jarmusch follows rootless Hungarian émigré Willie (John Lurie), his pal Eddie (Richard Edson), and his visiting sixteen-year-old cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) as they drift from New York’s Lower East Side to the snowy expanses of Lake Erie and the drab beaches of Florida, always managing to make the least of wherever they end up. Structured as a series of master-shot vignettes etched in black and white by cinematographer Tom DiCillo, Stranger Than Paradise is a nonchalant masterpiece of deadpan comedy and perfectly calibrated minimalism. (Criterion)
(more)Reviews (3)
Jarmusch is an excellent director in my eyes, who has made two great action films, namely Dead Man and Night on Earth, as well as a few other truly successful pieces, such as Ghost Dog. However, I realized he is a directorial genius after watching this film, because captivating critics, festival juries, and movie fans with something seemingly simple is a true art. I have seen a decent number of films from the American independent scene that have affected me emotionally far more and yet have significantly humbler ratings. If I had seen Stranger than Paradise without knowing Jarmusch's filmography, I would have said to myself, this guy has talent and will become something someday, but I would not have been blown away by this film. Above all, it has an incredibly simple and banal plot, even by independent scene standards, where I really don't expect a big budget and bombastic action. Edited to a thirty-minute runtime, Stranger than Paradise could have been a quality part of an anthology film, but like this, it contains a lot of filler. Such static camera work, minimalist dialogues, and minimal plot twists are rare to see. The most valuable aspect is the camera, which partly conveys the bleakness of the outskirts of American cities and holiday resorts through its black and white color. It reminds me of documentary films from the American "white trash" environment in the 1960s. Overall impression: 45%.
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Black and white excellence accompanied by my favorite song “I Put A Spell On You". The ending with the hat and the airport is perfect and it is hard to imagine that this strangely ordinary, but at the same time so original story could or even should have ended differently. No more words are needed (in Jarmusch's film or in my commentary).
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Jim Jarmusch is not fundamentally one of my significantly favorite authors, although I acknowledge his independence and I like that he makes films according to his own vision and very diversely as well. However, this simply didn't manage to grab my attention, even though Jarmusch can brilliantly portray characters. These characters simply didn't entertain me, and I did not see anything on their "lives" that was worth seeing. Maybe that is the right key...
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