Dead Man
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Movie Reviews of Dead Man
Movie Review: BLEAK, UNSETTLING & RIVETING
Summary: 5 Stars
I never saw this on the big screen, but after watching the DVD I think it would have been great to hear Neil Young's music coming from all directions and see the brilliant photography on the big screen.Dead Man, no doubt, will be loathed by some as being meandering and slow. However, I'm one who was thought this was absolutely brilliant. Some would probably describe this as just the story of someone who is fatally injured right at the beginning of the film and spends the rest of the time dying - and they'd be right - but it wouldn't do justice to the amazing acting of all concerned (esp. the bounty hunters - The talkative Michael Wincott - who still manages to keep talking after being shot about 6 times, and the scary, taciturn Lance Henrikson).
Johnny Depp (Bill Blake) yet again proves what a good actor he is, he was totally believable as the accountant who finds himself penniless and adrift in an totally alien world and his slow descent from a "stupid white man" to "killer of white men".
Gary Farmer was excellent as Nobody, an English-educated Indian with a love for Williams Blake's poetry and a desire to see Blake "return" to the spirit world in the proper way. There are also some great parts played by Alfred Molina as the missionary, Iggy Pop, Bill Bob Thornton, Gabriel Byrne, John Hurt etc., all of whom added to the surreal atmosphere.
The black and white photography is magical, the story is bleak, funny, shocking, uplifting and painful in equal parts.
If you like your films full of action and dont want to think too much about the plot - this one is definitely not for you. If you love films that can be interpreted on many levels, with interesting characters, great acting and wonderful photography, you may - just possibly - love this film.
Movie Review: This is just GREAT!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw for the first time last night "Dead Man" which had been advertised as this weird Western that Johnny Depp was in. At the time of its release, it commanded a bit of a stir but quickly went gently into that good night. Unfortunately, I had not had a chance to see it before it came to cable. Upon my first viewing, I immediately fell in love with it.
The story, set in the 19th century, centers around an accountant wearing a positively horrible suit who receives an offer of employment in this even more horrible town only to arrive a month too late to discover they had given his job to someone else. He demands to see the boss, Robert Mitchum, whose performance is a stitch, quickly frightens him into letting well enough alone.
He then encounters a myriad of off-beat characters in his quest to survive. Johnny's performance is enhanced by the quirky characters that abound in this story and it is fun trying to figure out who is who. Your typical Western, this certainly is not, but the performances all around make this quite a memorable viewing experience. Additionally, the sound track by Neil Young complements the film perfectly.
The film is multi-layered and I can assure you that on each viewing, you will undoubtedly discover some nuance you had missed before.
Suffice it to say, it is a story that perfectly captures the "survival of the fittest" theme. There is nothing disappointing about it at all, though I must caution you, you may find yourself at the beginning asking "What on earth is this about?!!"
Be patient and you will discover a gem of a Review: The Fate of The Fake William Blake
Summary: 5 Stars Dead Man is a film beyond words, it is a masterpiece of black and white, a movie of texture and atmosphere, it is a lurid fantasy of western lore, a conflagration of the conventions of film action and acting, an ocher cucumber seen through a lens of vibrant green, a prefabricated orange in an otherwise somber bowl of fruit, something to regard with indigestion and a tendency to be pretentious, a motion of silence must be taken to avoid speaking too much about the subtle hysteria this film evokes, it is a film that aspires to be a silent film and fails only because it is not. Johnny Depp acts like Buster Keaton, with minimal facial movement, and a physical grace that makes you want to dance with him, while Crispin Glover shows up briefly just to remind you that he's a better actor than Johnny Depp, and Neil Young's raw and emotive guitar instrumental grows increasingly disturbing after the tenth time you hear it, but it is Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, and Robert Mitchum who remind you that this film is not meant to punish you but to make you laugh and then ask yourself why you ever took those old westerns seriously. If you don't like this western then I'd reccomend any John Wayne film (all his films are westerns) just for the thrill of seeing a drunken idiotic janitor shooting Injuns for two hours. I think the critic Roger Ebert said he liked this film because it made him want to read William Blake's poetry for ten minutes (in between screenings) just to have the pleasure of reading "some are born to endless night" over and over and feeling that at least one poet understood the horror of a movie critic's life.
Movie Review: A masterpiece, of course.
Summary: 5 Stars
Is there any doubt that Jarmusch is the greatest living American filmmaker? Certainly now that Woody Allen is well past his prime, I think not. All of the man's films just blow my mind, Dead Man being no exception.Unfortunately, as much as I love them, I always find myself floundering when called upon to explain exactly what it is that fuels this appeal. Jarmusch is nothing if not subtle, and the poetry is so finely woven into the work that it's difficult to do anything other than take the work as a whole. What it comes down to, I expect, is that the brilliantly stylized settings and cinematography, the invariably well-written dialogue, and the distinctive soundtracks come together as more than the sum of their parts.
I have no explanation for the poor reviews Dead Man has received, other than the general stupidity of the American film-viewing public. The word 'slow-moving' is often used in a negative sense, suggesting that some people just can't tolerate watching a film without explosions, gee-whiz special effects, and snappy one-liners every five minutes. As with so many things in life, a good part of the blame can probably be leveled at Star Wars.
However, this does not apply to you. You are not a soul-deadened consumer-drone. You are an intelligent, thoughtful person, and you should therefore pay no heed to the naysayers (and especially to the previous reviewer--rarely have I seen a more stupidly wrong-headed critique of ANYTHING), and give Dead Man a go. You may not become quite as enamored of Jarmusch as I am, but I think there is little chance that you will not find it haunting and powerful.
Movie Review: A Beautiful Film
Summary: 5 Stars
I had never heard of this film before I saw it on sale in Target. Being a fan of Johnny Depp, I picked up the last copy in the store for under ten bucks. As the film opens, I thought, "Well, I guess there's a reason why movies you've never heard of go on sale." But, even as I thought this, there was still a quality to this film that captivated me. Even though the pacing was slow at first, the images and the dialogue seamed to be saying, "If you pay attention, I'm pretty important." Luckily, the little voice was right, and the film picked up steam as it moved along. Now, do not misunderstand me: at no point is this a fast paced film. Rather, your interest is taken captive by the pieces of dialogue and imagery that give the film a near-deat dream-like quality. The more you see of the film, the more you think you may understand, but, at the same time, the more dream-like it becomes. Others have bemoaned the grotesque portrayals of the supporting roles, yet this, too, leaves you with the sense that maybe all is not as it seems. As the film draws to a close, nothing concrete is laid into your lap. There is no nice and tidy "explain it all to me so I understand this in totality" wrap-up. No, instead, you are free to allow your mind to wander on the questions of reality, death, dreams, and fate. Weren't we told all along, even from the opening train ride, that this was how things would progress? Is William Blake dead? Is this the actual William Blake? Was this exactly as we saw, just an incredibly cruel descent into a fateful end? The film begs for, and is perfect for, multiple viewings. Enjoy it every time.