Review of Jim Jarmusch: Down By Law / Night On Earth

Introduction

This Jim Jarmusch double-pack isn`t a nice to have - it`s essential.

The box includes two of Jarmusch`s finest movies, the quirky black and white comedy `Down by Law`, and the stylish and thought provoking `Night on Earth`.
Both these wonderful movies have been released individually before now, and there is a feature-packed version of `Down by Law` available from Criterion. For me though these will do just fine.

Jarmusch has always been a left of field Director. He first got noticed (in a big way) with his second movie `Stranger than Paradise` in 1984 - a stylised road movie using a natural and understated approach to dialogue and a slow moving pace that created just the right atmosphere.

DOWN BY LAW

He followed `Stranger` up with what is essentially another black and white `road movie` (though this time it`s all on foot), again featuring three contrasting characters.

`Down by Law` again features John Lurie (hip musician of `The Lounge Lizards` fame) who was one of the threesome from his earlier picture. For this outing he is joined by the inspired choices of Tom Waits (yes- he of gravely singing voice fame) and the hilarious Roberto Benigni who was to become a Jarmusch regular.

It`s a movie about three guys down on their luck who find themselves in the same prison cell. Jack (Lurie) is a small time pimp who gets set-up with an under-aged girl and is arrested at the scene. Waits is a beatnik hipster DJ called Zack who, after being thrown out of his apartment by his girlfriend (Ellen Barkin), ends up agreeing to move a stolen car across town. When stopped by police he`s every bit as surprised as they are to find a body in the trunk. The third member of the trio is wired Italian tourist, Roberto (Benigni) who, remarkably, is the brains behind their escape.

When taking exercise one day they make their escape out of the swamp ridden New Orleans jail and set off on a desperate journey. Of course, none know where they are going but they soon shake off the guards and their dogs as they push further into the Louisiana Bayou, replete with snakes, alligators and insects.

This is the perfect vehicle to allow Jarmusch to explore the growing relationship between the three misfits - Zak and Jack as moody outsiders and Roberto as the endearing and hilarious sidekick. Despite their increasingly desperate situation there`s a gentle humour and warmth throughout which is what makes the film so enjoyable. In pace and atmosphere it struck me that this is what an Ealing comedy would have been like at the hands of an American Beatnik Director.

The end of the film is as unlikely as the prison break but is entirely forgivable - though I won`t spoil that here in case you`ve never seen it.

It`s worth noting that when Jarmusch cast the incredible Roberto Benigni he was virtually unknown in the US. By 1998 he had won two Oscars for `Life is Beautiful` - and deservedly so. You can see here that he is a unique comedic talent - particularly during his monologue when cooking up a rabbit.

NIGHT ON EARTH

`Night on Earth` did surprisingly good box office on its release in 1991. It`s one of those rare movies where the Director sets himself up with a unique challenge - that may or may not work. I think it`s fair to say that here it works magnificently and without exception.

The idea of the movie was to explore how much `life` is going on around the globe on any one night - through the eyes of five different taxi drivers. So the movie is essentially five vignettes, stylistically glued together with Tom Waits haunting soundtrack. The bulk of the film is a two shot where you see the driver in the foreground looking into their mirror to the passenger. There are also healthy helpings of each of the cities featured by night (from the cab window), which are a joy to see in their own right.

Jarmusch uses a simple but effective linking device showing a row of clocks on local time before zooming in the appropriate one for the next story.

The first is LA where a highflying casting executive is picked up by gum chewing, chain smoking tomboy Corky (played brilliantly by Ryder). It`s an amusing tale where the stressed executive is having trouble casting a `tough chick` in a role (all played out on a giant mobile phone) when it suddenly dawns on her that Corky would be ideal for the part. Only Corky doesn`t want the part. She`s happy being a driver as the first step to her becoming a mechanic like her older brothers. It`s a heart-warming tale and one that must resonate for Jarmusch who remains an outsider to Hollywood style business.

Next it`s to the east coast where New York cabby Helmut (Mueller-Stahl) kangaroos his way to picking up Yo-Yo (Esposito). It turns out that Helmut doesn`t know how to drive and the lets Yo Yo take the wheel. It turns out that Helmut was once a clown in East Germany and as they make their way through the mean streets, picking up Yo Yo`s cursing sister-in-law on the way, a bond forms between them.

Paris is next which shows an unnamed black driver (Isaach De Bankole) pick up Beatrice Dalle who plays a sassy blind girl who seems more in control than he does. Jarmusch covers issues like the absurdity of racism and attitudes to handicapped people in a way that is never crude or clumsy and Dalle is breathtakingly good as the blind girl.


Then it`s off to Rome for some light relief. Roberto Benigni gives a powerhouse comedic performance as a slightly crazed cabby. After driving the streets of Rome at some speed whilst delivering a stream of consciousness soliloquy (is this ad-lib?) he picks up a priest. What then ensues is one of the funniest monologues in comedy history with the Priest hardly able to get a word in edgeways. It becomes apparent that the Priest is unwell and Roberto`s monologue is sending him over the edge.

Roberto is talking so much and so quickly that he doesn`t notice that the Priest has died. If you don`t laugh aloud at the line `I don`t eat vegetables because of the Pumpkins…` then you just haven`t been listening! Brilliant.

In stark contrast (and perhaps the weakest of the five episodes) we get a bleak journey in Helsinki. Mika (Pelonpaa) picks up three drunks who tell him of one amongst them`s extreme misfortune. (Shaggy dog tale stuff that goes from bad to badder). However, Mika has his own grim tale to tell and they realise that there`s always someone worse off than themselves - in this case Mika. In an otherwise unremarkable segment the nighttime views of snowbound Helsinki are magical.

Video

These are both very fine prints and transfers in the original aspect ratios.

`Down by Law` suffers a little on occasion with lack of contrast though I seem to recall that this was a feature of the original theatrical release. The `Night on Earth` transfer is flawless though there is some stylised grain on occasion, which I feel certain, is a feature of the original print.

Audio

Unremarkable stereo, but perfectly adequate and all coated in that wonderful all-pervading and atmospheric score by Tom Waits (Night on Earth) and Tom Waits and John Lurie (Down by Law).

Features

None.

Conclusion

For those who have neither of these in their collection then this must surely be an essential purchase.

`Down by Law` is a grungy low-rent beatnik comedy that moves along at a gentle pace which may not be to everyone`s tastes. For me it`s a charming film that really bears up to repeated viewings (in the way that an Ealing comedy might), though just to be picky I`d add that Tom Waits performance is the least convincing of the three. However, it`s still a very fine movie and Benigni is laugh-aloud funny. There`s an added poignancy to proceedings here as the film opens in the sleazy back-waters of New Orleans and then transfers to the water-logged Bayou`s and swamps of Louisiana that have been such a feature in global news of late for obvious reasons.


With `Night on Earth` there were moments when I was watching this that I began to think it may well be the finest film ever made. But then I got a grip and reminded myself of all the other great movies out there. However, this has certainly pushed its way somewhere into my top 20 following this re-viewing. I mean - come on - what more do you want? Beatrice Dalle, Winona Ryder, a wonderful Tom Waits score (I`ve had the OST since release) and written and Directed by Jarmusch. If that isn`t going to work then, frankly, what is?

Brilliant and heartily recommended. Just a shame about the extras.