There’s a certain haziness to the films of Jim Jarmusch that I’ve come to expect from my limited experience with his work. That haziness is usually broken up with a sense of wit that grounds the film out of necessity for the narrative.

But in Dead Man, a film widely regarded as his masterpiece, that haziness is never interrupted, if anything it subtly progresses into a state of tedium. It explores Western culture through a perspective somewhere between life and death, a perspective indescribable but clearly understood by Jarmusch.

Coming to terms with living in a world where everyone is already dead. If I had to pick a vibe to slowly, existentially deteriorate to over the course of a few days it would definitely be dreamy b&w Robby Müller western images and moody Neil Young electric guitar strumming.

“nobody, i don’t smoke.”

beautiful brilliant poetic film. and that neil young score makes it all the much better.

The strangest Red Dead Redemption sidequest

Another Jarmusch pursuit of belonging in hyper-specific cultural authenticity and shared experience, this time with a white man getting a last look at the natural world as he goes west to die while "civilization" kills and eats its way there, intending to be reborn and already too late.

I can’t believe William Blake left Nobody just to change his name to Willy Wonka and start making chocolate

One of the best films I've seen this year! During the first hour, it's easy to just see this as a stellar old-school western, with its stunning rural setting, desolate landscapes, memorable characters, and a remarkable soundtrack that is used sparingly to set everything up. But, with its whimsical, surreal visual elements and off-beat wit, it really becomes a genre-blend after that. It's meditative, but also humorous. Whimsical, but conceptually profound. Poetic in every way possible. It's similar to many Lynchian films in that it feels like a dream. It's as if you're quietly floating along with a man who is transitioning from total and absolute innocence to experience and full-fledgedness. Because of its experimental nature, there will definitely be things I missed, but that only adds to my want to rewatch.

the ultimate cool guy film

One of those movies that says everything and nothing. The white world of this film is much more "savage" than the Indigenous one, but the movie isn't just about that easy irony. Something that this movie has in common with Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Law is its confidence in the power of its landscape, and the ability of that landscape to communicate something beyond words.

Hate to keep picking on him, because I do feel fondly towards him, but Roger Ebert saying that the Neil Young score "sounds like nothing so much as a man repeatedly dropping his guitar" was one of the all-time film critic failure moments.

"You William Blake?"
"Yes, I am. Do you know my poetry?"

This is one crazy badass western that is as cool as it is strange. The brilliant Neil Young score is one of my favorites. This is one of the best and unfortunately most under seen gems of the 90's.