Down by Law (The Criterion Collection)
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DVD details
Actor: John Lurie, Roberto BenigniBrand: HVC
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 107 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-10-22
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Criterion
DVD Reviews of Down by Law (The Criterion Collection)
DVD Review: Jarmusch at his best
Summary: 5 Stars
On Stranger than Paradise, one could be forgiven if they felt Jim Jarmusch was being a little pretentious. As minimalist no budget film making, there were lots of those so called artsty shots that cojure up a laundry list of foreign art house directors. But Stranger than Paradise was not only a watershed moment for the American indie film, it also set the stage for Jarmusch as a great indie film director and it was the stepping stool for the great Down by Law, arguably his best work.
Like Stranger than Paradise, Down By Law follows of a trio of losers. While the characters in Stranger than Paradise were living possibly on pipe dreams, Down by Law's trio are losers of the worst kind. Tom Waits plays a down on his luck DJ set up delivering a car that, unbeknownst to him, carries a dead body while John Lurie plays a pimp, also set up to meet a possible new employee. This basic setup allows both characters to meet up with Roberto Benigni in jail, escape, and get down and dirty in the swamps of Louisiana.
One of the most remarkable things about the film is the feeling evoked by the long takes, emphasizing minimalist film making and allow us to watch, feel, and observe these characters. There is a degree of mistrust, annoyance, and friendship that exists between our three "heroes" as they wander through Louisiana. As outsiders, we feel it all. Jarmusch's long takes seem like they say nothing. Some argue that nothing is going on. The beauty of the scenes is the patience they reward the viewer. Instead of quickly flashing to the next scene, we get the feeling of despair, hopelessness, and even apathy as the three character reside in prison.
On this film, Jarmusch found a brilliant collaborator in Robby Muller who serves as director of photography on this film. Capturing the mood and feel of New Orleans from the opening montage through the dingy swamps, it's the fourth main character. Jarmusch comments on the disc that he specifically chose not to shoot the more tourist areas. We get a feeling of blue infected south, that is only emphasized by John Luries sporadic jazz/blues inspired score.
Like all of Jarmusch's works, there really isn't a "plot" per se. Yes the main characters are wrongfully imprisoned and consequently escape, but this is not a fast paced action drams. It's mostly a character study. Watching the interactions between the three characters is precious. Lurie and Waits have excellent exchanges and are great here, despite the fact they are not traditional actors. As their foil, Roberto Benigni provides a somewhat madcap (though according to Jarmusch, somewhat restrained) performance, easily stealing the show and providing a hint of color to an ironically black and white film.
This edition is another excellent entry from Criterion. While Jarmusch doesn't provide a commentary (he doesn't do em, so don't ask), he talks a good while on every aspect you'd like to know about the film in a set of audio only reflections. There is also a very entertaining q&a from fans, phone calls to the stars of the film, and a video of Waits directed by Jarmusch and much more.
Description of Down by Law (The Criterion Collection)
Synopsis: 0Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: NR
Street Date: 10/22/02
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
After creating one of the breakthrough movies of the American independent cinema, Stranger than Paradise, Jim Jarmusch stayed right in the same minimalist, oddball, black-and-white groove. Down by Law takes place in Louisiana, where two losers (musicians Tom Waits and John Lurie) find themselves stuck in a jail cell together. One day they are joined by a boisterous Italian (Roberto Benigni), and the chemistry changes--suddenly an escape attempt is on the horizon. Conventional drama is not Jarmusch's intention; one of the emotional high points of this movie is the three guys marching around their prison cell shouting, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" Yet the deadpan style creates its own humorous mood, underscored by melancholy (also underscored by the music of Lurie and the gravel-voiced songs of Waits). This was the first American film for Roberto Benigni, the Italian comedian (Life Is Beautiful), and he lights it up with his effervescent clowning. Jarmusch has said that Down by Law forms a loose trilogy with Stranger than Paradise and the subsequent Mystery Train, a triptych of disaffected, drifting life in the United States. Few filmmakers have ever surveyed ennui so entertainingly. --Robert Horton
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