Down by Law

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Otaki Y 終始、空間全域が満遍に映る引きのショットで、映像が物語を語る際に無駄なく洗練らせている Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/24 Full Review Wayne K Much like Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderon, Jim Jarmusch is a very unique voice in the cinematic world. His style of writing and presentation aren't for everyone, and you'll find out very quickly which side of the fence you fall on. Down By Law is more about creating a vibe than it is about telling a story, and I think that's what puts a lot of people off. Slow moving narratives are a hard thing to get right, and you risk alienating your audience if you do don't have something to hook them in. Fortunately, what DBL lacks on the story front, it makes up for in the character department. By spending so much time with only 3 individuals, following them through a series of events, we get to know them well and experience the dynamic between them. By the end we feel like we've been on the (mis)adventure with them, like we're one of the group. The film can take a long time to make it's point, but that feeling starts to fade the more the film goes on, because we grow more comfortable with the film's style and approach. I can't say it's a film I'd watch again, as it's pace would grate on you the more times you see it, but as a relative newbie to Jarmusch's work, I can't say I didn't enjoy it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/21/24 Full Review Vito P It's amazing how Jarmusch manages to make his characters so vivid and human from such a simple story in a perfect blend of genres. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/22/24 Full Review Dave S In Down by Law, an early offering from the always interesting Jim Jarmusch, three disparate characters escape prison and find themselves on the run from authorities through a swampy Louisiana landscape. Among its virtues, Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni are all great in the lead roles, the characters are nicely developed, Jarmusch proves that he knows how to frame and block a shot, and the cinematography and lighting are stunning at times. However, the acting by the secondary cast is often sketchy at best and the dialogue can be downright cringy at times. Regardless, Down by Law is worth watching to see a young filmmaker refining his skills and learning his trade. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/19/23 Full Review Logan M A classic of the crime genre that provides an intimate view of city life and raw human emotion. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Great film Altogether I think that the film, "Down By Law" (1986) by Jim Jarmusch featuring Tom Waits, is one of cinema's finest noir pieces, an obvious montage through the arts of it's time period, but held together at it's essence, which is the perceived voyeur's agreements with the sometimes awkwardly staggered and dragging exaggerations made by the true minds of the film. This context within context is somewhat familiar to the actors and writers whose hand at the work is seen like a stark author's stencil's dark shading on the texture of the characters at work in the movie. The exemplary effort given by the both the entire teams of the production and writing seem to fit seamlessly as though the stages were set and the actions seemed to flow out of the actors through the piece in the easiest, while at the same time, most mind-blowing orchestration through which the music plays on the rhythm of the story, and viewer. Great early attempt by Jim Jarmusch in film-making, and a true classic. Special recognition, definitely, for Roberto Benigni who was truly fun. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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