Down by Law

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Jakub V Every single shot is funny. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/17/25 Full Review john h As Tom Waits once said over a phone call with Jarmusch decades after the film's theatrical release, Down By Law is a meditative film with beautiful shots in the swamp and an unusual beat-generation film that captivates us with the loveable trio that is John Lurie, Tom Waits, and the made-for-comedy talent Roberto Benigni. The choice of style of camera movement murmurs the name "Kurosawa", as the black and white color in the woods gives us a similar feeling to a clip taken straight out of Rashomon. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/02/25 Full Review Insomniac X Gritty, idiosyncratic southern gothic about three down-on-their-luck misfits on the lam. Jarmusch uses New Orleans locations and Tom Waits' music to set the tone before settling into his signature blend of humor and minimalistic, character-driven storytelling. Warm-blooded cinematography and inspired casting bring plenty of charm to this American fable. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/19/25 Full Review Dionisis T The true example of how an actor can truly make the difference! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

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