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Down by Law

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Film Review: Down by Law (1986)@drax1581d

(source: tmdb.org)

Low budget independent art films are an acquired taste. If you want to actually acquire that taste, you might start by watching films like Down by Law, 1986 black comedy written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.

The plot begins in New Orleans, where we are introduced to main characters. Zack (played by Tom Waits) is unemployed DJ who gets thrown out from home by his girlfriend Laurette (played by Ellen Barkin) and later tries to drown his sorrow by drinking a bottle of Bourbon. In such state he accepts the offer to drive someone’s car for suspiciously high amount of money and soon regrets it when the police stops him and finds dead body inside. Jack (played by John Lurie) is an overambitious small time pimp whose rival talks him into taking one of his girls, leading to Jack falling into police trap. Two men end up in jail cell where they begin to dislike each other as much as their predicament. Everything changes when they are joined by third prisoner, Italian tourist Roberto (played by Roberto Benigni) who freely admits that he killed someone in self-defence, but who nevertheless kept surprisingly cheerful disposition. Roberto not only lifts his cellmates’ spirits, but also makes a plan for escape which actually works. Three men end up in the large bayou, where they must find ways to survive and decide what they would do next.

Jarmusch became critics’ darling with his quirky debut Stranger Than Paradise two years earlier, but this film, originally shown at Cannes Film Festival, enhanced his fame to international level. Here he again delivered shown directorial skills, turning cheap, simple and ascetic film into something remarkable. With the aid of famed cinematographer Robby Müller whose black-and-white images perfectly capture usually bleak and intimidating surroundings, Jarmusch confidently tells an interesting story, seamlessly switching moods and genres from film noir in the beginning, prison film in the middle, adventure in the final part and fable-like finale. There is a lot of dark humour in the film, including some that certain audience could find it slightly disturbing, like in the scene featuring underage prostitute. Yet, for the most part, Down by Law works, helped a lot by a music provided by two of its stars – Waits and Lurie.

Although Waits, a singer with one of the most recognisable voices in the world of music, helps a film with his iconic presence, it is Benigni who proves to be the most valuable member of the cast. His appearance in the film completely transforms general mood of film. Benigni, who, like the character he played, had limited command of English, uses this as a source of humour. His character’s naivety and cheerfulness are initially at odds with bleak atmosphere of film, but he gradually changes the mood. Beningni does so with great skill, bringing a lot of intensity but never going overboard and allowing that his character becomes clownish or annoying. He also brings refreshing outside perspective to other two characters, never able to see beyond the bleakness of New Orleans, city which was apparently in bad shape decades before Katrina. “Bob” (as his character is called in the film), whose knowledge of America was mostly built on Hollywood films, has more optimistic outlook and in the end he gets rewarded by something resembling American Dream.

Down by Law is far from perfect and, especially in the opening, Jarmusch tests average viewer’s patience with shots that take a little bit too long and that appear to serve no purpose other than displaying his skill. Some might complain about film being too conventional or the ending happy for this sort of film. Cinephiles are, on the other hand, enjoy it due to some details ordinary viewer might miss. One of them is presence of Nicoletta Braschi, Italian actress best known as Benigni’s screen partner, wife and muse. Here she appears in small but memorable role of Italian diner owner with whom “Bob” falls in love. Real life matched Jarmusch’s fiction made Down by Law into delectable little film which shows how fairytales, at least sometimes, can happen in real life.

RATING: 7/10 (++)

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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1554-down-by-law Critic: AA

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›/ Film History : Down By Law /@marinauzelac3098d

Down By Law is third film by Jarmusch, an it's the movie that catapulted him to independent American cinema in the 80's.The film takes an original approach on the prison-movie genre. Instead of going over the top, prison break style with drama and suspense, Jarmusch prefers to keep the film deliberately small and personal.

Treading between a prison film and an odd comedy, the movie works on several different levels. The plot of the film is simple:
we follow three different convicts that end up in the same cell.The movie begins with the long character introduction of the two main characters played by Tom Waits and John Lurie. They are two low life petty criminals who get framed for two serious crimes they didn't commit, as we follow them to the their cell, they are joined by another convict who is played by Roberto Benigni, and the entire film gets situated in one prison cell.

In Down by Law, Jarmusch invites the viewer to be patient and he take some time to introduce us with the characters.
We have Zack, played by Tom Waits, who is an unemployed DJ and a lovable loser, Jack (John Lurie) a small time pimp and Bob, an Italian tourist, in love with American idioms, although not good at English language, played by Roberto Benigni who absolutely steals the show.
Of the trio, Bob is the only one who actually committed a crime, at least we think - he murdered in self defense, with a billiard ball, and its a shockingly laughable moment when you find out that piece of information.

“All three of them are really outsiders. The view we get of America from all of them is very much outside of the expected one. It’s about people who are outside. They are foreigners, in a sense, in their own country.”

It's a weird trio of misfits who are heartbreakingly human. We watch as they begin to mirror each other and as their friendship form.
There is this wonderful scene where Bob (Benigni) draws a window on the wall and asks Jack (Lurie), ''Do you say, in English, ‘I look at the window, or do you say, ‘I look out the window?'” and Jack replies “In this case, Bob, you’d say “I look at the window.”

The all time favorite scene though, would definitely be where Jack, Zack and Roberto sing ''You scream. I scream. We all scream for ice cream!" :
In notes accompanying the film, Jarmusch explains that he never saw the Louisiana bayou country before he went to shoot a movie there. What he has seen are lots of movies, and "Down by Law" is an anthology of pulp images from the world of film noir.

On the surface, it's grim and relentless, but there's a thread of humor running through everything, and that takes the curse off. We are never quite sure that Jarmusch intends us to take anything seriously, and there are times when the actors seem to be smiling to themselves as they growl through their lines.

Lurie is known from the previous film and from his work as a musician. Waits is a star playing ture is Benigni, who has an irrepressible, infectious manner, and is absolutely delighted to be himself. I don't know where he came from and I can't imagine what he's going to do next, but he could have a long comic career ahead. He's like a showoff kid who gets you laughing, starts laughing at himself and then tries to top himself no matter what. (1)

The best thing about the film, for me at least, is that the film is building like a prison break, and Jarmusch never shows you the actual prison break, he takes away that classical drama, and cuts from planing the escape to - puff! they are out.

As Vincent Canby, from NY Times wonderfully puts it:
''The excitement of ''Down by Law'' comes not from what it's ''about.'' Reduced to its plot, it is very slight. But the plot isn't the point. The excitement comes from the realization that we are seeing a true film maker at work, using film to create a narrative that couldn't exist on the stage or the printed page of a novel.''

(1) Roger Ebert, Down By Law

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›/ Film Class #4 / Down By Law / Jim Jarmusch /@marinauzelac3227d
Down By Law is third film by Jarmusch, an it's the movie that catapulted him to independent American cinema in the 80's.

The film takes an original approach on the prison-movie genre. Instead of going over the top, prison break style with drama and suspense, Jarmusch prefers to keep the film deliberately small and personal. Treading between a prison film and an odd comedy, the movie works on several different levels. The plot of the film is simple: we follow three different convicts that end up in the same cell.

The movie begins with the long character introduction of the two main characters played by Tom Waits and John Lurie. They are two low life petty criminals who get framed for two serious crimes they didn't commit, as we follow them to the their cell, they are joined by another convict who is played by Roberto Benigni, and the entire film gets situated in one prison cell.

In Down by Law, Jarmusch invites the viewer to be patient and he take some time to introduce us with the characters. We have Zack, played by Tom Waits, who is an unemployed DJ and a lovable loser, Jack (John Lurie) a small time pimp and Bob, an Italian tourist, in love with American idioms, although not good at English language, played by Roberto Benigni who absolutely steals the show. Of the trio, Bob is the only one who actually committed a crime, at least we think - he murdered in self defense, with a billiard ball, and its a shockingly laughable moment when you find out that piece of information.

“All three of them are really outsiders. The view we get of America from all of them is very much outside of the expected one. It’s about people who are outside. They are foreigners, in a sense, in their own country.”

It's a weird trio of misfits who are heartbreakingly human. We watch as they begin to mirror each other and as their friendship form. There is this wonderful scene where Bob (Benigni) draws a window on the wall and asks Jack (Lurie), ''Do you say, in English, ‘I look at the window, or do you say, ‘I look out the window?'” and Jack replies “In this case, Bob, you’d say “I look at the window.”

The all time favorite scene though, would definitely be where Jack, Zack and Roberto sing ''You scream. I scream. We all scream for ice cream!" :

Spoiler alert: The best thing about the film, for me at least, is that the film is building like a prison break, and Jarmusch never shows you the actual prison break, he takes away that classical drama, and cuts from planing the escape to - puff! they are out.

As Vincent Canby, from NY Times wonderfully puts it: ''The excitement of ''Down by Law'' comes not from what it's ''about.'' Reduced to its plot, it is very slight. But the plot isn't the point. The excitement comes from the realization that we are seeing a true film maker at work, using film to create a narrative that couldn't exist on the stage or the printed page of a novel.''

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