Dead Man (1995)
Directed by Jim Jarmusch
***3/4
This is an art film, but oh so enjoyable. It was such a beautiful, fascinating story that I kept smiling and/or sitting on the edge of my seat and/or wondering at its stark originality. It's a sort of western, but also a travel story, a spiritual journey, a surrealist masterpiece. Johnny Depp is just plain wonderful as William Blake (not the poet), who sells all he has to move out to California for a job as an accountant. Unfortunately, he doesn't make it in time, so the film ends up following his picaresque wanderings. The script has a subtle hilarity to it, and the cast is simply loaded with great actors (Robert Mitchum, John Hurt, Gabriel Byrne, etc). Shot in gorgeous black and white, the entire film is a marvel, and Native American Gary Farmer was endearing as William's guide/sidekick.
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