Celebrating the works of the extremely versatile man that is director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor, and composer Jim Jarmusch, the British Film Institute (BFI) are hosting an entire season dedicated to him this coming September; titled Jim Jarmusch and Friends.
As well as hosting an extended run of the classic prison movie/poetic fable that is Down By Law, the BFI will be screening a complete retrospective of Jarmusch’s features; highlighting the ways in which the versatile director has not only managed to largely avoid the conventions of mainstream narrative filmmaking by looking for signs of life in so-called ‘dead moments’, but how he’s continued to remain consistently relevant since becoming such a huge proponent of the indie filmmaking scene in the 1980s.
Known as the ‘king of cool’ on the indie circuit, Jim (a key figure in New York’s cultural scene, and member of the band SQÜRL) has remained a prolific filmmaker, and stayed at the forefront of fantastic indie features by adapting to change, and producing not only a number of breathtaking and truly original features, but a number of extremely different films.
So with the BFI hosting an entire season dedicated to Jim, and the films which have influenced him over the years (look to the BFI’s website for more information, and screenings dates and times), we decided to take a closer look at just a few of Jim’s greatest movies.
Down By Law (1986):
Firstly, it had to be the brilliant Down By Law; a bewitching blend of urban noir, prison movie, poetic fable and comedy, Down By Law was only Jim Jarmusch’s third feature; a pitch-perfect classic of American indie cinema which breaks the conventions of a typical prison escape movie by focussing more heavily on the interactions between the three main convicts rather than the escape plan itself. With stunning camerawork by Robby Müller, an extremely inventive and impressive script, and terrific performances throughout Down By Law proves to be both funny and touching, and a real must see.
Night on Earth (1991):
Like Down By Law, Night on Earth was both written and directed by Jarmusch, features an extraordinary international cast (headlined by Gloria’s Gena Rowlands and Edward Scissorhands’ Winona Ryder), and continued Jim’s experimental filmmaking by presenting five entirely different tales; following five different taxi rides, occurring simultaneously, in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki. Exploring the temporary bond which develops between a taxi driver and his/her passenger(s), with a script reportedly written in a mere eight days, and a setting which limited Jarmusch to a number of somewhat constrained shots, Night on Earth is not only an example of exceptional experimental filmmaking, but a lesson in what can be achieved with minimal resources.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999):
Again written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a hugely stylish, and extremely original, take on the hitman thriller; finding Forest Whitaker (Platoon) starring as the titular Ghost Dog, a modern day hitman, working for the mafia, who lives his life by a strict samurai code, but comes afoul of some wiseguys in the film which draws from both a number of samurai epics, and hip-hop culture alike, and once again features stunning camerawork by Robby Müller.
Coffee and Cigarettes (2003):
Once more written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, Coffee and Cigarettes is a collection of short films which all share a common connecter; coffee and cigarettes; each vignette featuring a number of stars sitting around a table and discussing anything from smoking to rock’n’roll, tesla coils to gambling, and bed time rituals to fashion sense. Shot by DoPs such as Robby Müller and Fred Elmes, and with a cast featuring the likes of Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Steven Wright (Reservoir Dogs), and Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) Coffee and Cigarettes was filmed over a decade, finds a wondrous assortment of stars playing comical versions of themselves, and is not only ingenious, but another example of how to make the most out of very little.
And those four are just a selection of the huge variety of films screening during the BFI’s Jim Jarmusch and Friends season this September and October.
For full details on all films, screening dates and times, head over to the BFI’s official website here: whatson.BFI.org.uk/
We’re also offering readers the chance to win a pair of tickets (with three pairs up for grabs) in our competitions section.
