Dead Man (1995) User Reviews

Magical trip to demise

[Siradakis · 9/10 · 11 December 2002]

What a movie!... didn't want to see it at first.. But, then, when it begins, you take the trip with Blake to the big sea.

So beatiful pictures, such poetry in every single one of them. Hypnotic black and white scenes, still and vast nature, music that takes you down the other side.

It's the unconsious trip of one man to death, slowly descending to another level, deeper into nature. Or is he already dead and is not aware of it? Rivers, trees, animals and spirits to guide him along the way. This is a trip to self-knowledge, a hallucinational, sweet and slow resignation from needs and senses.

Amazing directing, incredible photography and an also amazing Johnny Depp, sunk in his own visions and thoughts, excellent in his portrayal of a man's abdication to parrallel levels of consiousness.

Thank god there is the indie american film making, that we see such beatiful movies.

Effortlessly cool and self-styled western

[The_Void · 8/10 · 10 March 2005]

Dead Man is a unique piece of film. As this is my first taste of Jim Jarmusch, I had no idea of what to expect, but even if I had; I reckon that this film wouldn't have conformed to them. Dead Man is a surreal and trippy western that peels itself away from the staples of the genre and succeeds in creating something truly one-off and self-styled. Lead by a score written by Neil Young, Dead Man is continually satisfying and powerful; and you get the impression that every scene has been fully thought through, and is perfectly realised as the auteur intended. For this reason, Dead Man captivates it's viewer from the moment it starts until the moment it ends, and as it descends into full blown trippy weirdness, you can do nothing but stare in admiration of this strange gem of cult cinema. The plot is thin on the ground and it largely lacks meaning, but it doesn't matter because Dead Man is a purely aesthetic experience. Still, it follows William Blake (Johnny Depp), an accountant from Cleveland that arrives in a town to take a job offer, only to find that the vacancy has already been filled…

Dead Man is filmed in very stark black and white, which only adds to the surrealism of the story. Had this film have been done in colour, it would not have captured the same atmosphere that the black and white gives it; and so this decision was an inspired one indeed. One staple of the western genre that Jarmusch is keen to retain is the use of close-ups. The director spends a lot of time caressing Depp's facial features with his camera and, at times, even focuses on his lead actor when the action doesn't concern him. Aside from keeping in with the western tradition, this also allows Jarmusch to keep the focus on the main character, which keeps the viewer focused on his plight. For this film, Jarmusch has put together a cast of B-movie icons that will have B-movie fans foaming at the mouth. Crispin Glover, Robert Mitchum, Billy Bob Thornton, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne, John Hurt, Alfred Molina and even Iggy Pop feature and it's great to see so many faces in the same movie. The cast is, of course, lead by a man who is perhaps today's best actor; Johnny Depp. Depp's name on a credit list speaks for itself, and I don't need to tell you that his performance is great; nor do I need to point out the effortless cool that this movie exudes, largely thanks to the great man's presence. My only advice is see it...see it now.

An illuminating existential cautionary tale

[tetractys · 7/10 · 22 April 2007]

First of all, you have to be a Jarmusch fan. If you walk comfortably through that door, you'll find he does a bang-up job with this existential Western. So does Johnny Depp, who plays the lead--a lost unemployed accountant in the old west who happens to be named William Blake. Gary Farmer, the Indian from Ghost Dog and The Score, calls himself Nobody because he doesn't like his given name that means "one who talks much and says nothing." Nobody serves as William Blake's savior, doctor, guide and boatman "across the river." Neil Young wrote and performed the score. Blake's nemesis is played by Lance Henriksen as a terse cannibalistic bounty hunter. Delightful cameos include Robert Mitchum, Crispin Glover, Gabriel Byrne, John Heard and others.

Symbolism abounds--there are shooting stars, down-shots of a hellish factory where Blake wanders looking for a way out, mines and factories of "white-man's metal," plenty of dead animals, including a small doe that Depp lies down with after decorating his face with its blood.

But the movie doesn't fall into the trap of making white men the fall guys for everything wrong with the world in which Blake and Nobody try to make a living. Nobody mistreats Blake's bullet wound and is arguably responsible for his ultimate predicament. Nobody isn't worldly, despite having seen Europe in his youth. He believes the same white people were in every town he visited. The northwest tribe visited at the end were petty people who obviously thought Blake and Nobody were not worth their attention, evidenced by Nobody's imprecations to "walk proud" to the mortally-wounded Blake, and his nervousness at what might happen if he didn't. And of course, there is Nobody's innocent belief that the hapless accountant is the historical poet and artist.

Held together with Young's musical score--mixed a tad loud for my taste--and the deterioration of the finances and health of William Blake, Dead Man is more than a picaresque, but the overall theme is elusive. Motifs are another story, and are liberally sprinkled throughout. Perhaps that's the point, ultimately--in the face of death, nothing else matters, and all the symbols and themes add up to nothing, driving the story from existential to nihilistic. Personal friendship, religion, wealth, work, technology, tribe, humanity, God, love--all mean nothing or are actively detrimental. For a movie named "Dead Man," that's not an unreasonable interpretation.

Depp is an ideal actor to portray the reluctant gunslinger, and his personality does more to hold the film together than any other single factor. The camera loves him, and his ability to portray a variety of responses to his predicaments, from confusion, surprise and anger to amusement, disappointment and ultimately resignation is the heart of this thoroughly enjoyable film.

Soul Western

[federovsky · 13 August 2005]

Only the best films create mood, and this is one of the best of those. There are some superb moments, stunning music, and of course, loads of mystical meaning.

Here is a quick key: The train journey is a metaphor for the passage of Blake's life as well as the passage of man into the dubious morality of the machine age.

The coal-stoker on the train seems aware of Blake's destiny and shows that this is not just any train.

We might take Blake as an incarnation of the real poet William Blake. The coal-stoker's obscure reference to the ship might indicate a passage across the sea he assumed Blake made (from England).

The shooting of the buffalo from the train (huh?) shows man's senseless destruction of nature.

The hellish machinery of the train is shown taking Blake towards Machine, the crossroads of man's conscience and a place already turned into a kind of hell.

The girl's paper flowers show how even pretty things have degenerated into a soulless artificial state, but is also a sign of hope. She hopes to have real flowers one day - a sign that she has a good soul.

After Blake collapses in the street there is a rather large shooting star, presumably to indicate that his soul had left him (Jarmusch is being coy if denies this blatant indication that Blake has "passed on"). In fact, the best interpretation is that he is not quite dead, but dying, comatose: that enables the film to work equally well on two levels.

Here's the key thing: the real poet William Blake had visions and wrote a book called "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" (geddit?). This book is written in a weird style that sounds quite like Indian-speak. In fact, several of Nobody's lines are taken straight from the this book such as "The eagle never lost so much time, as when he submitted to learn of the crow". Ironically, in the film, Blake does not understand any of what Nobody is saying and calls it "Indian malarkey".

We can take Nobody for a bit foolish in a real-world sense, but in the spiritual world we must assume he knows what he is talking about. When he asks Blake "did you kill the man who killed you?" and Blake answers "I'm not dead", we can assume that Nobody's knows something Blake doesn't.

In a scene cut from the final film, Nobody says that he saw a bluebird drinking the blood from Blake's wound. This obviously showed Nobody that Blake's soul was worth saving - otherwise it would have been a vulture, not a bluebird, on his chest.

Nobody = "no body". A further indication that he is of the spiritual world.

Nobody and Cole (black as coal) are good and evil angels fighting it out for Blake's soul. They are each more or less indestructible, except that like good and evil themselves they can cancel each other out, as they do at the end.

Everyone met along the way shows various types of human fallibility or degeneracy and each comes to a bad end, weeded out in the purgatorial process.

The dead deer represents the woman he met in Machine, and bears the same wound. The embracing of the deer is Christian-type imagery, providing some indication of the good, redeeming side of Blake's character.

During his "trials" (Nobody gives him the odd test) Blake shows both good and bad aspects to his character, and so at the end we can assume he drifts off into neither heaven nor hell, but in limbo.

There's surely more. For example, the sheriff's head (that Cole crushes under his boot) is an exact replica of Lenin - implying that communism is more evil than Evil. And I was interested to see one reviewer mention that the name of the bar in Machine has some relation to the death of Stalin's wife.

No doubt the film is worth more than one viewing. However you look at it, it's a terrific creation.

One of my all time favourites.

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 10/10 · 6 June 2015]

Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man is a truly one of a kind film, a film that I have been entranced for over a decade by, and constantly revisit it's haunting beauty, poetic absurdities and stark, gorgeous black and white cinematography (holla to Robby Muller). Johnny Depp basically plays a meek, downtrodden east coast boy mired in a wild, violent and confusing journey through a western outpost town and after a love triangle ends in murder, possibly his own, he embarks on a strange, spiritual walk through a Pacific Northwest netherworld of pine trees, outlaw bounty hunters, and oddball characters, led by a Native named Nobody (the excellent Gary Farmer). Is he dead? Was he even there to begin with? Jarmusch abandons logic for an expressionist approach, and the film ends up as a hypnotic tone poem and visual palette of events that don't really make sense, and may frustrate some. But to those open to its idiosyncratic writing and determined, enigmatic style, oh what a film it is. The cast is absolutely to die for. Depp is incredible in the best performance of his extremely uneven career. The character arc he inhabits here is wonderful, taking a feeble, checkered suited mess of a man and morphing him into a ghostly, predatorial, terrifying wilderness archetypal bandit, a force of nature among the trees and mountains. Haunted eyes, quick draw kill streak, moody contemplation, it really is his finest work. Michael Wincott steals his scenes as a chatty assassin and Lance Henriksen is scary as hell, playing a hired killer who "fucked his parents, then cooked them up and ate them." (Don't ask, just go with the film's demented flow). Gabriel Byrne, Iggy Pop, Billy Bob Thornton, Robert Mitchum, Milli Avital, John Hurt and an especially weird Crispin Glover all nail their cameos, and Neil Young's beautiful, melodic, elemental score is the beating heart of the film. Dead Man isn't a traditional film in any sense, and in fact seems to take place in a cliché free, bizarro alternate western dream universe where the rules don't apply, but all the beauty, mysticism and rugged frontier intrigue of the genre still remain. Fine with me. One of my all time favourites.

A wonderful journey through life and death...

[jluis1984 · 10/10 · 26 September 2006]

The Western genre has always been misunderstood as a simplistic, racist (and misogynistic) traditional genre due to the many mediocre Westerns of the 40s and 50s. However, real good Westerns have delighted us with complex stories that take advantage of the setting themes: the conflict between honor & law, wilderness & civilization, and life & death. Director Jim Jarmusch, who has achieved fame and recognition in the independent film community, uses the elements of the Western genre to create his very own poetical meditation on these themes, giving the genre his personal touch crafting a powerful and original gem.

Young accountant William Blake (Johnny Depp) seems to have lost everything as his parents have died and his fianceé left him without a reason; so he decides to take a job in Machine, a town located at the end of "civilization" in the Wild Wild West. To his misfortune, the job he applied to has already been taken and now he finds himself really without nothing. However, his life will change forever after by a series of circumstances he ends up murdering a man, becoming an outlaw, although getting badly wounded in the process. Now, traveling along an outcast native who calls himself "Nobody" (Gary Farmer), he'll begin a strange and surreal trip that'll prepare him for the next stage.

Written by Jarmusch himself, the film's story details Blake's trip guided by Nobody in a similar way to Dante's journey in "The Divine Comedy", where a series of "episodes" are used to explore different ideas and themes across the trip. Jarmusch subtlety mixes drama and comedy to deliver his philosophical meditation making the film an entertaining experience, never becoming boring or tiresome. The Western setting is used effectively to tell this story and "Dead Man" toys with the Western elements in a subtle, respectful and quite entertaining way that neither parodies it nor makes fun of it in any way.

Shot entirely in black and white, the cinematography (by Jarmusch regular, Robby Müller) captures that feeling of loneliness and emptiness that William Blake's life has, as well as his collision with the wilderness of the wild west. Jarmusch camera-work together with Neil Young's excellent soundtrack give the film a beautiful surreal look that echoes Blake's equally surreal journey across the darkness searching for light. Finally, another interesting point is Jarmusch extensive care for detail in his portrayal of the American west, as well as his respect for the Native American cultures that play an important role in his film; making "Dead Man" one of the most realist Westerns ever made.

Johnny Depp's performance is remarkable, and probably one of the best in his career. Blake's complete transformation across the film is a real challenge and Depp makes the most of it. Gary Farmer is equally excellent and he is as effective in the comedy scenes as he is in the drama scenes, showing his flexibility and talent. The supporting roles present an assortment of cameos where actors such as Crispin Glover, Lance Henriksen, John Hurt and Robert Mitchum (in his last role) appear giving outstanding performances despite the limited screen time they receive. Henriksen certainly delivers his best performance in years.

Jarmusch's film is a brilliant poetical meditation of life and death, but its episodic nature make it feel even more slow than it is, as every vignette is separated by fade outs that break the mood created. This really damages the film's atmosphere, as it feels as a forced wake up after a pleasant dream. Another problem, is that fans expecting an action-filled Western may end up disappointed, so bear in mind that this film is more about feelings rather than actions. Despite his minor problems, the film is still a very enjoyable experience and a whole new way to experience Westerns, so even non-fans of the genre will appreciate it.

To summarize, "Dead Man" is an atypical look at Westerns that presents Jarmusch's interesting views on life and death in an entertaining, attractive way. Among the revisionist westerns, "Dead Man" is a valuable gem that is worth a watch. Even non-fans of the genre will find something interesting in it. 9/10

Poetry that dulls at the end

[sinomatictool · 7/10 · 17 December 2002]

The films opening and other parts of the film reminded me of A Hard Day's Night. The inventive, oddly humorous train ride and the constant search for Tobacco as the parallel in Hard Days Night was the constant notice of the clean old man. Then the scene of the tranvestite (which was intelligently cynnical), the guy with the British accent and the more down to earth red neck was of a british style of humor. But I have to say the most hilarious thing was Depp's clown suit or with the hat looked more like a leprachauns suit.

The film is the first Western to authentically represent the true west. Unlike all other westerns I have seen this film brings out the dirt and truth of the time period. Even though the film is not really a western. I would label it more of a art film.

The direction was amazing and the cinematography of the woods was particulary enchanting and beautiful. But the art behind the camera did not stretch to the music. I found it noisy and annoying even at times blatantly telling me to hit the mute button. But i endured through it, the worst part of the film.

Thankfully(minor spoiler in only this sentence), Thel, was killed early. Her acting was lost. She sort of hovered in the camera altering her emotions constantly seeming unsure how to act. Compared to the professionalism of Depp I am grateful she had less than 5 minutes of screen time.

Jarmusch did a very through(sp?) job of his script. His characters were filled out and overflowing in personality. The Indian(" Stupid ****ing white man.") was easily the best though. His humor balanced out the otherwise slightly bland art film. The bounty hunters had their strange qualities even their ironic ones(one sleeps with a Teddy bear). Or the fire sitters with even their shot amount of screen time. "Big George: What's a philistine? Sally: Well, it's just a real dirty person."

The film started dragging towards the end. The camera man times would just stand there, too long, in front of Depp's face for no apparent reason. The humor also died down, leaving the film in the hands of its spiritual and poetic counterpart. One not all exciting. It also gave way to Depps transition into hardass that happened too quick. An over the night reformation doesn't happen especially if it involves going from not being able to shoot a gun with glasses to being able to with out them.

The film moved gracefully and poetically. It was easily watchable apart from those final 20 minutes that became to lost in finalizing it's philospohy to provide entertainment. Dead Man was good but the masterpice some of the reviews claimed is as surreal as the film.

7/10

Hypnotizing dream

[Bored_Dragon · 10/10 · 1 November 2016]

Fantastic choice of actors, led by Johnny Depp, perfectly portraying a man who slowly crosses to the other side and blends with the nature on his last journey, and Gary Farmer, who brings some colour into this black and white masterpiece. Jarmusch overcame himself in this movie. Beautiful black and white cadres followed by Neil Young's hypnotizing guitar make us slip into a trance and drag us in another world, where we peacefully flow towards the end. The story is deep and sad, violent and romantic, at the same time full of death and full of life. The best performances of both Jarmusch and Young mixed together in one of the best movies of all time. It simply has no flaws at all.

10/10

An Unusual, Surreal Tale About Something

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 1 November 2012]

On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake (Johnny Depp) encounters a strange Indian named "Nobody" (Gary Farmer) who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.

Okay, we have an amazing cast here: Lance Henriksen, Billy Bob Thorton, Crispin Glover, Iggy Pop, and Robert Mitchum's final role. That automatically counts for something. And we have the whole thing shot in glorious black and white, which is all too uncommon since the 1960s. That is another point.

Now, on the other hand, commercially, the movie lost a boatload of money (making only about 10% of what it cost) and ranks as the most expensive of Jarmusch's films.

And critically, it has mixed reviews. Roger Ebert was not a fan of the film, giving it less than two stars and saying, "Jim Jarmusch is trying to get at something here, and I don't have a clue what it is." He calls it "a strange, slow, unrewarding movie" and says the score "sounds like nothing so much as a man repeatedly dropping his guitar." Others, such as Jonathan Rosenbaum and A. O. Scott, have called it one of the best films of the 1990s.

I happened to like it, though I did not fully appreciate the William Blake references (as well as Tom Petty references). But that is my loss, not Jarmusch's fault. And I am not sure I got the message, if there is one. And I still like "Broken Flowers" better... but there is still much to love here.

A profoundly spiritual film speaking to our true human nature in this world of illusion

[phantomx151 · 10/10 · 1 November 2005]

I decided to check this movie out as I am now studying William Blake poems in my English class. This movie is flat out brilliant. To see Jarmusch make something as pretentious as Broken Flowers is kind of shocking. The amount of symbolism and metaphor in this movie is awesome. A real tribute to the actual William Blake. If ever Blake took a quest, this was it. I knew this movie was going to be good as soon as I saw the vast list of slightly eccentric actors lined up in it. This script must have touched something deeply spiritual in all of them and I, if I were them, would have felt as if I wasn't even in the film. So many times was I moved to tears. It is its own entity. Amazing movie. I'm definitely adding it to my collection.

One of the strangest and dirtiest westerns ever made.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 5 November 2020]

In the 1920s-50s, Hollywood promoted man myths about the old west. One of the most common one was the 'pretty boy hero'. These heroic guys were nearly always perfectly coiffed, clean and wore clothing that looked more like what 21st century folks would wear to go country line dancing as opposed to acting like a real cowboy. To top it off, many of them loved to sing for no particularly good reason! They were, essentially, caricatures of the west. Entertaining? Yes...but caricatures.

Starting in the 1960s and 70s, a few westerns have been made to completely de-glamorize the wests...with no pretty boy heroes and lots of ugliness instead. Director Jarmusch and the casting directors deliberately chose non-pretty folks for the film...such as Iggy Pop and Crispen Glover (all covered in soot). These are much more realistic...though not necessarily fun representations of the American old west. In the films, there often were no heroes at all...and there was dirty, filth and long, greasy hair on nearly all the men. They are a huge contrast to these earlier Hollywood westerns!

One of the uglier representations of the west is seen in "Dead Man"...a film which tries to look like an old western through the use of black & white cinematography....but a thoroughly modern western when it comes to its sensibilities. All the men could use haircuts and shampoos...and the streets are full of mud, filth, filthy people and sleaze...and a minimum of dialog. Perhaps this film went a bit too far trying to de-glamorizing the west, as it presents a view which is too ugly and nasty...at least to be enjoyed by many viewers. Now this isn't to say it's a bad film....it is, in its own way, very interesting and unique.

The story begins with William Blake (Johnny Depp) aboard a train headed west. However, instead of just arriving in the town, there is a real tedium about these scenes...because such a trip would have taken many days or even weeks . Blake has apparently sold everything and is moving west following his parents' death and the breakup of his engagement. He has a letter from the Dickenson Company offering him a job....but after the train FINALLY arrives, he learns that the job was filled long ago and the owner of the company (Robert Mitchum...in his last film) is a psychotic nut who seems eager to shoot anyone who bothers him in his office!

Soon after leaving the Dickenson office without a job, Blake meets up with a prostitute. After doing the nasty, a guy walks in the hotel room and shoots the girl...and Blake shoots him. Now Blake is NOT familiar with a gun and misses the first couple times he shoots at him from almost point-blank range...illustrating both his inexperience with guns and that the murderer wasn't particularly eager to avoid his fate. He just seemed to wait to be shot. But the bullet that hit the woman and killed her also hit Blake....but Blake is in even more trouble, as the man he just justifiably killed turns out to be the son of the crazed Mr. Dickenson....so you know that he won't rest until Blake is dead. And, he soon hires some hired guns to get Blake...as Blake recuperates with the help of a Native American who clearly hates white folks! What's next? See the film....as describing what follows would not be easy!

So is it any good? Well....that's really hard to say. Much of it is because there really is nothing like it. The film becomes very allegorical and surreal....and probably isn't everyone's tea. As for me, I neither hated it nor liked it....it was novel experience and I did appreciate that and so I recommend you see it...especially if you want something different.

By the way, the reason why Nobody keeps talking about poetry and art is that Johnny Depp's characters, William Blake, shares the same name as the famous British painter/poet.

plot lacks meaning?

[jeffreytaos · 10/10 · 21 November 2007]

Please...if you think there is no plot and no meaning....visit a few Indian Pueblos, study some American history, read more William Blake. This journey into the fire of hell has the most beautiful and moving ending ever filmed. A train to hell...Have you ever had a dead end job? What is the connection to Nobody? Why is his name Nobody? What happened at the General Store? Why wouldn't the guy sell the Indian (Native American) tobacco? Please reconsider. This movie is not the best ever made, but it doe's have a powerful meaning as it looks into the hell that Native American's were put through. Depp is a messenger. I saw the film six months ago and felt that Depp's performance was superb. I felt that there was a powerful symbolism in the film related to our concepts of life, death, and dying. The ending is the journey into the other world. The questions the film brings up relate to our concepts on premonitions, rebirth, death, life, and dying. Isn't it amazing that a fellow was named William Blake only to be discovered by a man named Nobody? And, after all we put Native American people through, isn't it amazing that someone with the name of Nobody would venture to help a Dead Man, that is one who is sure to become dead. And what of the prophecy, when bullets become words....oh, the meanings may not be clear, but the provocation to thought is at a very extreme level. Joy to all. Live this life and remember, this is a sacred journey. Every step counts!

Strangely Important...

[writer93-354-983808 · 7/10 · 25 February 2013]

Dead man is as strange a western as you're likely to see but is in itself a viable measurement of the evolution of American film. It has long been described since release as the ultimate post-modern western but I think it may well serve more of a purpose than that. The film is very nicely shot and the black and white evokes nostalgia toward the American westerns of old whilst the narrative structure, mise en scene and musical score point toward the changing face of American film with influences of European art cinema. The film demands you ask questions of it immediately and Jonny Depp's portrayal of William Blake makes for one of the most undecidedly strange protagonists I've seen in a film whilst ultimately the character of William Blake himself reminds me of James Stuart's Ransom Stoddard from John Fords Classic 'the man who shot Liberty Valance' if he had actually went the full nine yards and shot Liberty Valance. William Blake comes to accept his situation very easily and that's the kind of film this is, you won't enjoy it if you pick at its artistic direction constantly but if you just sit back and come to accept the narrative then you should enjoy it, even if it does tend to get lost within itself toward the end.

Slow, artistic and bad

[Pro Jury · 2/10 · 12 February 2004]

Although DEAD MAN has many of my favorite actors [three sad guitar licks] [fade to black]...

This movie was profoundly boring by any measure [three sad guitar licks] [fade to black]...

Although none of the old cowboys speak using the F-word [three sad guitar licks] [fade to black]...

The fast jive talking East LA Indian (Native American) cusses like a modern day sailor [three sad guitar licks] [fade to black]...

If any IMDB user seeing this thinks my review is a smug read [three sad guitar licks] [fade to black]...

It may be best to avoid this film [three sad guitar licks] [fade to black].

Filmed Poetry

[sukara · 18 September 2000]

Jim Jarmusch is one of my favorite directors, and Dead Man is probably the greatest work he has ever done. Very rarely does a film come alive with a sense of poetry. The only other film I can compare it to would be Wim Wenders' Wings Of Desire. The film moves like a dream, floating and spinning around you. Neil Young's electric score churns like a ghost train and pushes the film farther. There isn't one performance that is wrong, nor is there ever a false moment. From start to finish this film pulls you into it's dream land, and carries you along on clouds until the finish.

"Work out your own salvation".

[classicsoncall · 10/10 · 28 November 2015]

There is so much symbolism and allegory in the picture that it's impossible to comment on it all. Reviewer 'Soul Western' does an excellent job detailing a handful and I recommend reading it.

I was struck by Nobody's (Gary Farmer) story of his childhood and capture by white men who paraded him like a zoo animal in a cage. Unwittingly, Nobody marvels at the idea that people from one city would all simultaneously move to the next city before he arrived there so they could see him again. This observation perhaps is meant to convey an apparent condemnation of group-think or herd mentality that settles on a population that has been numbed into acquiescence by popular culture or technology. A movie like "Dead Man" then, invites the viewer to consider ideas outside the parameters of what one might consider normal.

The accompaniment of Neil Young's guitar provides a disjointed, fractured framework that's disorienting as much as it is guttural, portending a finality that the picture's journey takes us on. At virtually any point along the way, one might consider that William Blake (Johnny Depp) is already dead to a world that rejected him as soon as he stepped into the town of Machine. Nobody instinctively knows this, reinforced when he observes Blake's face as a skeleton, a symbol used extensively in the story with multiple animal skulls on display in Machine, and again in the walled Indian village just prior to Blake's journey into the beyond.

My summary line is taken from a sign in the remote trading post where Blake was accosted by the shopkeeper - "God damn your soul to the fires of hell" he says, recognizing Blake's face from a Wanted Poster. Knowing that there's no turning back now, Blake replies "He already has". The rest of Blake's journey will symbolically take him back to the place from which he came.

Touching, well achieved work of art

[benoitlelievre · 10/10 · 13 February 2005]

This is Jim Jarmusch at his best. I re-watched this movie a week ago and I'm still amazed by how Jarmusch gets under my skin and makes me think. Jarmusch plays with one of his favorite themes here: death. But of course, he's not limiting himself to that. He's questioning the western as a genre, he puts music in this movie in a way that makes it necessary for the viewer. Without Neil Young's guitar, this movie just isn't the same.

Johnny Depp plays William Blake an accountant from Cleveland lost in the west after some strange quiproquo. Blake is shot and dying throughout the movie. Helped with an Indian named nobody, he finds himself on his way to the other world. Lots of resilience shown by Blake, getting stronger and stronger as the difficult times are approaching. As much as the accountant never seemed to have evolved, he's taking bigger and bigger leaps as death is overshadowing him. Touching tale of friendship, resilience, death and guns! This movie is an all time great

Style of Jonny

[hasanalisanli · 7/10 · 14 January 2016]

A film that is expertly made by director Jim Jarmusch, Dead Man is slow moving, but never becomes boring thanks to that great direction and a great performance from Johnny Depp. Considered an "acid western", the film stars Depp as an accountant who heads out west for a job and, once there, undergoes a major transformation and becomes a true western gunslinger. The film is also notable for a great performance from Gary Farmer as a Native American who helps Depp. The gentle and sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans living near whites is great and really helps bolster this one. All at once, Dead Man manages to be your typical western, but also manages to be completely unique within that genre, which is a weird place to be and makes this one hard to judge. However, thanks to great dialogue that is used only when needed, great performances from Depp, Farmer, and Michael Wincott, as well terrific direction from Jarmusch, it is tough to look away from Dead Man.

This is Very Close to a Perfect Film

[mellowinman · 10/10 · 4 October 2007]

That haunting score. The bravado performances of Johnny Depp, Crispin Glover, Robert Mitchum, and of course, Gary Farmer, who is the absolute star of the film. So many great lines!

Every night and every morn Some to misery are born. Every morn and every night Some are born to sweet delight. Some are born to sweet delight, Some are born to endless night. We are led to believe a lie When we see not through the eye Which was born in a night to perish in a night, When the soul slept in beams of light. God appears, and God is light To those poor souls who dwell in night, But does a human form display To those who dwell in realms of day.

Gary Farmer's character, Nobody, understands that poem, but he doesn't understand why Depp's character, William Blake, doesn't know about his own poetry. He does know that the dead poet has come to be his spirit guide, and tells him, "You were a poet and a painter, William Blake. But now, you're a killer of white men."

GOD this film is f*cking brilliant! I have never seen anything like it! My wife, who loves epic westerns, and native culture, couldn't watch it at all, finding it "weird and pointless."

Why then, have I sat captivated through it so many times, as if in a dream, buoyed along by the surreal imagery, perfect cinematography, flawless acting, and inspired soundtrack?

This film goes so far beyond what film is supposed to do, in so many ways. It speaks to us of things many of us dare not learn, and so many of us dismiss it as pretentious pseudo-art. Trust me, this is REAL art, and it's FUNNY! This is the greatest deconstruction of a genre ever attempted, and it works on every level. God bless Jim Jarmusch for this visionary and profound work, and God bless actors like Depp and Farmer, for their bravery in executing it.

Lance Henrikson? Michael Wincott? John Hurt? IGGY POP????

Where do you find a cast like that? And don't forget Neil Young's soundtrack, which Roger Ebert described as sounding "like Young kept dropping his guitar," or something like that. That was truly the perfect soundtrack for this film.

Ah, the taste of REAL art!

A strange Western but I appreciate the idea

[bellino-angelo2014 · 7/10 · 29 November 2021]

My summary above refers to the fact that this is a very unusual Western (not surprising since it's directed by Jim Jarmusch, a director known for always making different sorts of movies). Now this is not for saying that it's a bad movie, but it was somewhere in the middle.

William Blake (Johnny Depp) is an accountant from Cleveland that at the beginning travels by train to the company town of Machine for accepting an accounting job in the metal factory. When William arrives he notices the townspeople's hostility towards him and discovers that is position is already and he is taken out at gunpoint by the evil director of the company John Dickinson (Robert Mitchum in one of his last movies). Blake then meets a young woman at the saloon and spends a night with her. Unfortunately her boyfriend Charlie (Gabriel Byrne) who is also John Dickinson's son, finds them in the hotel room and William shoots him. William then flees and meets an Indian named Nobody and they ride together. John wants to avenge his son's death and hires bounty hunters Cole Wilson (Lance Henriksen), Conway Twill and Johnny Pickett for bringing William Blake dead or alive. Will he manage to end safely? See the movie.

This is a different kind of Western as in most of them there were lots of shootouts yet very clean looking folks. Here instead there are few gunshots and the people all look dirty, grimy and unlikeable. A few of the moments were even a bit gross, but the good outweighted the bad and I wanted to like it more. Johnny Depp gives one of his early great roles and all the supporting actors were good. The cinematography in black and white looked very stilysh and the soundtrack was also nice.

A nice experiment not to be missed by Western fans even tho it might not be for all tastes.

When Jim Jarmush re-visit the "western genre", he does so with poetry

[auberus · 8/10 · 20 September 2006]

Originally from Cleveland, William Blake gets a job as an accountant in a place called "Machine Town". Already in the train that takes him to the Dickinson wood factory an "unknown guy" warn him against the place he is going to. It is not fortune that awaits him but Death. Indeed the first night in "Machine Town", Blake is shot at and wounded. From this point on start a long journey of wandering in company of Nobody, an Indian and a philosopher.

This black and white film is mesmerizing. Obviously the black and white marks a rupture between what you are used to…So in essence this rupture is between let say classic Western and Jim Jarmush western as he re-visit the genre. It is also a way to keep the audience to what is essential…Color is a filter that can distract you, the sobriety of black and white will not.

But what exactly is essential in that movie? Beside the fact that Mr. Jarmush depict a brutal and impulsive America, the movie opposes a new born civilization that is already collapsing and a dying one that is still shining…But more than that the journey of William Blake is a metaphoric and circular voyage from misunderstanding to certitude. The guide Nobody, himself trapped between the two civilizations can not provide a cure to the passing man but may very well provide a path to a curing one. This journey from Machine Town, the "anti chamber" of hell to the sea, first step to Heaven is tremendously poetic and emotional. Also emotional is the evolution from misunderstanding to comprehension between Nobody and William Blake who eventually settles on what is essential reaching a common ground, clarity…

Help by a haunting and beautiful score from Neil Young and an extraordinary cast the film succeed in transforming the wood wagon of hell in which William Blake embarks to the wooden vessel to heaven in which he will lie.

One of the best films from Mr. Jarmush, Dead Man manages to take the audience in one of cinema most poetic journey

Interesting movie, but you have to be in the mood

[siderite · 7/10 · 23 March 2007]

I am glad I didn't watch this with my wife. She would have commented on it, then she would have gone into the kitchen to wash dishes or clothes, then she would have gone to the computer and played something that would beep occasionally. And that's funny, since she is supposed to be the spiritual one, but was incapable of getting the film.

The basis of the movie is a spiritual journey towards death. It is beautifully shot and the most interesting thing I found is that most of the things that are said in the movie become premonitions of the future. The weird characters and great cast do transpose the viewer in this alternate reality that felt really nice to me.

At the end of this movie I felt like after watching Down By Law, also a black and white journey film. At the time I didn't know Jarmusch did both. If I think about it, these two movies and Sin City are the only films purposely shot in black and white that didn't annoy me because of it.

Anyway, it is hard to bottom line this film. It is a good movie, one that must be watched with quiet friends or alone. I don't think women would get it, but I am uncertain. It's like a film-drug. Just start the movie, watch it, at the end you'll feel like you've just taken peyote :)

The Impeccable Johnny Depp!

[namashi_1 · 10/10 · 5 August 2013]

Johnny Depp is one of the most talented & influential actors of the Modern-Era. His body of work proves that fact right! Having played some of the most twisted characters, Depp reinvents himself with his outstanding performance as a meek accountant in 'Dead Man'. WOW!

'Dead Man' Synopsis: On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake encounters a strange North American man named Nobody who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.

'Dead Man', as a film, has the power to engross its viewer. Its an interesting film, that is executed sharply by Cult-Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch executes the film with style & a sense of wonderment, which works big time. The Narrative is crisp & even humorous at times. Jarmusch's Screenplay & Direction, both, are very well-done. Cinematography is fabulous. Editing is decent. Art Design is proper.

Performance-Wise: Its a Johnny Depp Show All The Way! He's simply outstanding as the protagonist. This has to be Depp's finest performance from the mid 1990's. Gary Farmer is efficient. Crispin Glover & John Hurt are okay. Gabriel Byrne is ever-impressive.

On the whole, 'Dead Man' is certainly a film worth watching.

Jarmusch's most 'heavy' film- original, bleak, tedious, funny, existential...

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 18 August 2005]

Dead Man is a film I saw two times two years ago. It was the first film by indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch that I had seen (it was something about the cover of the film- Johnny Depp in Indian war-paint in black & white holding a gun- that intrigued me), and the first two times I did and didn't understand what it was 'about'. I read from other comments that it was meant to be taken as a 'spiritual journey', an existentialist trip through 19th century western country. I watched it again recently, and I understood it a little more clearly, if still a little muddled. Although Jarmusch's trademark knack at pacing is evident, and the rhythm of the film is weirdly in sync with Neil Young's lonely, grungy solo electric guitar, its not as strong or moving as in his best work (Mystery Train, Broken Flowers, Down by Law).

Still, Johnny Depp gives a very nuanced, controlled performance. It's as interesting, if sometimes in almost out of curiosity, to see Depp in a role like this when he's been at his peak playing eccentrics and crazies (Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, Pirates, Chocolate Factory). Here he is William Blake (less a running gag in the film than a down-pat comparison to the infamous poet), an accountant who gets turned down in a grimy, bad little Western town in the middle of nowhere. Aftern an altercation, he gets shot and winds up in the hands of a Native named 'Nobody' (direct reference to a Sergio Leone production, among other homages). They then go on a sort of journey as Depp's Blake is on pursuit by a trio of bounty hunters (this brings some of the best parts of the film, and funniest).

Somehow in the midst of this heavy film Jarmusch doesn't miss out on some chances for surreal humor- there is one scene that includes Billy Bob Thornton and Iggy Pop as intellectual cannibals who argue over Blake. There is also some unintentional humor in Farmer's performance of 'Nobody', who at times is profound, confusing, absurd, and very mystical in the Native tradition. Towards the last twenty minutes it is mostly just Depp looking woozily on the landscapes and Native tribe sites. It's fascinating in one way, but ponderous in another. It is always worthwhile to see a filmmaker who is putting forth a vision and letting the audience make up their mind about it, leaving things ambiguous as possible. But it's also the kind of film where you really need to be 'in the mood' so to speak to really find total artistic value in it. I'm sure I may watch Dead Man one day and come away with it some great poetic/philosophical extractions (I did on the third viewing, after getting more acclimated to Jarmusch's style and ideas). If you're more of a Depp fan though, it's hit or miss to recommend; the same teenage fan of Pirates may watch Depp in this film and wonder why he even chose the project.

Beautifully shot, profound meaning, but kinda boring

[woinaroschy_1979 · 4/10 · 19 January 2011]

As much as I would like to say that I enjoyed the movie, because it's got very beautiful landscapes and marvelous shots and the great Johnny Depp and it's pretty deep in meaning...well, I can't, I really really can't. I was bored to death and hoping it would end soon. The ending was beautiful, but getting to it was at times excruciating to watch. Yes, it's about the journey of a man towards death, or he may even be dead already,and it's about the "other" side after death and also about how everything in this universe is connected, even in death, man and nature and trees and rivers and the sea and so on...but you don't need 2 hours to deliver this message...I got at times the impression everyone on set had taken LSD and they were shooting their hallucinations on tape in black and white.

Well, anyway, it's not enough for me, sorry.