MUBI

This film put a spell on me!

I knew I’d love this film when I saw Willie telling his Hungarian mother to speak English instead of Hungarian.

Stranger Than Paradise is quite possibly the only film that I have ever seen where the screen literally becomes a window into somebody else’s life. The performance of the three leads seem very on-the-spot and cinema verite. It doesn’t even seem like a performance; it’s as if Jarmusch simply placed a camera and captured what was occurring with these people. The characters seem so real, aimless and often not explaining their actions or emotions. There is no noticeable character or narrative arc, and that lack of an arc simply reinforces the reality of life. What also helps with that, is the fact that each scene is shot in one take and there are no close-ups. The camera does not intrude. It does not bring attention to itself; it is almost invisible. Bravo to Tom DiCillo.

Stranger Than Paradise is perfectly executed. There is nothing I can fault it on. It is the meaning of cool. Kudos to Jim Jarmusch.

And how could anyone not love Screaming Jay Hawkins?

It’s astonishing how such clean, spare filmmaking can yield something so rich, so sublime. I saw this in a packed college theatre (which is impressive considering this film is now 25 years old, older than most of the crowd). I liked the fact that the film could elicit both giggles and silent awe/reverie at the same time from different people. Moments of beauty could make you laugh, comedic turns could make you smile wistfully. I adore Jarmusch’s quirky poetry.

Jim Jarmusch’s breakthough film is a unique and oddly compelling delight. It’s as if Antonioni made a slacker comedy. The film might not be for everyone, but once you come under its spell it will never let you go. Most films build up and grow as they go along, but like its protagonists, Stranger Than Paradise keeps the same tone throughout and never strays. It creates a certain mood, comments on a certain way of living, and shows that life is whatever you make of it. A masterpiece.