JIM JARMUSCH, a sad and beautiful life koldo almandoz
When we talk about Jim Jarmusch’s films, I think it’s necessary to point out that everybody’s opinion is subjective because Jarmusch has fiercely loyal followers and people who hate his work outright at the same time. There are also some of us who think that some of his work is near incredible while other work he has done can be downright boring. What cannot be denied however, is that in this day and age of cloning in filmmaking, Jarmusch certainly has his very own angle on doing things. And that, although it may come across as being repetitive, is always praiseworthy. The industry that is filmmaking has now taken control over all aspects of what is being made, yet Jarmusch stubbornly refuses to relinquish his personality and independence: “When I negotiate the financing of any of my films, I do it with a gun in my hand. If I can’t make the film I want to... I don’t make it.”
Jarmusch was born in Akron, Ohio in 1953. He was studying journalism at university until he made a decision that would change his life. He decided to drop journalism and move to Paris. There, he fell in love with French cinema. A year later he returned to New York and he studied filmmaking at New York University. He met Nicholas Ray there and with his help, he made his first film – Permanent Vacation – in 16mm. During the following years, his work became a kind of fetish at the Cannes Film Festival (Stranger Than Paradise, Down By Law, Mystery Train.) Above all, Jarmusch knows and loves cinema. He is an avid viewer of French and Japanese cinema. Traces of these two schools of filmmaking can clearly be seen here and there in his work. Sometimes though, too much love of cinema can be painful: “I like some stuff by Tarantino but his lack of respect for the directors who inspire him really pisses me off. It took him along time to admit that his reservoir Dogs is almost the same as Hong Kong director Ringo Lam’s City of Fire. Sergio Leone did the same thing with Kurosawa.” Jarmusch is not a purist. As I’ve mentioned before, his work is influenced by the French and Japanese masters. Jarmusch believes that cinema can never be a pure thing: “Rap lives on sampling and in itself has become an art form. I didn’t copy anything in Ghost Dog, rather I took parts from films and books that I love. And that’s nothing new. You can just suddenly start talking about a new and post modern way of making movies. Cinema is an accumulative experience. What you call homage in Europe is called plagiary in the USA. In my view the original idea concept shouldn’t exist. I don’t really like these pure and unique grandiose ideas in creativity. Very few of them are of interest.”
The silver-haired director loves losers, but not the dramatic heroic type. Jarmusch’s heroes are made of flesh and bone; they heal their scars through tattoos, they cry without shedding tears, they are arrogant in the face of misfortune, they go to bed though they know they will not be able to sleep. The loser inside anyone of us could be the star of his film. Jarmusch shows us the books, films, scenery and music he loves; he offers us a projection of his world. And that reflection of his world reminds us for an instant that the world is full of beauty and sadness.
Jim Jarmusch’s latest film is Broken Flowers. It premiered at Cannes and the critics their had nothing but praise for their “American son.” Once again Jarmusch centres on human relationships in the film. All single people and heartbreakers go through a time of decadence in the end. The star of the film gets a letter from an old lover the day they leave their present one. The letter explains that the girl got pregnant 20 years ago and that the child she bore from that relationship is now looking for their father. The letter isn’t signed. He doesn’t know who the mother of the child could be. So he starts looking for all his ex-lovers... Bill Murray is the star of this road movie and Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange and Tilda Swinton play the parts of his past lovers.
Jarmusch was born in Akron, Ohio in 1953. He was studying journalism at university until he made a decision that would change his life. He decided to drop journalism and move to Paris. There, he fell in love with French cinema. A year later he returned to New York and he studied filmmaking at New York University. He met Nicholas Ray there and with his help, he made his first film – Permanent Vacation – in 16mm. During the following years, his work became a kind of fetish at the Cannes Film Festival (Stranger Than Paradise, Down By Law, Mystery Train.) Above all, Jarmusch knows and loves cinema. He is an avid viewer of French and Japanese cinema. Traces of these two schools of filmmaking can clearly be seen here and there in his work. Sometimes though, too much love of cinema can be painful: “I like some stuff by Tarantino but his lack of respect for the directors who inspire him really pisses me off. It took him along time to admit that his reservoir Dogs is almost the same as Hong Kong director Ringo Lam’s City of Fire. Sergio Leone did the same thing with Kurosawa.” Jarmusch is not a purist. As I’ve mentioned before, his work is influenced by the French and Japanese masters. Jarmusch believes that cinema can never be a pure thing: “Rap lives on sampling and in itself has become an art form. I didn’t copy anything in Ghost Dog, rather I took parts from films and books that I love. And that’s nothing new. You can just suddenly start talking about a new and post modern way of making movies. Cinema is an accumulative experience. What you call homage in Europe is called plagiary in the USA. In my view the original idea concept shouldn’t exist. I don’t really like these pure and unique grandiose ideas in creativity. Very few of them are of interest.”
The silver-haired director loves losers, but not the dramatic heroic type. Jarmusch’s heroes are made of flesh and bone; they heal their scars through tattoos, they cry without shedding tears, they are arrogant in the face of misfortune, they go to bed though they know they will not be able to sleep. The loser inside anyone of us could be the star of his film. Jarmusch shows us the books, films, scenery and music he loves; he offers us a projection of his world. And that reflection of his world reminds us for an instant that the world is full of beauty and sadness.
Jim Jarmusch’s latest film is Broken Flowers. It premiered at Cannes and the critics their had nothing but praise for their “American son.” Once again Jarmusch centres on human relationships in the film. All single people and heartbreakers go through a time of decadence in the end. The star of the film gets a letter from an old lover the day they leave their present one. The letter explains that the girl got pregnant 20 years ago and that the child she bore from that relationship is now looking for their father. The letter isn’t signed. He doesn’t know who the mother of the child could be. So he starts looking for all his ex-lovers... Bill Murray is the star of this road movie and Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange and Tilda Swinton play the parts of his past lovers.
