9. Down By Law (1986)
The early low budget films of director Jim Jarmusch have a very distinct style unto themselves. His third feature, Down By Law was shot much like his first two, a very loose and almost improvisational style, with the focus on setting up each scene in a master shot and just letting the action happen within that frame. A master shot is a shooting technique that allows all of the action within a scene to be performed in one long take, with the camera stable and wide to catch all the action. Jarmusch's films work well in this format as he likes to allow his actors and the words take over a scene. Jarmusch and his cinematographer Robby Muller did succeed something quite profound with the final shot in Down By Law. Down By Law is a quirky comedy about three men (John Lurie, Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni) and their subsequent arrest, incarceration and escape from a New Orleans prison. The film's final shot, once again a master shot, depicts both Lurie and Waits standing at a backwoods crossroads. The two men have successfully escaped prison and a new life awaits them, they shake hands, exchange coats and each take a different path at the crossroad. Where will the roads take them? Will they ever meet up again? As the 2 men drift further and further from each other and the film fades to black, we can't help but ask these questions and smile at this beautiful and open-ended final shot.