Jim Jarmusch: has there been a more influential figure in cinema today? I'd say not. In the post-blockbuster and thus post-Spielberg era where studios are more concerned with finding the next
JUNO than the next
ET we have to concede that the tide has turned for the Indie feature. Gone are the days when studios would scoff at the low-budget sparse filmscape of these small independent productions, instead they lick their lips greedily in anticipation of a large profit margin. The steady success of a series of these indie flicks, whether it be due to the sudden emergence of a household name with a touching depiction of suburban life (
Zach Braff and
GARDEN STATE) or a relative unknown brining us the story of the coolest nerd in the universe (
NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) have all followed from one man and his movies about quirky outsiders which cuts through the surface of things to reveal a deep social commentary. But perhaps Jarmusch's greatest trait, and certainly the one that has made him the trailblazer in this cinematic trend, is that he did it all with a wry smile, an eye for detail and a mind-bogglingly small budget. The first volume of a retrospective on Jarmusch has just been released in the UK and anyone who isn't a fan of the director should take a look because the collection of his first three features is a perfect illustration of the genesis of this great talent.
PERMANENT VACATION (1980) is the one that's hardest to get hold of here in the UK, and thus probably the reason this collection is worth owning. It is, however, also the least accessible of Jarmusch's work. It follows a young drifter, Allie, as he tours New York encountering increasingly more strange, alienated and frankly just mentally damaged city folk among whom is his institutionalised mother. The film is clearly a formative moment for the director, and establishes his stylistic tendencies towards fragmented, poetic moments, ironic glimpses of serious problems and the underground music scene. John Lurie appears for the first time in Jarmusch's work and also creates the accompanying jazz score. A film not for the mainstream fans, but essential viewing for those interested in the genesis of the indie films we see today. Plus it was created for just $12,000, which was the director's scholarship for the New York film school. Because he spent the cash on this feature instead of his tuition, and coupled with the fact that the film school hated this movie,
PERMANENT VACATION was the reason he didn't graduate. Next in the set is
STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984). Jarmusch's second feature was actually extended from a short originally made unexposed film given to him by Wim Wenders, and was completed for just $8,000. The feature extension was completed with the aid of
Jean-Marie Straub too by the way, do you want any more mythology? Well... there isn't really any... but that's enough for me! This movie is about Hungarian emigre Willie (real name Bela) who fancies himself as a bit of a hipster, but when his quiet cousin Eva comes to stay we see through his identity crisis and obsession with image and are shown the human empathy that lies within us all. Oozing a quiet poignancy and full of beautiful shots,
STRANGER THAN PARADISE is a slow simmering film that sees Jarmusch's skill at character portraits really begin to bloom. The final movie in the collection,
DOWN BY LAW (1986), is one of his most famous works and in my view his best. The film opens with
John Lurie and
Tom Waits as Jack and Zack, a radio DJ and a pimp in New York, both being set-up and sent down. In prison they meet their bubbly Italian cellmate Roberto (the incomparable
Roberto Benigni). They strike up a friendship and it is soon revealed that Roberto is the only guilty one, at his own admission, he killed a man in an unfair fight he didn't want to be a part of. The dynamic between the three characters as they go crazy in prison and plot and execute their escape is the most amazing I've ever seen, Benigni is perfect as the energetic and funny Roberto, Tom Waits emits his aura of cool as Zack and John Lurie's detached and moody Jack fizzes and crackles with tension. Of course, as they bond, their inner humanity is revealed and we all feel better inside - but this isn't a film about plot, or even about the ubiquitous character arc, it's about the core of humanity we all possess within, and it presents it in the most stunningly photographed and wittily delivered piece of cinema I've ever seen. Even if you don't get this collection, this is a movie nobody can afford to miss. The box set is disappointing in terms of extras, offering very little of note with any of the DVDs, but the films themselves are a vital piece of cinema history, particularly in light of the turns Hollywood has taken in the last 10 years or so. Even Jarmusch himself has capitalised on it, with
BROKEN FLOWERS released and marketed soon after the success of one of his greatest spiritual heirs:
Wes Anderson whose witty and touching observations on the human character have taken the best from the high points of this great director's career.
Anyone with an interest in cinema should look into the filmography of Jarmusch, especially if you're a fan of the recent indie classic that have graced our screens, to ignore it would be to ignore Hollywood's real heritage. Without successes like that of Jarmusch the execs would never have noticed the possibility presented for their profit margin by cool, well thought out an sensitively created movies that had the potential to pull in the crowds without spending big bucks. But more than that, what Jarmusch represents is how the low-budget indie flick can be cool not just with well written, witty dialogue or interesting cinematography, but by building a mythology and by tapping into the trends of the time. If you're tired of seeing this checklist painfully incorporated into small features waiting to be picked up by Hollywood (
JUNO anyone?) then watch some Jarmusch: he did it with half the effort and twice the cool.
PICK UP THE DVD BOX SET AT PLAY.COM for £27.99