391 - Stranger Than Paradise, United States, 1984. Dir. Jim Jarmusch.

Friday, January 26, 2018

391 - Stranger Than Paradise, United States, 1984.  Dir. Jim Jarmusch.

The New World - New York
One Year Later - Cleveland
Paradise - Florida

Willie is an American.  He is an American because he chooses to be.  He live in New York.  He speaks English only.  He goes by Willie.

Willie is from Hungary.  And his cousin Eva is coming to visit.  Stopping by his place in New York on her way to Aunt Lotte's in Cleveland.

There is not much to do.  They may be in New York, but they sit around the apartment.  He introduces her to TV dinners, Chesterfield cigarettes, and professional football.  He demands that she speak English only.

He buys her a dress.  She does not like it.  When he is not looking she throws it away.

She meets his friend Eddie.

After ten days Eva moves to Cleveland to stay with Aunt Lotte.

One year later Willie and Eddie win $600 by cheating at poker.  They go to Cleveland to see Eva.  They spend time with Aunt Lotte.  They find Eva at the hot dog stand.  They go to the movies.  They go out on the frozen lake.

Then they go to Florida.  The cold, white, windy beach looks about the same as the lake in Cleveland.

The men leave her behind to bet at the dog races.  She takes a walk on the beach.  Then the horse races.  She takes another walk.  Their fortunes change once, twice, three times, four times.

Someone leaves.  Someone stays.

Jim Jarmusch made this film over four years beginning with leftover film stock given to him by Wim Wenders.  He had studied with Nicholas Ray at film school, and it was while with Ray that he met Wenders.  As with many independent films, he made a short film first and then developed it into a feature.  He filmed in black and white in long single takes with the camera on a tripod.  Little cutting.  No coverage.  Everything in master shots.

Every scene a single take.

It is appropriate that Willie and Eddie play poker, because they are more stonefaced than Buster Keaton.

Or even a member of Mount Rushmore.

At Cannes that year Wim Wenders won the Palme d'Or for Paris, Texas while Jim Jarmusch won the Camera d'Or for Stranger than Paradise.

It launched his career.

Thank you, Wim Wenders.

Thank you, established filmmakers for helping newer filmmakers get their start.