I first saw this film in the theater in 1984, so this is the first time I've seen it since then. I remember at the time telling people what an amazing film it was, deliberately non-commercial and, while the plot is not really about much, it has a rhythm and clarity that was so unlike films at the time. Shot in black and white, the film consists of a number of "snapshot scenes", there is a slight pause between scenes in which the screen goes black, a very effective method of telling this deceptively simple story. Basically, its the story of Eva (Eszter Balint), who has to stop over on her way to Cleveland to live with her Aunt Lotte, emigrating from Hungary. She has to stay at her cousin Willie's apartment in New York for ten days. Willie is played with remarkable restraint by John Lurie, who at the time was the epitome of cool since he fronted the jazz band The Loungs Lizards. Willie and his friend Eddie (Richard Edson, also very good) decide to drive to Cleveland a year after Eva visited to see Eva and Aunt Lotte. What follows is a few bizarre coincidences, after Eva, Willie and Eddie decide to drive to Florida. That the story is told so soberly and with remarkable continuity made people at the time and since hail writer/director Jarmusch as an important voice in cinema, a distinction he still holds. A few observations about the film: The film to me seems like it could be influenced by Japanese master Ozu. The simple layout of the film, the camera angles etc are somewhat of an homage to the great filmmaker. Also, the soundtrack, which was composed by Lurie, is extremely effective in sustaining the mood of the film. This film is not for everyone, it is a stark, simple but utterly compelling independent minded film. This film is not for casual film fans. Actually, I think this film should be part of the curriculum of any film class. If you can come close to equaling Jarmusch's sense of both the absurd and reality, you could turn out to be as much of an auteur as he is considered.
Review of Stranger Than Paradise
