Dead Man (1995) Review

 

Dead Man (1995)

Dead Man is about William Blake, an accountant, who after traveling to the West Coast for an accounting job, is left on the run with a bounty on his head after he kills a man, who happened to wound Blake after killing his lover. Blake, with the help of a Native American named Nobody, travel across the vast wilderness, to prepare Blake for his journey into the afterlife.

So, I had zero expectations going into this, as I had never even heard of it, but it was a welcome surprise. Made around the same time the independent film movement was taking off, after Clerks in in 1994, Jim Jarmusch makes a stunning period piece with a ton of grit and character.

The story is simple, utilizing the basic plot point of moving forward and facing ones destiny, watching our main character grow and change along the way. But it’s super effective with it’s ability to constantly switch between new locations, other plot lines, such as the cat and mouse game that is present throughout, and use it’s characters to its’ advantage.

One of the biggest driving forces in the entire film is the relationship between Johnny Depp’s Blake and Gary Farmer’s Nobody. They have such an interesting relationship and friendship that evolves from spite, to admiration. Depp does fantastic, starting out as the quiet and timid accountant, and turning into a cold-blooded killer with no remorse for anyone who gets in his way. And yet, you can’t help but root for him. The rest of the cast is terrific, including Iggy Pop, Billy Bob Thornton, and John Hurt, all playing extremely minor roles, but shining, with them bringing a great deal of humor to the film, balancing out the serious tones set on early.

I can’t forget to mention the fantastic soundtrack though, which was done and improvised by Neil Young, and done live in a recording studio while watching an early cut of the film. Its electric twangs ring out, sometimes soft and melodic, and other times intense and sporadic. It’s heavy hitting and pairs perfectly with the black and white, 19th Century, early America we see Blake journey through.

Genuinely, one of my favorite films I’ve had the chance of seeing on this page.

9.5/10