Jim Jarmusch's Film Dead Man

Jim Jarmusch's Film Dead Man (1995) is the story of a man "thrown into a world that is cruel and chaotic, his eyes are opened to the fragility that defines the realm of the living. It is as though he passes through the surface of a mirror, and emerges into a previously-unknown world that exists on the other site" (IMagazine May 2006). The main characters make their way through a surreal western America set in the 1870's. Their journey represents life through infancy to death (IMagazine May 2006). The film is shot by Robby Muller, in a high contrast black and white. The majority of this film is shot on location and utilizes a lot of natural lighting. The film's soundtrack is written and performed by Neil Young.

Johnny Depp stars as "William Blake" an accountant who travels west from Cleveland Ohio, to the fictional town known as "Machine". Blake travels to Machine using the last of his money to assume a job he has been offered via a letter. Upon arrival he discovers his position has already been filled. Blake demands to see Dickinson (Robert Mitchum) the owner operator of Dickinson Metal who kicks Blake out of his office at gunpoint. Alone and penniless Blake meets Thel (Mili Avital) a woman who makes and sells paper flowers. Thel's ex-fiancйe Charles played by Gabriel Byrne, catches Blake in bed with Thel. Charles draws his pistol and fires at Bake. In an effort to protect Blake, Thel jumps in front of him. The bullet kills Thel passing through her body and enters Blake's chest. Blake pulling Thel's pistol from beneath her pillow fires back, killing Charles. Blake now mortally wounded, steals Charle's horse and flees into the night. Blake is now wanted "dead or alive" for murder.

Blake is awoken the next morning by Nobody, a Native American played by Gary Farmer, who mistakes William Blake for the long dead 18th-19th Century artist and writer by the same name. Blake tries to correct Nobody saying, "I don't know anything about poetry". To which Nobody replies, "ah, your so modest". Nobody becomes Blake's physical and spiritual guide. While examining his pistol by the fire, Nobody ominously tells Blake, "that weapon will replace your tongue, you will learn to speak with it. And your poetry now will be written in blood." Depp's character embarks on a journey through the west. His journey is paralleled by his spiritual journey through life towards his approaching death.

Through Depp's detailed performance, we see a steady progression in his character William Blake. Blake a meek bookish man who appears fragile and helpless at the beginning of the film, transforms into a hunted outlaw.

Blake is leaving his former life behind. He is coming to terms with the inevitability of his approaching death. This abandonment is transforming him into a killer, who appears to be purifying the evil that rises up in his path towards his fate. Blake draws his strength through the abandonment of his life and the acceptance of his death. This transformation becomes apparent in one scene in particular. The scene I will examine is vital point in Blake's transformation. In this scene Blake a dying accountant from Cleveland bests two deputies in a gunfight. Previous to this scene Blake's violence has been comical. Blake blunders his way through conflict appearing prevail by sheer luck. Blake's transformation is further illustrated, by his acceptance of the confusion between himself, and the deceased artist William Blake. Blake goes so far as to quote Willam Blake's poetry, also referring to it as his own.

The scene opens when Blake awakes. Blake is searching for Nobody when two deputies come across his camp. In the previous scene Nobody has removed Blake's glasses and has left him to fend for himself. With the absence of his spectacles Blake is now seeing through new eyes. The scene opens with a dissolve from black. This transitional device works to illustrate that the night is over, and morning has come. In shot 1 we see Blake in a long shot shouting for Nobody. The use of a wide angle lens is apparent as lake and the scenery are all in focus. Shot 2 is another long shot wider than the last. Shot 3 is another long shot, this time we see Blake wander into the right side of the frame.

The first 3 shots work in conjunction to give the increasing impression, of isolation. The shots progressively depicts Blake smaller and smaller within the frame. This technique gives the effect of being alone, and lost in the vast landscape. Blake is very dependent

on Nobody for his survival, and with his disappearance comes the distinct impression of danger.

Blake continues to walk left through the fame. The static frame becomes a moving frame as the camera pans left to keep Blake in frame. Blake approaches a tree and opens his pants to urinate as the scene cuts to shot 4. The haunting soundtrack flutters gently in the background of this close up shot of Blake's face. An eyeline-match cut takes us to shot 5. Shot 5 is a close up of the tree that Blake is facing. The static frame becomes a moving frame as the camera tilts upward to reveal a low angle shot of the tree. This direct point of view shot gives the old twisted tree an eerie distorted look. This effect reinforces the increasingly strange and surreal landscapes that surround Blake on his journey. An eyeline-match cut takes us back to the close up shot of Blake's face with his head turned upward at the tree. Shots 4 though 6 utilize what is known as point of view editing. Shots 4 and 6 show us that Blake is looking at something. Shot 5 reveals what he is looking at.

Shot 7 introduces two new characters. This eyelevel medium shot tightly frames two deputies. The two deputy's costumes are very similar. They are both wearing long coats and hats. Both men have moustaches and remove their hats to reveal they both have shaved heads. The scene cuts to shot 8, a long shot with the two deputies framed in the center of what is clearly Blake's camp. With this shot the soundtrack goes quiet. This silence works to build suspense as the audience anticipates the coming gunfight. The two past shots have worked together to introduce the two new characters then place them spatially in the story. Shot 9 cuts back to the medium shot of the deputies as they argue bout whether the telegram they received gave a description of Blake's horse. The static frame becomes a moving frame as the shot tracks back and to the left to keep both men in the frame as one of them moves to the left. The deputy kneels to inspect Blake's fire pit. Long vertical shadows in the frame connect the two deputies and suggest conflict. The physical display of conflict enforces the atmosphere of the deputy's argument. The