STRANGER THAN PARADISE

I FINALLY saw Jim Jarmusch's 1984 classic absurdist comedy STRANGER THAN PARADISE tonight.

I can't imagine what the hell would have been going through my mind walking out of the theater had I seen this in 1984. At that time it was triumphantly defiant of typical American cinema, and is perhaps an even more unique and visionary piece of work amongst today's climate. The poster for the film even featured the tag line "A NEW AMERICAN FILM".

Jarmush's breakout feature introduces his signature dry, deadpan style with incredible wit and precise vision. I haven't seen his official debut PERMANENT VACATION, but by this time Jarmusch had fully developed his artistic identity and to display such originality at the beginning of his career is remarkable. Also the fact that this film is 25 years old is completely masked by the incredible timeless quality of it. Maybe the fact that they use telephones still plugged into the wall is the only giveaway haha.

The grainy black and white cinematography, the static compositions, the slow pace, long takes, the monotone performances, deadpan humor, the anti-narrative, the rhythmic editing structure... Jarmusch is an American minimalist champion and having been a fan since I saw GHOST DOG in middle school, it was fun to finally see where he began.

STRANGER THAN PARADISE is oddly hysterical in spite of it's detached bleakness. And it's really goddamn funny in a way that American movies just aren't these days. The drawn out comic timing and visual humor are spot on, and of course Aunt Lottie is priceless ("I am zee win-n-er!"). The playful camaraderie of the three lead (non) actors creates compassionate relationships without ever having to devolve into Hollywood syrup, and thus allows Jarmusch to achieve a careful subtext balance of natural warmth and bleak alienation.

For sure joins the ranks of NIGHT ON EARTH, DOWN BY LAW and COFFEE AND CIGARETTES for me.