a low-key classic of strangely poetic beauty - a western for sleepwalkers and dreamers.
Dead Man (1996)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted: 33
Fresh: 24
Rotten:9
Average Rating: 6.9/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins
Genre: Westerns
Synopsis: In bringing his distinct vision to the Western genre, writer-director Jim Jarmusch has created a quasi-mystical avant-garde drama that remains a deeply spiritual viewing experience. After losing... In bringing his distinct vision to the Western genre, writer-director Jim Jarmusch has created a quasi-mystical avant-garde drama that remains a deeply spiritual viewing experience. After losing his parents and fiancée, a Cleveland accountant named William Blake (a remarkable Johnny Depp) spends all his money and takes a train to the frontier town of Machine in order to work at a factory. Upon arriving in Machine, he is denied his expected job and finds himself a fugitive after murdering a man in self-defense. Wounded and helpless, Blake is befriended by Nobody (Gary Farmer), a wandering Native American who considers him to be a ghostly manifestation of the famous poet. Nobody aids Blake in his flight from three bumbling bounty hunters, preparing him for his final journey--a return to the world of the spirits. Jarmusch once again employs the beautifully contrasted black-and-white photography of Robby Müller, which sets a poetic, dreamy mood. He also fades in and out of scenes in order to better reflect Blake's dazed, weak mental state. Adding an even greater depth to the film is Neil Young's haunting score, which completes the overall effect. DEAD MAN stands firmly as a timeless work of art whose impact only increases upon subsequent viewings. [More]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott
Starring: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott, Mili Avital, Iggy Pop, Jared Harris, Billy Bob Thornton, Crispin Glover, Eugene Byrd, Michelle Thrush, Gabriel Byrne, John Hurt, Alfred Molina, Robert Mitchum
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
Producer: Demetra J. MacBride, Karen Koch
Composer: Neil Young
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Dec 19, 2000
Reviews for Dead Man
I was held by Depp's transformation from white-man non-entity to the Jarmusch version of the affectless Man With No Name.
Characteristically meandering and sardonic, with Robby Muller's floating, shimmering camerawork, a catalog of witty cameos, and one of the most beautiful modern film-scores
Minimalism defines this revisionist and challenging noir- Western, a welcome artistic departure from Jarmusch's increasingly tired and tiresome Downtown New York sensibility.
Related Forums for Dead Man
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
|
The Code |
23% 23% |
Confessions of a Shopa… |
39% 39% |
Inkheart |
80% 80% |
Gran Torino |
28% 28% |
Tyler Perry's Madea Go… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
84% 84% |
Two Lovers |
28% 28% |
12 Rounds |
04% 04% |
Street Fighter: The Le… |
23% 23% |
Jonas Brothers - The C… |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Dead Man at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

TIME music critic Josh Tyrangiel remembers - and appreciates - the high peak of Michael Jackson's career in the early '80s.

With the Best Picture Oscar noms now 10 deep, BuzzSugar looks at 10 films that should have made the cut.

Sequels never used to be as good as the original, but now they can be even better. Can Transformers 2 follow suit?

The AV Club's Zack Handlen explores why Snowbeast has been dismissed and forgotten.



Top Critic


