Sunday, February 12, 2006

Glimpses of Life

by Jim Jarmusch

Stranger Than Paradise is the first film by Jim Jarmusch that I saw and I saw it in a theatre, which was wonderful as the grainy black and white images are perfect for the big screen. Watching the film again made me realize again how the subtle character sketches made a strong impression precisely because of the contrast between interesting characters in mundane situations. It’s hard to explain, but the odd sense of humour and precisely framed images combine to create something that I love more each time I see it.
Technically it’s remarkable in that each scene is a single shot. This has the effect of making you pay attention more to what is going on between the characters and a less conscious effort to manipulate through the editing. It also shows a great deal of faith in the actors who rise to the occaision. Just about a perfect combination of the technical and the artistic.

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