Review of Dead Man (1995) by Iam 7 — 17 May 2010

This is a movie that was made for Johnny Depp. He gets to let his talent run wild in a story that is difficult to actually identify. It is certainly a Western, set sometime in the middle to late 1800s. It is also a black comedy that makes you chuckle even as you try and figure out what the heck is going on. The film also has a mystical, surreal feel to it as we see the film through Depp's perspective which is always a bit slanted at best and is aided by being filmed in black and white.

The basis of the story is Depp's adventures as William Blake who heads to some outpost in a town called Machine to take a job as the foundry's accountant. He nevers receives the job and gets comically caught in a gunfight that leaves the owner of the factory's son dead and Depp is blamed. The factory owner is nicely played by Robert Mitchum in one of his last roles. Mitchum hires three gunfighters to hunt down the elusive Depp.

Despite being a city slicker, Depp learns quickly the ways of the gunfighter. But he is not alone. He is rescued by a native American named Nobody who has received schooling in classical literature. Because of his training, Nobody believes Depp to be the spirit of the English poet William Blake. Though they form a friendship, both Depp and Nobody each have their own purpose in eluding the bounty hunters. And the ending is unusual to say the least.

There are small roles that highlight Billy Bob Thornton as a dim witted hillbilly and Alfred Molina as a Bible thumping owner of a dry goods post. Both run afoul of both Blake and Nobody. There was one item that I did not like and the music score by Neil Young was an irritation in this otherwise entertaining film.

Though I liked the movie, I believe without Depp it would have been dead in the water....