Review of Paterson (2016) by Steve H — 08 Apr 2017

"Paterson," a 2016 film by Jim Jarmusch...wow. I loved this flick. We watched it last night after flying home (we'd started it in Bali one night on my laptop, but the streaming kept stalling). It seems to move slowly throughout the the mundane life of a bus driver who is also, unknown to all but his wife, a brilliant poet. The juxtapositions in the film and themes of duality are rampant, poignant, and even fun to catch--by the midway point, I realized almost every scene and every image was part of this motif of contrast and juxtaposition. Well acted by Adam Driver (from "Rogue One," among other things). Highly recommended. Along Jarmusch's best, and that's high praise from me.

In the sweeping view of this one man's daily life over a single, vital week, we are exposed to a visual parade of dualities and contrasts including: a virtual parade of twins and mirrors; an apartment with an artist's ever-changing (daily) black and white decor; a man playing chess with himself; a bit character who is an actor and whose every action seems motivated by his own sense of dramatic portrayal; intimations of danger that are not as dangerous as they seem; and surrounding all of this, the repetitions and variations of a work environment where the bus driver's daily routine is literally scheduled and mapped out--a same-old same-old world that is also unpredictable and occasional momentous.

The poetry the bus driver writes and holds near (written by poet Ron Padget) is itself a revelation, mundane images that build to an introspective and deeply soulful crescendo, like water creeping toward the edge of Paterson's waterfall and then plunging into the chasm below.

All this as we explore the soul of a simple man named Paterson who lives in Paterson NJ, a city known for little to most who live elsewhere, but whose residents deeply feel a connection to its little bits of fame--chiefly being home to William Carlos Williams and Lou Costello, both known for their use of words but for completely different reasons (yet another juxtaposition, here between love and deep thought and internal emotion on the one hand, and a lighthearted, humorous take on simple things in life on the other.) We hear briefly about Hurricane Carter too, heavyweight champ famously framed for.

Murder in Paterson, a parable of a most and least powerful man. And BTW, I'm sure Jarmusch even took a note that he hired an actor named "Driver" to play his bus driver. Like I said, it's fun to try to catch all the allusions to contrast and duality and juxtaposition.

In the end, Jarmusch is exploring the biggest contrast of all, the duality between our inner and outer selves--and the eternal conflict between what we reveal to others and what we treasure as our own, what we keep close, what make us whole and free and indeed unique.

The film speaks deeply to those among us for whom creativity and artistry are a deep part of our selves, and more specifically to those who feel a compulsion to create but who do not harbor a need or even a willingness to share their creations with others. Another contrast here: What is artistry? Is it something we present to others, something that must be shared? Or is it rather something meaningful only to ourselves, a secret we carry to make us aware of our uniqueness and therefore we may be loathe to share, to let others into that part of our souls? And how well do we keep that secret?