Review of Stranger Than Paradise (1984) by Kkl10 A — 12 Apr 2014

Stranger than Paradise (1984) - 8,5.

Beautiful minimalist film from Jim Jarmusch, it blew my expectations. It has a simplistic plot and yet provides an immensely gratifying cinematic experience. All the movie was filmed and edited in minimalistic way, pretty much all the scenes were filmed in single long shots and the transition between them is always filled up by a blackout of a few seconds. What makes this work special to me, is the sensible and insightful way how it manages to express its mood and atmosphere and transport the viewer into its own low-key and alienated world through excellent camera work, iconic low-fi Black & White cinematography, intelligent sound work and acting that, while not being particularly accomplished, fitted perfectly well within the film's premiss. The plot is what can be expected from the 3 main characters, disillusioned youths in their 20s with no major ambitions but still naive and not corrupted by any sense of proportionality of the world they live in. Apparently alienated, they simply try to "live the moment" as long as they have their destinies in their own hands. The title "Stranger than Paradise" is a pretty accurate description of the world they find themselves in. In other words, not much happens, this movie is not going to please anyone looking for lots of action or something cheerfully orchestrated. It can come across as a major boredom and uninteresting, totally understandable. I think this is a great lesson on how to make good cinema in the simplest way possible and with minimal resources. This is somewhat reminiscent, and probably influenced, by what could be seen in the 60/70s New Cinema, Nouvelle Vague, etc, avantgarde movements all around the world.