THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607030075
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: 65 lines
In order for ``Dead Man'' to make money, the theaters should let everyone in free - and then charge them to get out.
This de-mythologizing of the West is so tedious that even the most elitist critics will have trouble justifying Jim Jarmusch's latest eccentricity. In desperation, they may call it a metaphor. They may say, as one has, that it is a meeting of the minds between Sam Peckinpah and Jean Cocteau. Since its lead character is named William Blake, they may try to see lyrical poetry, evoking the writings of that real-life (1757-1875) writer. They may claim it is an existential search conducted by a stranger in a strange land.
This time, they will not fool us. ``Dead Man'' is simply a deadly bore.
Since he was discovered at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival with his over-praised ``Stranger Than Paradise,'' Jarmusch has been the darling of insecure critics who adore hearing themselves write. ``Dead Man,'' even with its unique photography and occasional deadpan humor, is likely to end this romance.
Johnny Depp, perhaps the most daring and unpredictable of our younger actors, plays William Blake, an accountant who treks from Cleveland to a mud-hole frontier town named Machine. He promptly shacks up with a woman whose boyfriend (Gabriel Byrne) shows up, kills her and wounds Blake. Blake fires back and kills the guy, who, unfortunately, turns out to be the son of town big-shot Robert Mitchum.
For the rest of the film, Depp-Blake wanders the West with a wisecracking Native American named Nobody, who thinks Depp is the spirit-incarnate of British poet Blake. They encounter an endless list of frontier freaks (including rock grandpa Iggy Pop, garbed in a dress and frontier bonnet).
Lance Henriksen plays a villain so mean he kills men for food. The unorthodox cast includes John Hurt, Billy Bob Thornton, Jared Harris and Alfred Molina. All are overshadowed by the true veteran, Robert Mitchum, who contributes one of his most dour portrayals.
Depp works much too hard to make an essentially passive role have an aggressive stance.
Many moons seem to pass as the campfire talk drones on.
A major plus is the eerie black-and-white photography, with a stark contrast that gives the entire proceedings the look of an antique poster.
Another curiosity is a twanging electric guitar score composed and performed by Neil Young (who performs at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater Aug. 15). While it has all the charm of fingernails scraping across a blackboard, it fits the movie perfectly. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MIRAMAX FILMS
Johnny Depp, usually daring and unpredictable, works much too hard
in his role as accountant William Blake in ``Dead Man.''
[Box]
MOVIE REVIEW
``Dead Man''
Cast: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Lance Henriksen, Iggy Pop, Billy
Bob Thornton, Gabriel Byrne, John Hurt, Alfred Molina, Robert
Mitchum
Director and Writer: Jim Jarmusch
Music: Neil Young
MPAA rating: R (violence, profanity, cannibalism)
Mal's rating: one and 1/2 star
Location: Lynnhaven Mall (lower level) Virginia Beach by CNB