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James Robert Jarmusch (; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has been a major proponent of
independent cinema Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independen ...
since the 1980s, directing films including ''
Stranger Than Paradise ''Stranger Than Paradise'' is a 1984 American black-and-white absurdist deadpan comedy film, co-written, directed and co-edited by Jim Jarmusch, and starring jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, an ...
'' (1984), '' Down by Law'' (1986), '' Mystery Train'' (1989), ''
Dead Man ''Dead Man'' is a 1995 American acid western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne, Mili Avital, ...
'' (1995), '' Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai'' (1999), '' Coffee and Cigarettes'' (2003), ''
Broken Flowers ''Broken Flowers'' is a 2005 French-American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and produced by Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith. The film focuses on an aging "Don Juan" who embarks on a cross-country journey to track down four of ...
'' (2005), '' Only Lovers Left Alive'' (2013), '' Paterson'' (2016), and '' The Dead Don't Die'' (2019). ''Stranger Than Paradise'' was added to the
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...
in December 2002. As a musician Jarmusch has composed music for his films and released three albums with Jozef van Wissem.


Early life

Jarmusch was born in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, the middle of three children of middle-class suburbanites. His mother, of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
and Irish descent, had been a reviewer of film and theatre for the ''
Akron Beacon Journal The ''Akron Beacon Journal'' is a morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States. Owned by Gannett, it is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper's coverage focuses on local news. The Beacon ...
'' before marrying his father, a businessman of Czech and German descent who worked for the
B.F. Goodrich Company The Goodrich Corporation, formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, was an American manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Benjamin Goodrich, the company name was ch ...
. She introduced Jarmusch to cinema by leaving him at a local cinema to watch matinee double features such as '' Attack of the Crab Monsters'' and '' Creature From the Black Lagoon'' while she ran errands. The first adult film he recalls seeing was the 1958 cult classic '' Thunder Road'', the violence and darkness of which left an impression on the seven-year-old Jarmusch. Another
B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feat ...
influence from his childhood was '' Ghoulardi'', an eccentric Cleveland television show which featured horror films. Jarmusch was an avid reader in his youth and acquired an enthusiasm for film. He had an even greater interest in literature which was encouraged by his grandmother. Though he refused to attend church with his Episcopalian parents (not liking "the idea of sitting in a stuffy room wearing a little tie"), Jarmusch credits literature with shaping his metaphysical beliefs and leading him to reconsider theology in his mid-teens. From his peers he developed a taste for
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. H ...
, and he and his friends would steal the records and books of their older siblings—this included works by William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and
The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B ban ...
. They made fake identity documents which allowed them to visit bars at the weekend but also the local art house cinema, which typically showed pornographic films but would occasionally feature underground films such as Robert Downey, Sr.'s '' Putney Swope'' and
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
's '' Chelsea Girls''. At one point, he took an apprenticeship with a commercial photographer. He later remarked, "Growing up in Ohio was just planning to get out." After graduating from high school in 1971, Jarmusch moved to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
and enrolled in the Medill School of Journalism at
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
. After being asked to leave because he had neglected to take any journalism courses—Jarmusch favored literature and art history—he transferred to
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
the following year, with the intention of becoming a poet. At Columbia he studied
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
and American literature under professors including New York School avant garde poets Kenneth Koch and David Shapiro. At Columbia, he began to write short "semi-narrative abstract pieces" and edited the undergraduate literary journal '' The Columbia Review''. During his final year studying at Columbia, Jarmusch moved to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
for what was initially a summer semester on an exchange program, but turned into 10 months. He worked as a delivery driver for an art gallery and spent most of his time at the Cinémathèque Française. Jarmusch graduated from Columbia University with a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree in 1975. He was broke and working as a musician in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
after returning from Paris in 1976. He applied on a whim to the graduate film school of
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...
's School of the Arts (then under the direction of Hollywood director László Benedek). Though he lacked experience in filmmaking, his submission of a collection of photographs and an essay about film secured his acceptance into the program. He studied there for four years; he met fellow students and future collaborators
Sara Driver Sara Miller Driver (born December 15, 1955) is an American independent filmmaker and actress from Westfield, New Jersey. A participant in the independent film scene that flourished in lower Manhattan from the late 1970s through the 1990s, she gain ...
,
Tom DiCillo Thomas A. DiCillo (born August 14, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. Early life He was born in Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina. His father was Italian and his mother was from New England. He studied creative wr ...
,
Howard Brookner Howard Brookner (April 30, 1954 – April 27, 1989) was an American film director. He produced and directed the documentary '' Burroughs: the Movie'' about William S. Burroughs (1983), '' Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars'' on theatre director R ...
, and
Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
in the process. During the late 1970s in New York City, Jarmusch and his contemporaries were part of an
alternative culture Alternative culture is a type of culture that exists outside or on the fringes of mainstream or popular culture, usually under the domain of one or more subcultures. These subcultures may have little or nothing in common besides their relative ...
scene centered on the
CBGB CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kri ...
music club. In his final year at New York University, Jarmusch worked as an assistant to the film noir director Nicholas Ray, who was at that time teaching in the department. In an anecdote, Jarmusch recounted the formative experience of showing his mentor his first script; Ray disapproved of its lack of action, to which Jarmusch responded after meditating on the critique by reworking the script to be even less eventful. On Jarmusch's return with the revised script, Ray reacted favourably to his student's dissent, citing approvingly the young student's obstinate independence. Jarmusch was the only person Ray brought to work—as his personal assistant—on '' Lightning Over Water'', a documentary about his dying years on which he was collaborating with Wim Wenders. Ray died in 1979 after a long fight with cancer. A few days afterwards, having been encouraged by Ray and New York underground filmmaker
Amos Poe Amos Poe is an American New York City-based director and screenwriter, described by ''The New York Times'' as a "pioneering indie filmmaker." Career Amos Poe is one of the first punk filmmakers and his film '' The Blank Generation'' (1976)� ...
and using scholarship funds given by the Louis B. Mayer Foundation to pay for his school tuition, Jarmusch started work on a film for his final project. The university was unimpressed with Jarmusch's use of his funding as well as the project itself and refused to award him a degree.


Career


1980s

Jarmusch's final year university project was completed in 1980 as '' Permanent Vacation'', his first feature film. It had its premiere at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (formerly known as Filmweek Mannheim) and won the Josef von Sternberg Award. It was made on a shoestring budget of around $12,000 in misdirected scholarship funds and shot by cinematographer Tom DiCillo on
16 mm film 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, edu ...
. The quasi-autobiographical feature follows an adolescent drifter ( Chris Parker) as he wanders around downtown Manhattan. The film was not released theatrically and did not attract the sort of adulation from critics that greeted his later work. ''The Washington Post'' staff writer Hal Hinson would disparagingly comment in an aside during a review of Jarmusch's ''Mystery Train'' (1989) that in the director's debut, "the only talent he demonstrated was for collecting egregiously untalented actors". The bleak and unrefined ''Permanent Vacation'' is nevertheless one of the director's most personal films, and established many of the hallmarks he would exhibit in his later work, including derelict urban settings, chance encounters, and a wry sensibility. Stranger Than Paradise (1984) Jarmusch's first major film, ''
Stranger Than Paradise ''Stranger Than Paradise'' is a 1984 American black-and-white absurdist deadpan comedy film, co-written, directed and co-edited by Jim Jarmusch, and starring jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, an ...
'', was produced on a budget of approximately $125,000 and released in 1984 to much critical acclaim. A deadpan comedy recounting a strange journey of three disillusioned youths from New York through Cleveland to Florida, the film broke many conventions of traditional Hollywood filmmaking. It was awarded the Camera d'Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival as well as the 1985
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Picture is an annual award given by National Society of Film Critics to honor the best film of the year. History Since it was established in 1966, the Society has only agreed with the Academy Awar ...
, and became a landmark work in modern
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
. Down by Law (1986) In 1986, Jarmusch wrote and directed '' Down by Law'', starring musicians John Lurie and
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
, and Italian comic actor Roberto Benigni (his introduction to American audiences) as three convicts who escape from a New Orleans jailhouse. Shot like the director's previous efforts in black and white, this constructivist neo-noir was Jarmusch's first collaboration with Dutch cinematographer Robby Müller, who had been known for his work with Wenders. Further films His next two films each experimented with parallel narratives: '' Mystery Train'' (1989) told three successive stories set on the same night in and around a small Memphis hotel, and '' Night on Earth'' (1991) involved five cab drivers and their passengers on rides in five different world cities, beginning at sundown in Los Angeles and ending at sunrise in Helsinki. Less bleak and somber than Jarmusch's earlier work, ''Mystery Train'' nevertheless retained the director's askance conception of America. He wrote ''Night on Earth'' in about a week, out of frustration at the collapse of the production of another film he had written and the desire to visit and collaborate with friends such as Benigni, Gena Rowlands, Winona Ryder, and Isaach de Bankolé. As a result of his early work, Jarmusch became an influential representative of the trend of the American road movie. Not intended to appeal to mainstream filmgoers, these early Jarmusch films were embraced by art house audiences, gaining a small but dedicated American following and cult status in Europe and Japan. Each of the four films had its premiere at the New York Film Festival, while ''Mystery Train'' was in competition at the
1989 Cannes Film Festival The 42nd Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 23 May 1989. The Palme d'Or went to ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' by Steven Soderbergh. The festival opened with ''New York Stories'', anthology film directed by Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, ...
. Jarmusch's distinctive aesthetic and ''auteur'' status fomented a critical backlash at the close of this early period, however; though reviewers praised the charm and adroitness of ''Mystery Train'' and ''Night On Earth'', the director was increasingly charged with repetitiveness and risk-aversion. A film appearance in 1989 as a used car dealer in the cult comedy ''
Leningrad Cowboys Go America ''Leningrad Cowboys Go America'' is a 1989 road movie by Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki about the adventures of the Leningrad Cowboys, an eccentric band that travels to the United States to become successful, and combines their brand of p ...
'' further solidified his interest and participation in the road movie genre. In 1991 Jarmusch appeared as himself in Episode One of John Lurie's cult television series ''
Fishing With John ''Fishing with John'' is a 1991 television series conceived, directed by and starring actor and musician John Lurie, which earned a cult following. On the surface, the series resembles a standard travel or fishing show: in each episode, Lurie ta ...
''.


1990s

Dead Man (1995) In 1995, Jarmusch released ''
Dead Man ''Dead Man'' is a 1995 American acid western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne, Mili Avital, ...
'', a period film set in the 19th century American West starring Johnny Depp and Gary Farmer. Produced at a cost of almost $9 million with a high-profile cast including John Hurt, Gabriel Byrne and, in his final role, Robert Mitchum, the film marked a significant departure for the director from his previous features. Earnest in tone in comparison to its self-consciously hip and ironic predecessors, ''Dead Man'' was thematically expansive and of an often violent and progressively more surreal character. The film was shot in black and white by Robby Müller, and features a score composed and performed by
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
, for whom Jarmusch subsequently filmed the tour documentary ''
Year of the Horse ''Year of the Horse'' is a 1997 American documentary film directed by Jim Jarmusch, following Neil Young and Crazy Horse on their 1996 tour. An accompanying live album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse was released in 1997. It offers a different trac ...
'', released to tepid reviews in 1997. Though ill-received by mainstream American reviewers, ''Dead Man'' found much favor internationally and among critics, many of whom lauded it as a visionary masterpiece. It has been hailed as one of the few films made by a Caucasian that presents an authentic Native American culture and character, and Jarmusch stands by it as such, though it has attracted both praise and castigation for its portrayal of the American West, violence, and especially Native Americans. Ghost Dog (1999) Following artistic success and critical acclaim in the American independent film community, he achieved mainstream recognition with his far-East philosophical crime film '' Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai'' (1999), shot in Jersey City and starring
Forest Whitaker Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his f ...
as a young inner-city man who has found purpose for his life by unyieldingly conforming it to the ''
Hagakure ''Hagakure'' (Kyūjitai: ; Shinjitai: ; meaning ''Hidden by the Leaves'' or ''Hidden Leaves''), or , is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the clerk Yamamoto Tsunetomo, former retainer to Na ...
'', an 18th-century philosophy text and training manual for samurai, becoming, as directed, a terrifyingly deadly hit-man for a local mob boss to whom he may owe a debt, and who then betrays him. The soundtrack was supplied by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, which blends into the director's "aesthetics of sampling". The film was unique among other things for the number of books important to and discussed by its characters, most of them listed bibliographically as part of the end credits. The film is also considered to be a homage to '' Le Samourai'', a 1967 French New Wave film by auteur Jean-Pierre Melville, which starred renowned French actor Alain Delon in a strikingly similar role and narrative.


2000s

A five-year gap followed the release of ''Ghost Dog'', which the director has attributed to a creative crisis he experienced in the aftermath of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
in New York City. 2004 saw the eventual release of '' Coffee and Cigarettes'', a collection of eleven short films of characters sitting around drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes that had been filmed by Jarmusch over the course of the previous two decades. The first vignette, "Strange to Meet You", had been shot for and aired on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' in 1986, and paired Roberto Benigni with comedian
Steven Wright Steven Alexander Wright (born December 6, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and film producer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jo ...
. This had been followed three years later by "Twins", a segment featuring actors
Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...
and Joie and
Cinqué Lee Cinqué Lee (born July 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the younger brother of filmmaker Spike Lee. Lee has worked in number of different positions of his older brother's films, as a camera operator, video archivist and most notabl ...
, and then in 1993 with the Short Film Palme d'Or-winning "Somewhere in California", starring musicians Tom Waits and Iggy Pop. Broken Flowers (2005) He followed ''Coffee and Cigarettes'' in 2005 with ''
Broken Flowers ''Broken Flowers'' is a 2005 French-American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and produced by Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith. The film focuses on an aging "Don Juan" who embarks on a cross-country journey to track down four of ...
'', which starred Bill Murray as an early retiree who goes in search of the mother of his unknown son in attempt to overcome a midlife crisis. Following the release of ''Broken Flowers'', Jarmusch signed a deal with Fortissimo Films, whereby the distributor would fund and have "first-look" rights to the director's future films, and cover some of the overhead costs of his production company, Exoskeleton. The film premiered at the 58th Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or and received the
Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...
. Film critic Peter Bradshaw for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' described the film as "Jarmusch's most enjoyable, accessible work for some time, perhaps his most emotionally generous film...a very attractive piece of film-making, bolstered by terrific performances from an all-star cast, spearheaded by endlessly droll, seductively sensitive Bill Murray." In 2005, he struck a first look deal with Fortissimo Films. The Limits of Control (2009) In 2009, Jarmusch released ''
The Limits of Control ''The Limits of Control'' is a 2009 American film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, starring Isaach de Bankolé as a solitary assassin, carrying out a job in Spain. Filming began in February 2008, and took place on location in Madrid, Seville ...
'', a sparse, meditative crime film set in Spain, it starred Isaach de Bankolé as a lone assassin with a secretive mission. A behind-the-scenes documentary, ''Behind Jim Jarmusch'', was filmed over three days on the set of the film in
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Penins ...
by director Léa Rinaldi. In October 2009, Jarmusch appeared as himself in an episode of the HBO series ''
Bored to Death ''Bored to Death'' is an American comedy series that ran on HBO from September 20, 2009, to November 28, 2011. The show was created by author Jonathan Ames, and stars Jason Schwartzman as a fictional Jonathan Ames—a writer based in Brooklyn, N ...
'', and the following September, Jarmusch helped to curate the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in Monticello, New York.


2010s

In an August 2010 interview, Jarmusch revealed his forthcoming work schedule at that time:
I'm working on a documentary about the Stooges ggy Pop-fronted band It's going to take a few years. There's no rush on it, but it's something that Iggy asked me to do. I'm co-writing an "opera." It won't be a traditional opera, but it'll be about the inventor
Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla ( ; ,"Tesla"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.
; 1856 – 7 January 1943 ...
, with the composer Phil Klein. I have a new film project that's really foremost for me that I hope to shoot early next year with Tilda Swinton and Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska, who was Alice in Wonderland in Tim Burton's film. I don't have that quite financed yet, so I'm working on that. I'm also making music and hoping to maybe score some silent films to put out. Our band will have an EP that we'll give out at ATP. We have enough music for three EPs or an album.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) Jarmusch eventually attained funding for the aforementioned film project after a protracted period and, in July 2012, Jarmusch began shooting '' Only Lovers Left Alive'' with Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston (who replaced Fassbender), Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin, and John Hurt, while Jarmusch's musical project SQÜRL were the main contributors to the film's soundtrack. The film screened at the
2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place in Cannes, France, from 15 to 26 May 2013. Steven Spielberg was the head of the jury for the main competition. New Zealand film director Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the Cinéfondation and ...
and the 2013
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
(TIFF), with Jarmusch explaining the seven-year completion time frame at the former: "The reason it took so long is that no one wanted to give us the money. It took years to put it together. Its (sic) getting more and more difficult for films that are a little unusual, or not predictable, or don't satisfy people's expectations of something." The film's budget was US$7 million and its UK release date was February 21, 2014. Paterson (2016) Jarmusch wrote and directed ''Paterson'' in 2016. The film follows the daily experiences of an inner-city bus driver and poet (
Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award; making him one of few performers nominated ...
) in
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' gave the film a positive review, writing: "A mild-mannered, almost startlingly undramatic work that offers discreet pleasures to longtime fans of the New York indie-scene veteran, who can always be counted on to go his own way." Eric Kohn, film critic of ''
IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
'' wrote that the film was "an apt statement from Jarmusch, a filmmaker who continues to surprise and innovate while remaining true to his singular voice, and who here seems to have delivered its purest manifestation." The Dead Don't Die (2019) Jarmusch wrote and directed his first horror film, the zombie comedy '' The Dead Don't Die'' featuring an ensemble cast which included performances from Bill Murray,
Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award; making him one of few performers nominated ...
,
Chloë Sevigny Chloë Stevens Sevigny (, born November 18, 1974) is an American actress, model, filmmaker and fashion designer. Known for her work in independent films, often appearing in controversial or experimental features, Sevigny is the recipient of se ...
,
Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...
, Tilda Swinton,
Carol Kane Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American actress. She became known in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as '' Hester Street'' (for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress), '' Dog Day Afternoon'', ''Annie ...
, and Selena Gomez. On June 14, 2019 the film premiered at the
72nd Cannes Film Festival The 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 14 to 25 May 2019. Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu served as jury president. The Palme d'Or went to the South Korean film '' Parasite'', directed by Bong Joon-ho; Bong became t ...
and received mixed reviews. The film was distributed by Focus Features. Todd McCarthy of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' wrote of the film, "At times, the
deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blun ...
of Murray and Driver becomes, well, a bit deadening, and true wit is in short supply, even though the film remains amusing most of the way."


2020s

In April 2021 a short film titled ''French Water'' was released. Jarmusch directed and wrote the film for the Saint Laurent fashion house to celebrate the spring/summer 2021 collection. It starred Charlotte Gainsbourg and Julianne Moore amongst others. In September 2021 he published his first work as a collage artist with ''Some Collages''.


Music

In the early 1980s, Jarmusch was part of a revolving lineup of musicians in Robin Crutchfield's Dark Day project, and later became the keyboardist and one of two vocalists for
The Del-Byzanteens The Del-Byzanteens was a New York-based no wave band active in the early 1980s. The band comprised Phil Kline (vocals, guitar); Jim Jarmusch (vocals, keyboards); Philippe Hagen (bass); Josh Braun (percussion, drums); and Dan Braun (drums, percuss ...
, a No Wave band who released the LP ''Lies to Live By'' in 1982. Jarmusch is also featured on the album ''
Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture ''Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture'' is an album released October 18, 2005. This album was put together by Dreddy Krueger who has produced Wu-Tang and others. It includes collaborated tracks by Wu-Tang Clan members, Wu-Tang Clan affiliates, and va ...
'' (2005) in two interludes described by Sean Fennessy in a Pitchfork review of the album as both "bizarrely pretentious" and "reason alone to give it a listen". Jarmusch and Michel Gondry each contributed a remix to a limited edition release of the track "
Blue Orchid "Blue Orchid" is the first track by the American alternative rock band the White Stripes from their album ''Get Behind Me Satan'', and the first single to be released from the album. Although it was suspected that Jack White wrote the song abou ...
" by The White Stripes in 2005. The author of a series of essays on influential bands, Jarmusch has also had at least two poems published. He is a founding member of The Sons of Lee Marvin, a humorous "semi-secret society" of artists resembling the iconic actor, which issues communiqués and meets on occasion for the ostensible purpose of watching Marvin's films. He released three collaborative albums with lutist Jozef van Wissem, ''
Concerning the Entrance into Eternity ''Concerning the Entrance into Eternity'' is the first collaborative album by Jozef van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch. It was released on Important Records in 2012. A music video was created for the track "The Sun of the Natural World Is Pure Fire." It ...
'' ( Important Records), ''
The Mystery of Heaven ''The Mystery of Heaven'' is the second collaborative album by Jozef van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch. It was released on Sacred Bones Records in 2012. The track "The More She Burns the More Beautifully She Glows" features a guest appearance from actres ...
'' ( Sacred Bones Records), in 2012 and the 2019 release ''An Attempt to Draw Aside the Veil'' (Sacred Bones Records). Jarmusch is a member of the avant-garde rock band SQÜRL with film associate Carter Logan and sound engineer Shane Stoneback. The band formed to create additional soundtrack for Jarmusch's film ''The Limits of Control'', which they released together with two other songs on an EP called "Film Music from The Limits of Control" under the name Bad Rabbit. SQÜRL's version of Wanda Jackson's 1961 song "Funnel of Love", featuring Madeline Follin of
Cults In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
on vocals, opens Jarmusch's 2014 film ''Only Lovers Left Alive''. Dutch
lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
composer Jozef van Wissem also collaborated with Jarmusch on the soundtrack of ''Only Lovers Left Alive'', and the pair also plays in a duo. Jarmusch first met van Wissem on a street in New York City's
SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was deve ...
neighborhood in 2007, at which time the lute player handed the director a CD. Several months later, Jarmusch asked van Wissem to send his catalog of recordings and the two started playing together as part of their developing friendship. Van Wissem explained in early April 2014: "I know the way armuschmakes his films is kind of like a musician. He has music in his head when he's writing a script so it's more informed by a tonal thing than it is by anything else."


As a filmmaker

In 2014 Jarmusch shunned the " auteur theory" and likened the filmmaking process to human sexual reproduction:
I put 'A film by' as a protection of my rights, but I don't really believe it. It's important for me to have a final cut, and I do for every film. So I'm in the editing room every day, I'm the navigator of the ship, but I'm not the captain, I can't do it without everyone's equally valuable input. For me it's phases where I'm very solitary, writing, and then I'm preparing, getting the money, and then I'm with the crew and on a ship and it's amazing and exhausting and exhilarating, and then I'm alone with the editor again... I've said it before, it's like seduction, wild sex, and then pregnancy in the editing room. That's how it feels for me.


Style

Jarmusch has been characterized as a minimalist filmmaker whose idiosyncratic films are unhurried. His films often eschew traditional narrative structure, lacking clear plot progression and focus more on mood and character development. In an interview early in his career, he stated that his goal was "to approximate real time for the audience." His early work is marked by a brooding, contemplative tone, featuring extended silent scenes and prolonged still shots. He has experimented with a vignette format in three films that were either released, or begun around, the early 1990s: ''Mystery Train,'' ''Night on Earth'' and ''Coffee and Cigarettes''. ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' critic Sean P. Means wrote that Jarmusch blends "film styles and genres with sharp wit and dark humor", while his style is also defined by a signature deadpan comedic tone. The protagonists of Jarmusch's films are usually lone adventurers. The director's male characters have been described by critic Jennie Yabroff as "three time losers, petty thiefs and inept con men, all... eminently likeable, if not down right charming"; while novelist
Paul Auster Paul Benjamin Auster (born February 3, 1947) is an American writer and film director. His notable works include ''The New York Trilogy'' (1987), '' Moon Palace'' (1989), ''The Music of Chance'' (1990), '' The Book of Illusions'' (2002), '' The B ...
described them as "laconic, withdrawn, sorrowful mumblers". Jarmusch has revealed that his instinct is a greater influence during the filmmaking process than any cognitive processes. He explained: "I feel like I have to listen to the film and let it tell me what it wants. Sometimes it mumbles and it isn't very clear." Films such as ''Dead Man'' and ''Limits of Control'' have polarized fans and general viewers alike, as Jarmusch's stylistic instinct is embedded in his strong sense of independence.


Themes

Though his films are predominantly set in the United States, Jarmusch has advanced the notion that he looks at America "through a foreigner's eyes", with the intention of creating a form of world cinema that synthesizes European and Japanese film with that of Hollywood. His films have often included foreign actors and characters, and (at times substantial) non-English dialogue. In his two later-nineties films, he dwelt on different cultures' experiences of violence, and on textual appropriations between cultures: a wandering Native American's love of William Blake, a black hitman's passionate devotion to the ''
Hagakure ''Hagakure'' (Kyūjitai: ; Shinjitai: ; meaning ''Hidden by the Leaves'' or ''Hidden Leaves''), or , is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the clerk Yamamoto Tsunetomo, former retainer to Na ...
''. The interaction and syntheses between different cultures, the arbitrariness of national identity, and irreverence towards ethnocentric, patriotic or nationalistic sentiment are recurring themes in Jarmusch's work. Jarmusch's fascination with music is another characteristic that is readily apparent in his work. Musicians appear frequently in key roles— John Lurie,
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
, Gary Farmer,
Youki Kudoh is a Japanese actress and singer. She won the award for best newcomer at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival for ''The Crazy Family''. She also won the awards for best actress at the 16th Hochi Film Award and at the 1992 Blue Ribbon Award for ''Wa ...
, RZA and Iggy Pop have featured in multiple Jarmusch films, while
Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, f ...
and Screamin' Jay Hawkins appear in ''Mystery Train'' and GZA, Jack and Meg White feature in ''Coffee and Cigarettes''. Hawkins' song " I Put a Spell on You" was central to the plot of ''Stranger than Paradise'', while ''Mystery Train'' is inspired by and named after a song popularized by
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
, who is also the subject of a vignette in ''Coffee and Cigarettes''. In the words of critic
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
, "Jarmusch's movies have the tempo and rhythm of blues and jazz, even in their use—or omission—of language. His films work on the senses much the way that some music does, unheard until it's too late to get it out of one's head." During a 1989 interview Jarmusch commented on his narrative focus, "I'd rather make a movie about a guy walking his dog than about the emperor of China."


Filmography


Awards and legacy

In 1980, Jarmusch’s film ''Permanent Vacation'' won the Josef von Sternberg Award at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg. In 1999, he was laureate of the Douglas Sirk Preis at Filmfest Hamburg,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
. In 1984, he won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes Film Festival for ''Stranger Than Paradise''. In 2004, Jarmusch was honored with the “Filmmaker on the Edge Award” at the Provincetown International Film Festival. In 2005, he won the
Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...
of the
2005 Cannes Film Festival The 58th Cannes Film Festival started on 11 May and ran until 22 May 2005. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on 21 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Belgian film '' L'Enfant'' by Dardenne brothers ...
for his film ''Broken Flowers''. Jarmusch is credited with having instigated the American independent film movement with ''Stranger Than Paradise''. In her description of the film in a 2005 profile of the director for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', critic Lynn Hirschberg declared that ''Stranger than Paradise'' "permanently upended the idea of independent film as an intrinsically inaccessible avant-garde form". The success of the film accorded the director a certain iconic status within
arthouse cinema An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
, as an idiosyncratic and uncompromising auteur, exuding the aura of urban cool embodied by downtown Manhattan. Such perceptions were reinforced by the release of his subsequent features in the late 1980s, establishing him as one of the generation's most prominent and influential independent filmmakers. New York critic and festival director Kent Jones undermined the "urban cool" association that Jarmusch has garnered and was quoted in a February 2014 media article, following the release of his eleventh feature film:
There's been an overemphasis on the hipness factor—and a lack of emphasis on his incredible attachment to the idea of celebrating poetry and culture. You can complain about the preciousness of a lot of his movies, utthey are unapologetically standing up for poetry.
is attitude is In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, such as the word ''is'' in the sentence "The sky is blue" or the phrase ''was not being'' in ...
'if you want to call me an elitist, go ahead, I don't care'.
Jarmusch's staunch independence has been represented by his success in retaining the negatives for all of his films, an achievement that was described by the ''Guardians Jonathan Romney as "extremely rare." British producer
Jeremy Thomas Jeremy Jack Thomas, CBE (born 26 July 1949) is a British film producer, founder and chairman of Recorded Picture Company. He produced Bernardo Bertolucci's ''The Last Emperor'', which won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2006 he rece ...
, who was one of the eventual financiers of ''Only Lovers Left Alive'' called Jarmusch "one of the great American independent film-makers" who is "the last of the line." Thomas believes that filmmakers like Jarmusch "are not coming through... any more." In a 1989 review of his work,
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
of ''The New York Times'' called Jarmusch "the most adventurous and arresting film maker to surface in the American cinema in this decade". He was recognized with the “Filmmaker on the Edge” award at the 2004 Provincetown International Film Festival. A retrospective of the director's films was hosted at the
Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, to ...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during February 1994, and another, "The Sad and Beautiful World of Jim Jarmusch", by the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...
in August 2005. While Swinton, who has worked with Jarmusch on numerous occasions, describes him as a "rock star," the director admits that "I don't know where I fit in. I don't feel tied to my time." Dutch lute player Jozef van Wissem, who worked on the score for ''Only Lovers Left Alive'' calls Jarmusch a "cultural sponge" who "absorbs everything." The moving image collection of Jim Jarmusch is held at the Academy Film Archive.


Personal life

Jarmusch rarely discusses his personal life in public. He divides his time between New York City and the
Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas cl ...
. He stopped drinking coffee in 1986, the year of the first installment of ''Coffee and Cigarettes'', although he continues to smoke cigarettes. In a February 2014 interview Jarmusch stated that he is not interested in eternal life, as "there's something about the cycle of life that's very important, and to have that removed would be a burden".


Frequent collaborators

Markings of an a indicated collaborators who acted in a film, c indicated that they composed music for the film.


Discography

;Studio albums * ''
Concerning the Entrance into Eternity ''Concerning the Entrance into Eternity'' is the first collaborative album by Jozef van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch. It was released on Important Records in 2012. A music video was created for the track "The Sun of the Natural World Is Pure Fire." It ...
'' ( Important Records, 2012) (with Jozef van Wissem) * ''
The Mystery of Heaven ''The Mystery of Heaven'' is the second collaborative album by Jozef van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch. It was released on Sacred Bones Records in 2012. The track "The More She Burns the More Beautifully She Glows" features a guest appearance from actres ...
'' ( Sacred Bones Records, 2012) (with Jozef van Wissem) * ''An Attempt to Draw Aside the Veil ''(Sacred Bones Records, 2019) (with Jozef van Wissem) * ''Ranaldo Jarmusch Urselli Pandi ''(Trost, 2019) (with Lee Ranaldo, Marc Urselli, Balazs Pandi) * ''Churning of the Ocean ''(Trost, 2021) (with Lee Ranaldo, Marc Urselli, Balazs Pandi) ;Soundtracks * '' Only Lovers Left Alive'' (ATP Recordings, 2013) (as Sqürl, with Jozef van Wissem) * '' Paterson'' (Third Man Records, 2017) (as Squrl) * ''The Dead Don’t Die ''(Sacred Bones Records, 2019) (as Squrl) * ''Some Music for Robby Müller'' (Soundtrack ''Living the Light''—documentary) (Sacred Bones Records, 2020) (as Sqürl) ;EPs * ''EP #1'' (ATP Recordings, 2013) (as Sqürl) * ''EP #2'' (ATP Recordings, 2013) (as Sqürl) * ''EP #3'' (ATP Recordings, 2014) (as Sqürl) * ''EP #260'' (Sacred Bones Records, 2017) (as Squrl) Live albums
''SQÜRL Live at Third Man Records''
(12" vinyl
A Third Man Records
2016) (as Sqürl) ;Guest appearances * Jozef van Wissem—"Concerning the Beautiful Human Form After Death" from ''The Joy That Never Ends'' (2011) * Fucked Up—"Year of the Tiger" (2012) ;Remixes * The White Stripes—"
Blue Orchid "Blue Orchid" is the first track by the American alternative rock band the White Stripes from their album ''Get Behind Me Satan'', and the first single to be released from the album. Although it was suspected that Jack White wrote the song abou ...
" (First Nations Remix) (2005)


See also

* No Wave Cinema


References

Other sources * * Gonzalez, Éric,
Jim Jarmusch's Aesthetics of Sampling in Ghost Dog–The Way of the Samurai
, ''
Volume! ''Volume! The French Journal of Popular Music Studies'' (subtitled in French: ''La revue des musiques populaires'') is a biannual (May and November) peer-reviewed academic journal "dedicated to the study of contemporary popular music". It is publ ...
'', vol. 3, n° 2, Nantes: Éditions Mélanie Seteun, 2004, pp. 109–21. * * Ródenas, Gabri (2009), ''Guía para ver y analizar'' Noche en la Tierra ''de Jim Jarmusch'', Barcelona/Valencia: Octaedro/Nau Llibres. /978-84-7642-776-7 * Ródenas, Gabri (2009), "Jarmusch y Carver: Se ha roto el frigorífico" in Fernández, P. (Ed.), ''Rompiendo moldes: Discursos, género e hibridación en el siglo XXI''. Zamora/Sevilla: Editorial Comunicación Social; . Available at Google Books. * Ródenas, Gabri (2009), "Jarmusch Vs Reagan" in ''Revista Odisea''. Almería: University of Almería. December 2009. . * Ródenas, Gabri (2010), "Jim Jarmusch: Del insomnio americano al insomnio universal", in ''Comunicación y sociedad'', Navarra: University of Navarra, June 2010; . * Ródenas, Gabri (2011), ''Jim Jarmusch: Lecturas sobre el insomnio americano (1980–1991)'', Spain/Germany: – Editorial Académica EspañolaLAP Lambert Academic Publishing GmbH & Co. KG; . * Mentana, Umberto (2016), ''Il cinema di Jim Jarmusch. Una filmografia per un'analisi della cultura e del cinema postmoderno'', Aracne Editrice;


Further reading

* * * Rice, Julian. (2012). ''The Jarmusch Way: Spirituality and Imagination in'' Dead Man, Ghost Dog, ''and'' The Limits of Control. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. (hardcover); (ebook). *


External links

* * *
Jim Jarmusch
at the ''
Senses of Cinema ''Senses of Cinema'' is a quarterly online film magazine founded in 1999 by filmmaker Bill Mousoulis. Based in Melbourne, Australia, ''Senses of Cinema'' publishes work by film critics from all over the world, including critical essays, career ...
'' Great Directors critical database
The Jim Jarmusch Resource Page
curated by Jarmusch scholar Ludvig Hertzberg *
Limited Control
Hertzberg's companion blog


The films of Jim Jarmusch
''Hell Is For Hyphenates'', May 31, 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Jarmusch, Jim 1953 births American people of Czech descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American male screenwriters Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Columbia College (New York) alumni Living people Tisch School of the Arts alumni Medill School of Journalism alumni No wave musicians Musicians from Akron, Ohio People from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Writers from Akron, Ohio European Film Awards winners (people) Film directors from New York City Film directors from Ohio Screenwriters from Ohio Screenwriters from New York (state) Directors of Caméra d'Or winners Postmodernist filmmakers