Dead Man [BFI Modern Classics]

Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man sat on the top of then Chicago Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's list of best films in 1996. According to Rosenbaum, his long review of the "acid western" grew into a book that was published in 2000 as part of the British Film Institute's great "film classics" series. Rosenbaum, now retired, devoted more ink to reviews than any of his peers, making him one of my favorite film critics, since he was able to explain in depth his assertions about films, not just give an opinion without backing it up. A book-length critique of a film, then, yields that many more insights, even if the book is only a slim 96 pages (what I see as a good length for one film, just like the 33-1/3 series devoted to important albums). Dead show more Man, like other Jarmusch films, requires some patience, the ability to absorb images that are lingered upon. Rosenbaum's book helps those who may lack the patience or who may have been puzzled by the film when it came out. But even for fans of the film, Rosenbaum gives plenty to ponder, much of it coming from his mind but also from interviews with Jarmusch. show less