Down by Law (1986)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Writer:

Jim Jarmusch (written by)

Release Date:

30 October 1986 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

It's not where you start - It's where you start again.

Plot:

The story of three different men in a Louisiana prison and their eventual journey.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Pimp | Escape | Prostitute | Female Full Frontal Nudity

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tom Waits	...	Zack
John Lurie	...	Jack
Roberto Benigni	...	Roberto
Nicoletta Braschi	...	Nicoletta
Ellen Barkin	...	Laurette
Billie Neal	...	Bobbie
Rockets Redglare	...	Gig
Vernel Bagneris	...	Preston
Timothea	...	Julie
L.C. Drane	...	L. C
Joy N. Houck Jr.	...	Detective Mandino
Carrie Lindsoe	...	Young Girl
Ralph Joseph	...	Detective
Richard Boes	...	Detective
Dave Petitjean	...	Cajun Detective
Adam Cohen	...	Uniformed Cop
Alan Kleinberg	...	Corpse
Archie Sampier	...	Prisoner
David Dahlgren	...	Guard #1
Alex Miller	...	Guard #2
Eliott Keener	...	Guard #3
Jay Hilliard	...	Guard #4
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	(scenes deleted)

Directed by
Jim Jarmusch

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jim Jarmusch		written by

Produced by
Cary Brokaw	....	executive producer
Otto Grokenberger	....	executive producer
Alan Kleinberg	....	producer
Tom Rothman	....	co-producer
Russell Schwartz	....	executive producer
Jim Stark	....	co-producer

Original Music by
John Lurie

Cinematography by
Robby Müller

Film Editing by
Melody London

Production Design by
Janet Densmore

Costume Design by
Carol Wood

Makeup Department
Donita Miller	....	hair stylist
Donita Miller	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David Ross McCarty	....	location unit manager
Rudd Simmons	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Guido Chiesa	....	second assistant director
Claire Denis	....	assistant director

Art Department
Janet Densmore	....	prop master
Janet Densmore	....	set dresser
Roger Knight	....	assistant props and sets

Sound Department
John Auerbach	....	supervising sound editor
Martin Bisi	....	additional sound recordist
Matthew Corey	....	apprentice sound editor (as Matt Corey)
Mark Goodermote	....	boom operator
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recordist (as Stan Kastner)
Robin Katz	....	second assistant sound editor
Frank Kern	....	sound editor
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Peter Waggoner	....	sound re-recordist
Sylvia Waliga	....	first assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Anderson	....	first assistant camera
Hank Billeaud	....	best boy
Hank Billeaud	....	gaffer
Theo Cremona	....	second assistant camera
Paul Ferrara	....	key grip
Christopher Porter	....	gaffer
Michael Ruggles	....	best boy
Louis Tancredi	....	electrician
Louis Tancredi	....	swing grip

Casting Department
Claudia Splecher	....	additional casting
Alison Walsh	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lynn Simpson	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Tim Brennan	....	negative matcher
Lori Mozilo	....	assistant film editor
Jay Rabinowitz	....	apprentice film editor
Tom Salvatore	....	color timer

Music Department
Doug Bowne	....	musician: drums
Curtis Fowlkes	....	musician: trombone
Tony Garnier	....	musician: acoustic bass
Lisa Krueger	....	music coordinator
Tom Lazarus	....	music mixer
Tom Lazarus	....	music recordist
Arto Lindsay	....	musician: guitar
Eugene J. Moye	....	musician: cello (as Eugene Moye)
Marc Ribot	....	musician: trumpet and banjo
E.J. Rodriguez	....	musician: percussion
Nana Vasconcelos	....	musician: percussion

Other crew
Billy Bragg	....	available lighting
Allison Brandin	....	production assistant
Joe Catalanotto	....	independent studios
Charles De Cuir	....	production assistant
Sara Driver	....	production troubleshooter
Peter Grand	....	script supervisor
Matthew A. Handal	....	production assistant (as Matthew Handal)
Kathie Hersch	....	production coordinator/auditor
Eric Hoffman	....	projectionist
Tom Jarmusch	....	production assistant
Lisa Krueger	....	assistant to producer
Tommy Samona	....	production assistant
Stephanie Samuel	....	assistant location manager
Ida Schonfeld	....	intern
Phil Seifert III	....	production assistant
Mary Shelton	....	location assistant
Camela Smyke	....	office coordinator: New York
Lynn Staats	....	production controller
Alison Walsh	....	assistant coordinator

Thanks
Simon Brook	....	special thanks
Don Donigi	....	special thanks
Bill Nisselson	....	special thanks
Pascale Ogier	....	dedicatee
Melvin Pukowsky	....	special thanks
Phil Sodano	....	special thanks
Enzo Ungari	....	dedicatee
Irwin Young	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Black Snake
• Grokenberger Film Produktion
• Island Pictures

Distributors

• Island Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pandora Filmproduktion (1986) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1987) (Canada) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Key Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• King Record Co. (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lume Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MCA Home Video (1987) (Canada) (VHS)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Mediafilm
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cynosure Films  titles (as Cynosure)
• Delta Airlines  special thanks to: In Louisiana
• Island Records  "Jockey Full of Bourbon" and "Tango Till They're Sore" courtesy of
• Louisiana Film Commission  assistance
• Otto Nemenz International  Arriflex cameras provided by (as Otto Nemenz Int, Inc.)
• Sound Ideas  music recorded and mixed
• Sound One Corporation  post-production re-recording (as Sound One Corp.)

Also Known As:

Down by Law (West Germany)
Down by Law - Alles im Griff (Germany) (TV title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Company:

Black Snake

Trivia:

Nicoletta Braschi, who plays the Italian woman, is Roberto Benigni's wife in real life.

Quotes:

Roberto: I scream. You scream. We all scream. For ice cream.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Unearthly (#4.20)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Tango Till They're Sore

Excellent early Jarmusch

While his later and more acclaimed works such 'Night on Earth' and 'Dead Man' may well be better films, this is the one that catapulted Jim Jarmusch to the forefront of obscure American cinema in the 1980's, and aside from that fact; it's a hell of a lot of fun, and fans of Jarmusch, and just fans of obscure cool cinema in general will find lots to like about it. Treading a line between a classic prison movie and an odd comedy, Down by Law works on several levels. The premise of the film is simple, as we follow three rather different convicts that end up in the same cell in a penitentiary. Despite this being a simple base for a movie, Jim Jarmusch really makes the best of his premise and the three characters he has created to inhabit the jail cell are all unique enough to each other in order to make sure that the film is always interesting, and that the characters have a good chemistry with one another, so that the dialogue flows freely and that it's quirky nature is able to be revved up to the top.

Tom Waits, John Lurie and Roberto Benigni take the lead three roles and although the former two actors are no doubt good in their roles, as usual it is Benigni that steals the show. His over the top style fits his over the top character like a glove and although Benigni isn't the sort of actor that can adapt to many different roles; when he's got one that fits him, he's pretty much unbeatable. The film's plot starts out slow, and the first half hour in which two of the three leads are introduced isn't all that exciting. It's when the three men get put inside that Down by Law really starts, and every minute from then on is a pleasure. Like he would with Dead Man nine years later, Jarmusch has opted to film Down by Law in a very stark black and white, which, also like Dead Man, increases the surrealism and also helps the film in it's bid to beat the thin plot line with a very potent visual complexity, which will delight fans of this sort of movie. On the whole, Down by Law is an excellent example of offbeat US film-making and I don't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.