Stranger Than Paradise - Criterion Collection | John Lurie, Eszter Balint

Stranger Than Paradise - Criterion Collection | John Lurie, Eszter Balint | Narrative structure is for wussies

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Stranger Than Para...

	Stranger Than Paradise - Criterion Collection John Lurie, Eszter Balint Criterion Collection, 2007 average customer review:based on 48 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Rootless Hungarian emigre Willie (John Lurie) his pal Eddie (Richard Edson) and visiting sixteen-year-old cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) always manage to make the least of any situation whether aimlessly traversing the drab interiors and environs of New York City Cleveland or an anonymous Florida suburb. With its delicate humor and dramatic nonchalance Jim Jarmusch's one-of-a-kind minimalist masterpiece Stranger Than Paradise forever transformed the landscape of American independent cinema. Also included in this special-edition release is Jarmusch's legendary debut feature Permanent Vacation a time capsule of late-seventies Manhattan on DVD for the first time in the United StatesSystem Requirements:Running Time: 89 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 715515024020 Manufacturer No: CC1695DDVD

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Diane Arbus, With Charm

The many virtues of Jarmusch's second feature, the 1984 "Stranger Than Paradise," have largely been pointed out here already. Thus the novel structure of single take scenes divided by black frames, the low key, seemingly natural acting, and the wonderful photography which creates a requisite ugly "sameness," whether the locale is the Lower East Side, wintry Cleveland or the Florida boondocks, need not be discussed again at length here.

One aspect of this memorable film which should be more clearly emphasized, however, is its remarkable tone, one which the relatively young director establishes and never loses control of. It is a tone which combines satire free of sourness with an unforced charm never tumbling into sentimentality. Though the central male characters, Willy and Eddie, are petty card cheats and race track gamblers who are on the road and drifting through existence without much purpose, they are often undeniably charming, even believably sweet. Noteworthy in this regard is Eddie's endearing wish to include visiting cousin Eva from Budapest in the gambling pair's daily activities and gruff Willy's even buying her a dress, although an ugly one, to wear to Cleveland. Similarly, this heroine Eva not only establishes her right to membership on their team through her theft of groceries and cigarettes for the initially unfriendly Willy, but reveals at the same time her own sweetness in consistently sharing any ill gotten gains with both of these hapless guys.

The principal Arbus-like ugliness in the film is in its scenery and costumes. The chief characters who inhabit it, for all their petty flaws, are at the same time unwittingly charming, while never sickeningly so. Such tonal security and balance in a new director's film is an exceedingly rare and welcome achievement.

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Narrative structure is for wussies

It's hard to believe that over 20 years have passed since "Stranger Than Paradise" firmly established Jim Jarmusch's unique, patented blend of long, static camera takes with his inscrutably deadpan observances on the inherent silliness of homo sapiens.

Jarmusch regular John Lurie is Willie, a brooding, too-cool-for-school New York City slacker who spends most of his time hanging out with his endearingly goofy buddy Eddie (Richard Edson). Both men suffer from terminal boredom, which is somewhat alleviated by their bemused, low-key bickering (leave it to Jarmusch to create characters who manage to be remain bored and uninspired while living in the world's most exciting city! But then again, wasn't that the very premise behind "Seinfeld"?)

Enter Eva (Eszter Balint), Willie's long-lost teenaged cousin from Hungary, who unexpectedly shows up one day (much to his chagrin). Eddie is intrigued, but the misanthropic Willie has no desire for a new roommate, blood relative or not, and Eva decides after a few days that she would probably find more welcoming accommodations with the pair's Aunt Lotte (delightfully played by Cecillia Stark), who lives in Cleveland.

Flash forward one year, and we find Willie and Eddie still sitting around the apartment, still bored silly, still engaged in the same petty bickering. Eddie convinces Willie that a road trip to Cleveland (in the middle of winter?!) might be just the ticket to break them out of their rut. Willie grumpily agrees, and off they go to visit Aunt Lotte and cousin Eva. In order to avoid spoilers for those who have not seen the film, suffice it to say that the interpersonal relationships take some unexpected turns, and more road trips ensue. Oh-and I guarantee you will have Screamin' Jay Hawkins tunes in your head for days!

It's worth noting that future director Tom DiCillo ("The Real Blonde", "Living in Oblivion") did the fine black and white DP work on the film, demonstrating an eye for gleaning the strange beauty in the stark, wintry, industrial flatness of Cleveland and its Lake Erie environs.

"Stranger Than Paradise" is generally held up along with a select handful of early 1980's releases (like Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" and Wayne Wang's "Chan Is Missing") as one of the low-budget wonders that helped spark the post-Cassavetes indie film movement that continues to thrive today. Kudos to Criterion for thier reissue.

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The road to nowhere

This is a unique minimalist tale, more atmosphere than action, about America seen through the eyes of a winsome young Hungarian woman (Eszter Balint) who comes to stay with her deadbeat cousin (John Lurie) in a desolate area of New York City before moving on to an equally desolate Cleveland suburb. The pretty exile from then-Communist Eastern Europe finds a New World that is not the Promised Land of capitalism, but a vacant landscape of low-rent neighborhoods, motels, hot dog restaurants, bus stations, lonely highways, and TV dinners. The three young people in this film might be lost souls on an aimless road trip, but this is an America where there is no place to arrive. As one character observes, all places are the same. But the bleakness of the landscape is relieved by touches of warmth and gentle humor. The minimalist style and moody music fit the story well. Short individual scenes like snapshots are separated by a black screen. The silences in the conversation and the atmospheric noises become as important as what the characters say. "Stranger than Paradise" succeeds in being artful without being pretentious.

When this film appeared in 1984 it was well received in Europe but did not get much play in the U.S. outside the art house circuit. Now, more than twenty years later, it still holds up very well. In later films Jim Jarmusch has further explored America as seen by the stranger/foreigner ("Down by Law," "Mystery Train"), but without achieving the same magic. If you are receptive to that magic, you may find yourself quoting the characters of "Stranger than Paradise" or fondly recalling their humorous foibles.

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Is Cleveland like Budapest?

Probably one of the oddest films that I have screened in my Eastern Religions class is Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers (2005). While most of my students enjoyed it, quite a few found it boring and pointless because nothing was truly resolved at the end of the film. At the time I thought, "well, I'm glad I didn't show them Stranger than Paradise.

Stranger Than Paradise began as a five minute short film, then a thirty minute film, and finally a nearly ninety minute long film in 1985. Filmed with a budget of only 110, 000 dollars and on Wim Wenders' leftover film stock, Stranger Than Paradise is a stark black and white absurdist comedy that dives headfirst into mundane ennui. If there was a film truly about nothing, in my opinion, it would be Stranger Than Paradise.

Stranger Than Paradise centers on Willie, lounge musician and longtime Jarmusch collaborator John Lurie, a Hungarian immigrant from Budapest who has long ago cut his native roots to embrace an American lifestyle: hustling, eating T.V. dinners, chain smoking, and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Although he distances himself from his family, his aunt asks him to look after his cousin Eva who will be arriving that very day. However, instead of staying one night, Eva stays for ten days and during that time meets Eddie, former Sonic Youth drummer turned actor Richard Edson, who is almost a picture perfect, though kinder and shorter, image of Willie. During their time together Willie and Eva talk, smoke, and watch television. After this enchanting holiday, Eva goes to Cleveland. A year later, Willie and Eddie go to Cleveland and then take Eva to Florida. Little else happens in the film with most of the action taking place at the kitchen table or in front of the television.

Stranger Than Paradise is full of deadpan humor and witty dialogue, but the overall experience is quite boring. However, the film is a good example of a new type of film directing by an American film director who took aspects of foreign new wave films and made them his own instead of just copying. An important film and an imaginative film albeit a boring one, Stranger Than Paradise does not make for an enjoyable film experience, but it can be a thought provoking one, however, be sure to have a stimulating drink handy to keep from falling asleep.

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Cultural Aspirations

Well, an original debut for a young director, but don't expect plot and pacing. The actors take their time, maybe improvising. John Laurie is a young horse and card playing con trying to forget that his relatives are all from Hungry. Enter his cousin, Eszter Balint from the old country and he get's a dose of what he's trying to forget. The irony, both Laurie and Balint have a real love for things American, the music, the clothes, and attitudes, but as if a Saturday Night Live skit from the 80's rematerialized, there's something a little too much or a little too small about their cultural aspirations. And that's the joke of this semi-road movie across America.

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