STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Some films only seem to be about nothing. You can say that modern post-90's action pictures try to be entertaining by having a sudden explosion and a wisecrack every few minutes - so much happens in some action films that so little is actually being said. "Stranger Than Paradise" is not an action film. In fact, it is almost inert and has no plot yet it is chock full of story and fascinating characters. It's just that you do not realize what is happening until the film is over.
Set in New York City, we are quickly introduced to Willie (John Laurie), formerly of Hungary and now living in America, doing very little. He lives in a small apartment, plays poker, sleeps, plays some more poker, goes to the racetrack with his buddy Eddie (Richard Edson), and that is it. It is an empty life until his sixteen-year-old cousin, Eva (Eszter Balint), comes into the picture. She plans to stay with Willie for one week and then stay with her aunt in Ohio. She has her suitcase full of clothes and listens constantly to Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" over and over again. Willie will not allow her to speak in their native language, and is obviously bothered by her presence. Still, all they do is watch TV and eat TV dinners. Eddie comes over one day and is smitten by her, perhaps because she is at least a new presence in his and Willie's lives. Willie finally accepts her one day when she swipes cigarrettes and groceries - "Hey, you are all right," says Willie. Just when he accepts her, so do we. At that precise moment, Eva has to leave for Cleveland, Ohio and slowly we sense Willie has lost a bit of his soul too (not that he had much to begin with). There is one marvelous scene where Willie and Eddie stand around in his kitchen, and WIllie looks sullen and dejected and no dialogue is exchanged between the two. We know why.
The film then flashes forward to one year later as Willie and Eddie head to Cleveland to see Eva. She had been working at a hot dog stand, and the aunt, Aunt Lottie (Cecilia Stark), is an expert at poker and wins every hand. Willie and Eddie decide to split to Florida and take Eva with them. The aunt disapproves but there is not much that can be done. When they arrive in Florida, they all stay in some fleabag motel by the beach. Eva is not impressed, particularly when Willie and Eddie leave her alone in the motel room while they go to the racetrack for more winnings. Do these people have any other ways of enjoying themselves?
Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger Than Paradise" seems to be going nowhere but it isn't. It is an examination of three characters and the lives they lead. They do not know where they are headed or where they are going. Jarmusch is also not interested in detailing who they are as much as what they are. This is a film about stagnation and anomie - no direction and no hope and possibly no meaning. The film seems to say that existence has no purpose other than to exist because every place in America looks exactly the same. Eva might have some prospects but we are still left wondering what they might be. These characters have nothing to say yet say so much with their lack of purpose. This is really a study of these characters, following them every step of the way to nowhere. But a miracle does occur at the end that proves life-changing and possibly life-affirming. It is a brilliant masterstroke but you have to be patient to get there.
In his directorial debut, Jim Jarmusch has done something quite unusual - he has observed lives without intruding. He is like a documentary filmmaker who observes and studies. The performances never feel forced and help to make the realism palatable. Musician John Lurie, the funny Richard Edson and the passive Estzer Balint are so natural that you forget you are watching actors. They have lots of terrific moments and all are shot in one take. Jarmusch shows one scene and then cuts to black, another scene and then cuts to black, and so on. This raises the momentum somewhat, and makes us curious to see where it will lead next. Let's just say that the ending brings a satisfaction that is unexpected - it brings a shread of hope to such lonely, directionless people.
"Stranger Than Paradise" has been called a masterpiece in many circles. It has also been categorized as giving independent cinema a bad name. It is not a masterpiece but it is a wonderful slice-of-life of America where everything seems to be the same in every town, as realized by Eddie in one scene. Here, the idea is that the characters are probably bored with their existence and seek to find some enjoyment in it. Eva may have discovered that change is necessary, and Willie and Eddie are still stuck in a stagnant stage without catching up.
I am a fan of films that do not reveal their purpose until the end. A film where the filmmaker trusts his audience and doesn't spell out what his intentions are. "Stranger Than Paradise" is one of those films, and it is as mesmerizing and spellbinding as anything I have seen.
