Jim Jarmusch (born January 22 1953 in Akron, Ohio) is a noted American independent film director.

Background

Jarmusch obtained his B.A. from Columbia University. Before graduating from New York University's school of film, Jarmusch decided to drop out of the program and funnel his scholarship funds into his first feature. His advisor at the time, Thaddeus Sebena, helped to support the release. This resulted in his first film, Permanent Vacation, which introduced audiences to the deadpan style that he would later develop in Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Law. Jim had worked as a teaching assistant to American director Nicholas Ray while at NYU. 'Through Ray's efforts, Jarmusch became a production assistant on Wim Wenders' tribute to Ray, "Lightning Over Water" (1980) [1].

Career

Jarmusch's first major release, Stranger Than Paradise, was released to much critical acclaim. Recounting a strange journey of three disillusioned youths from New York to Cleveland to Florida, the film broke many conventions of traditional Hollywood moviemaking, and to this day is still considered a landmark work in modern independent film.[2] In 1986, Jarmusch wrote and directed Down by Law, a film about three convicts in a New Orleans jailhouse.

In 1995, Jarmusch released Dead Man, a film set in the American West in the 19th century starring Johnny Depp and Gary Farmer that has been called a Western movie, an "acid western," an "anti-Western," and a "post-Western" by various critics. The film 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; however, critics have both praised and decried the film for its portrayal of the American West, violence, and especially Native Americans.Hall, Mary Katherine: "Now You Are a Killer of White Men: Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man" and Traditions of Revisionism in the Western". Journal of Film and Video 52:4 2000 p. 3-14 The film was shot in black and white by Robby Müller, and features a score composed and performed by Neil Young.

Following artistic success and critical acclaim in the American independent film community, he achieved mainstream renown with his far-East philosophy-themed take on a crime film set in New York City, The Way of the Samurai, starring Forest Whitaker, which also featured a soundtrack by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA.

Coffee and Cigarettes

One of his major projects is an ongoing series of short films called Coffee and Cigarettes. The original six-minute film appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1986, featuring filmmaker Roberto Benigni and comedian Steven Wright. Three years later, he released Memphis Version, with actor Steve Buscemi, which was eight minutes long. The next 12-minute installment was in 1993, Somewhere in California, featuring musicians Tom Waits and Iggy Pop.

In 1993, Jarmusch said, "I've shot two more which are waiting to be edited, and I've scripted two or three more. Although the intention is for them to work separately as short films, I plan to shoot around 12 to 14 and put them together for a video release." [3]. These were released in 2004 as Coffee and Cigarettes. The movie consists of 11 installments (the 1986 Coffee and Cigarettes, Memphis Version and Somewhere in California being segments 1, 2 and 3), featuring, among others, Jack and Meg of The White Stripes, Cate Blanchett, RZA, GZA, Bill Murray, Steve Coogan and Alfred Molina.

Sons of Lee Marvin

Jarmusch is the founder of The Sons of Lee Marvin, a humorous 'semi-secret society'. Members of the society reportedly include musician Tom Waits and actor John Lurie, both of whom have worked with Jarmusch on several occasions. Richard Bose, Nick Cave, Thurston Moore, Iggy Pop (who has also worked with Jarmusch), Josh Brolin and Neil Young are also rumored to be members. The entry criterion for the club is that the person must have some physical resemblance or plausibly look like a son of the actor Lee Marvin — as such, women are not allowed to join. Most current members also share what seems to be a beat mentality in that they represent and express the lives of the down and out.

The club supposedly meets occasionally to watch Lee Marvin movies together. Its members perpetuate the joke in the media.

"I'm not at liberty to divulge information about the organization, other than to tell you that it does exist. I can identify three other members of the organization: Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Richard Bose. You have to have a facial structure such that you could be related to, or be a son of, Lee Marvin. There are no women, obviously, in the organization. We have communiques and secret meetings. Other than that, I can't talk about it."

:—Jim Jarmusch: Interview: Vol. XIX - No. 11, 1989: pp 146-150.

The real son of Lee Marvin is said to have objected to the existence of the organization when he encountered Waits in a bar.Film Comment 28:3, June 1992 [4]

Music

Jarmusch was the keyboardist for the No-Wave band Del-Byzanteens, whose sole LP Lies to Live By was a minor underground hit in the US and Britain in 1982.

Jarmusch is also featured on Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture quoting Bach and one other person.

New film

Jarmusch is currently set to start production in February 2008 on his new film, The Limits of Control. The film will star Isaach de Bankolé and be set in Spain.

Personal

Jarmusch divides his time between New York City and the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York.

Although Jarmusch does not frequently make public appearances, in early 2003 he signed the Not In My Name declaration (along with people such as Noam Chomsky and Susan Sarandon), opposing the invasion of Iraq.

Filmography

Director

• Permanent Vacation (1980)
• Stranger Than Paradise (1984) - Director/Writer/Editor
• Coffee and Cigarettes (1986) - Director/Co-Writer
• Down by Law (1986) - Director/Writer
• Memphis Version (1989) - Director/Writer
• Mystery Train (1989) - Director/Writer
• Night on Earth (1991) - Director/Writer/Producer
• Somewhere in California (1993) - Director/Editor
• Dead Man (1995) - Director/Writer
• Year of the Horse (1997) - Director/Cinematographer
• The Way of the Samurai (1999) - Director/Writer/Producer
• The Trumpet (segment "Int. Trailer Night") (Short, 2002) - Director/Writer
• Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) - Director/Writer/Editor
• Broken Flowers (2005) - Director/Writer
• The Limits of Control (Pre-production) - Director/Writer[5]

Other production credits

• Lightning Over Water (1980) - Observer
• You Are Not I (1981) - Producer/Cinematographer
• Der Stand Der Dinge (The State of Things) Portugal (1982) - Composer
• Burroughs (1984) - Sound Recordist
• Sleepwalk (1986) - Camera Operator/Cinematographer
• When Pigs Fly (1993) - Executive Producer
• Clerks (1994) (special thanks)
• The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) (special thanks)

Acting credits

• Underground U.S.A. (1980) - Sound recordist
• American Autobahn (1984) .... Movie Producer
• Straight to Hell (1987) .... Amos Dade
• Helsinki Napoli All Night Long (1987) ... Barkeeper #2
• Candy Mountain (1988)
• Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989) ... New York Car Dealer
• The Golden Boat (1990) ... Stranger
• In the Soup (1992) ... Monty
• Iron Horseman (1995) ... Silver Rider
• Blue in the Face (1995) ... Bob
• Cannes Man (1996) ... Cameo
• Sling Blade (1996) ... Frostee Cream guy
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Book on Tape) (1996) ... Raoul Duke (voice)

Appearances as himself

• Fräulein Berlin (1983)
• Fishing with John (1991) TV
• Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made (1994)
• American Cinema (1995) TV
• The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera (1996)
• R.I.P., Rest in Pieces (1997)
• We're Outta Here! aka The Ramones (1997) Video
• Year of the Horse (1997)
• Pop Odyssee 2 - House of the Rising Punk (1998) TV
• Divine Trash (1998)
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1998) TV
• Lee Marvin: A Personal Portrait by John Boorman (1998) TV
• SpongeBob SquarePants (2000) TV
• Screamin' Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
• V.I.P. (2001) TV
• ¿Quién es Alejandro Chomski? (2002)
• Focus on Jim Jarmusch (2002) TV
• Chaplin Today: A King in New York (2003) TV
• Hollywood High (2003) TV
• Rockets Redglare! (2003)
• A Magnificent Obsession (2004) TV
• Cinema Mil (2005) TV
• Excavating Taylor Mead (2005)
• Attitude' (2005) TV
• Magacine 2005 (2005) TV

References

Further reading

External links

• The Jim Jarmusch Resource Page
• It's a Sad and Beautiful World
• Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database
• An analysis of Coffee and Cigarettes
• A Jim Jarmusch interview
• Interview at The Onion A.V. Club
• Another interview at The Onion A.V. Club
• Coffee and Cigarettes official site
• Jim Jarmusch's Golden Rules
• NNDB Bio-Info
• Interview with The Guardian

Listening

• Jim Jarmusch interview, from Fresh Air radio program, August 16, 2005

American film directorsColumbia University alumniPeople from Akron, Ohio1953 birthsLiving people

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