Down by Law. 1986. USA/West Germany. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. With Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Ellen Barkin. 35mm. 107 min.
The cool, deadpan comedy of Jim Jarmusch and the crisp black-and-white images of cinematographer Robby Müller render New Orleans as a neo-noir fascination, with sharply drawn interiors and dead, ghostlike streets. Kismet strikes when an Italian out-of-towner (Roberto Benigni), an unambitious DJ (Tom Waits), and a dour pimp (John Lurie) wind up in the same jail cell and, consequently, manage to escape together, desperately at odds every step of the way. The lo-fi, nocturnal hijinx feel at odds with the more brash depictions of New Orleans typical in cinema, but are no less stylish. This is a New Orleans of visions: desolate, beautiful, and dangerous.