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Filmed in stunning black and white by cinematographer Robby Muller, Jim Jarmusch has established a surreal tone for this visually poetic meditation on life and death. Dead Man is the tale of William Blake (Johnny Depp), a naive Ohio accountant who travels west to a primitive frontier outpost called Machine in expectation of a job that’s already been filled. Within a short space of time Blake is involved in a showdown and finds himself wounded and on the run. Pursued by vicious bounty hunters, Blake is looked after by Nobody (Gary Farmer) an Eastern-educated Indian who believes his new friend is the dead British poet and mystic William Blake. Gradually, Blake comes to fulfill his designated role as the most wanted man in this corner of the west, all the while preparing for life’s ultimate journey. Accompanied by the haunting music of Neil Young, cameo roles by Robert Mitchum, John Hurt and Iggy Pop, and a strong cast including Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott, Mili Avital and Gabriel Byrne, makes Dead Man an experience not to be missed. Note: Widescreen format.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
307272
Language
English
Audience classification
R (18+)
Subject categories
Feature films → Feature films - United States
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)