{"id":2135,"date":"2007-01-21T17:52:08","date_gmt":"2007-01-22T00:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2135"},"modified":"2025-07-15T16:14:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T23:14:44","slug":"down-by-law-1986","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2135","title":{"rendered":"Down By Law (1986)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Why do ya always gotta go fuck up your own future, huh?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Poster-201x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"201\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-26381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Poster-201x300.jpg 201w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Poster-86x128.jpg 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Poster.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThree oddball prisoners (Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni) escape through the Louisiana bayou.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Black Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Deep South<\/li>\n<li>Escape<\/li>\n<li>Framed<\/li>\n<li>Jim Jarmusch Films<\/li>\n<li>Misfits<\/li>\n<li>Prisoners<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nJim Jarmusch&#8217;s character-driven prison-break film &#8212; a follow-up to his groundbreaking debut, <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=71911\"><em>Stranger Than Paradise <\/em>(1984)<\/a> &#8212; has many fans, but I&#8217;m not one of them. None of the three lead characters is especially appealing, and since we never get a chance to know any of them particularly well, we don&#8217;t really care what happens to them. Most annoying of all is Benigni&#8217;s chirpy immigrant &#8220;Roberto&#8221;; while many find his riffs in this film (i.e., the &#8220;I scream for ice cream&#8221; chant) hilarious, I found them insufferable. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-1024x567.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"354\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-1024x567.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-1536x851.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-487x270.png 487w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still.png 1839w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Down By Law<\/em> clearly bows towards surrealistic impulses, with several moments in the film conveniently defying reality: the three prisoners easily escape from their cell (we&#8217;re never shown how); they conveniently happen upon an Italian restaurant &#8212; with a friendly, beautiful, single owner &#8212; in the middle of nowhere; etc. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-1024x570.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"356\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61342\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-768x428.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-1536x856.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-485x270.png 485w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Still2.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>These leaps of logic are mildly amusing, and Robby Muller&#8217;s gorgeous black-and-white cinematography is a wonder to behold; but ultimately, these elements weren&#8217;t enough to keep my interest.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Beautiful black-and-white cinematography of the Louisiana bayou<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"358\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2-1536x860.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2-482x270.png 482w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Down-By-Law-Bayou2.png 1827w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The opening tracking shot, accompanied by Tom Waits singing an infectious blues ballad<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s of interest for its cult status, and as one of this maverick indie filmmaker&#8217;s best-known early films. <\/p>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0090967\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1986\/09\/19\/movies\/film-jarmusch-s-down-by-law.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/showreview.php3?ID=4210\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/65721.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-srv\/style\/longterm\/movies\/videos\/downbylawrkempley_a0caf0.htm\">Washington Post Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why do ya always gotta go fuck up your own future, huh?&#8221; Synopsis: Three oddball prisoners (Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni) escape through the Louisiana bayou. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Black Comedy Deep South Escape Framed Jim Jarmusch Films Misfits Prisoners Review: Jim Jarmusch&#8217;s character-driven prison-break film &#8212; a follow-up to his groundbreaking debut, Stranger Than Paradise (1984) &#8212; has many fans, but I&#8217;m not one of them. None of the three lead characters is especially appealing,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2135\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2135"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98973,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2135\/revisions\/98973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}