United States
1986
107 minutes
Black and White
1.77:1
English
166
When fate lands three hapless men—an unemployed disc jockey (Tom Waits), a small-time pimp (John Lurie), and a strong-willed Italian tourist (Roberto Benigni)—in a Louisiana prison, their singular adventure begins. Described by director Jim Jarmusch as a “neo–Beat noir comedy,” Down by Law is part nightmare and part fairy tale, featuring fine performances and crisp black-and-white photography by esteemed cinematographer Robby Müller.
| Zack | Tom Waits |
| Jack | John Lurie |
| Roberto | Roberto Benigni |
| Nicoletta | Nicoletta Braschi |
| Laurette | Ellen Barkin |
| Bobbie | Billie Neal |
| Gig | Rockets Redglare |
| Preston | Vernel Bagneris |
| Julie | Timothea |
| L.C. | L.C. Drane |
| Director | Jim Jarmusch |
| Cinematography | Robby Müller |
| Music | John Lurie |
| Editing | Melody London |
| Songs | Tom Waits |
| Producer | Alan Kleinberg |
| Co-producers | Tom Rothman and Jim Stark |
| Executive producers | Otto Grokenberger, Cary Brokaw and Russell Schwartz |
| Production manager | Rudd Simmons |
| Unit manager | David Ross McCarty |
| Set dresser | Janet Densmore |
| Assistant director | Claire Denis |
| Production troubleshooter | Sara Driver |
| First assistant camera | Jack Anderson |
| Sound | Drew Kunin |
| Gaffer | Christopher Porter |
| Key grip | Paul Ferrera |
| Supervising sound editor | John Auerbach |
| Sound editing | Frank Kern |
| Music recorded and mixed by | Tom Lazarus |
The organizers of All Tomorrow Parties in New York have tapped Jim Jarmusch to be a guest curator at this year’s event. The independent music festival (which for the last couple of years has featured a venue for screenings of movies selected in part by the staff of the Criterion Collection . . .
When we released Jim Jarmusch’s films Down by Law and Night on Earth, the supplement Ask Jim, in which he answered questions viewers wrote in about his films, was so popular that we’ve decided to do it again. We are currently working on the special edition of Jarmusch’s Mystery . . .
Whatever Tom Waits is up to—be it music or acting (Down by Law, Short Cuts)—is bound to be interesting, so we can’t wait to see him in the role of a lifetime, as the devil in . . .
Down by Law, released in 1986, was Jim Jarmusch’s third movie. Unlike its predecessors, Permanent Vacation and Stranger Than Paradise, it did not take off from a semi-documentary view of downtown Manhattan. It was entirely shot on location . . .
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