STUDENT: Levon Vardanyan, 10th grade
SUPERVISOR: Hrayr Khachatryan
Reviewer: Naira Hayrapetyan
this was the early stage of the project here is the full text
The poetics of Jim Jarmusch’s films.pptx
The Review
From the outset, the author prepares us for an exploration of poetic cinema, about the time when poetry and cinema meet and what will come out of this symbiosis. Typically, when discussing poetic cinema, the primary focus is on films that are more artistic and rely heavily on visual storytelling, unaccompanied by textual elements, inviting the viewer to interpret the narrative through the framing and sequencing of images. However, in this instance, we need to talk about poetic cinema by meaning poetry in cinema. In analyzing the works of Jim Jarmusch, one must delve deeper to comprehend his philosophical leanings, which often embrace nihilistic themes expressed through indie style. But the author makes it easy for those who don’t know about Jarmusch and for those who like to know more about him. The objective is to understand the narratives that are told by characters such as: outsiders, passengers, foreigners, the already dead, and immortals. By dividing into parts, the author imbues each segment with an individual identity. Readers can engage with each section out of context and still be in context (as the author wanted to build it: structured as a poem with no structure). Within this subject matter, there is a cursory exploration of the music theme, which occupies a significant position in Jarmusch’s cinematic universe. However, the author refrains from delving deeper into this aspect, as it would necessitate a discussion of poetic cinema’s dialogue with music and sounds. In this work, I would like to see how he will treat the story in “Only Lovers Left Alive” and “Broken Flowers”, as these films can be interpreted as cinematic ballads and poems. Although the absence of these specific works does not diminish the overall strength of the text. You can read and feel the fractions where auteur gets touched, and he transfers his feelings to you. Especially, I like which scenes he chooses to describe; those are the lines when author is more honest, and after that, you begin to read poems or movie quotes, and you become one whole with the text. I understand why to choose this topic. Jim Jarmusch tries to speak about life’s simplicity with minimalistic style, and he is always telling stories about human beings. It seems like Jarmusch’s movies are so different from each other, but in this work, you can see what is common between his cinematography. What are the themes that are similar? What is Jarmusch’s style like? How does he develop it and make it better with each movie? How does he make possible to mix realism, surrealism, absurdism, and still have casual story? And why people like to call him the least American director from all American directors… Well, if you get curious like me you have to read this.
the Armenian version
Հենց առաջին տողերից հեղինակը մեզ համար բացահայտում է բանաստեղծական կինոյի այն պահը, երբ հանդիպում են պոեզիան և կինոն, և թե ինչ է ստացվում այդ սիմբիոզից: Հաճախ բանաստեղծական կինոյի մասին խոսելիս, ուշադրությունը կենտրոնացած է լինում ավելի գեղարվեստական ֆիլմերի վրա, որոնք հիմնականում հենվում են վիզուալ պատկերաշարի վրա, առանց տեքստային տարրերի՝ հրավիրելով դիտողին մեկնաբանել սյուժեն պատկերների կադրավորման ևհաջորդականության միջոցով։ Սակայն այս դեպքում մենք պետք է խոսենք բանաստեղծական կինոյի մասին՝ նկատի ունենալով բանաստեղծությունները կինոյում։ Ջիմ Ջարմուշի աշխատանքների ուսումնասիրությունը պահանջում է մի փոքր սուզվել նրա փիլիսոփայական աշխարհ, որը հաճախ արտահայտվում է ննիհիլիստական մտքերով և հինդի ոճով։ Բայց հեղինակը այն դարձնում է հեշտ ընկալելի նրանց համար, ովքեր չգիտեն Ջարմուշին, և ովքեր ուզում են նրա մասին իմանալ ավելին։ Հեղինակը օգնում է հասկանալ այն պատմությունները, որոնք պատմում են՝ ճանապարհորդները, օտարականները, արդեն մահացածներն ու անմահները։ Աշխատանքը բաժանելով մասերի` յուրաքանչյուր հատվածին տրվում է առանձին ինքնություն։ Ընթերցողը կարող է ծանոթանալ յուրաքանչյուրի հետ առանց համատեքստի և միևնույն ժամանակ համատեքստում (ինչպես հեղինակն է ցանկացել կառուցել այն․ կառուցված որպես բանաստեղծություն, որը չունի կառուցվածք): Այստեղ հպանցիկ ներկայացվում է երաժշտականնթեմայի ուսումնասիրությունը, քանի որ այն զբաղեցնում է կարևոր դեր Ջարմուշի կինոաշխարհում, սակայն հեղինակը խուսափում է մանրազնին դիտարկումներ անելուց, քանի որ դա կպահանջեր քննարկել բանաստեղծական կինոյի երկխոսությունը երաժշտության և ձայների համատեքստում։ Այս աշխատանքում ես կուզենայի տեսնել անդրադարձ “Only Lovers Left Alive” և “Broken Flowers” ֆիլմերին նույնպես, քանի որ ի՞նչ են դրանք, եթե ոչ բալադի կամ բանաստեղծության մաքուր դրսևորում։ Չնայած այս կոնկրետ երկու ֆիլմերի բացակայությունը չի նվազեցնում տեքստի ընդհանուր ուժը։ Մենք կարող ենք կարդալ ու զգալ հատվածները, որտեղ հեղինակը հուզվում է, և նա փոխանցում է իր զգացմունքները մեզ։ Հատկապես ինձ դուր են գալիս այն տեսարանները, որոնք նա ընտրում է նկարագրելիս. դրանք այն տողերն են, երբ հեղինակն առավել քան անկեղծ է: Ու միայն դրանցից հետո մենք սկսում ենք կարդալ բանաստեղծություններ կամ կինոյի մեջբերումներ, և դառնում ենք տեքստի հետ մեկ ամբողջական մաս։ Ես հասկանում եմ, թե ինչու է ընտրվել այս թեման։ Ջիմ Ջարմուշը փորձում է խոսել կյանքի պարզության մասին՝ օգտագործելով մինիմալիստական ոճ, և նա միշտ պատմում է պատմություններ մարդկանց մասին։ Թվում է, թե Ջարմուշի ֆիլմերը շատ տարբեր են միմյանցից, բայց այստեղ կարող եք տեսնել, թե ինչն է ընդհանուր նրա կինեմատոգրաֆում. որո՞նք են նմանատիպ թեմաները, ինչպիսի՞ն է Ջարմուշի ոճը, ինչպե՞ս է նա զարգացնում այն յուրաքանչյուր ֆիլմով, ինչպե՞ս է նա հնարավորություն ունենում մեկտեղել ռեալիզմը, սյուրռեալիզմը, աբսուրդը և միևնույն ժամանակ ունենալ պարզ պատմություն, և ինչո՞ւ են նրան անվանում «ամենաքիչ» ամերիկացի ռեժիսոր բոլոր ամերիկացի ռեժիսորներից… հետաքրքրեց չէ՞ … Աշխատանքն էլ ինձ շատ հետաքրքրեց:
INTRODUCTION TO POETIC CINEMA
At the time of film being first ever to be viewed it was said to be a mere extension of the still photograph and an imitation of what theatre was but it was especially poetic and experimental cinema that really changed the meaning of simple film
Poetry films are a genre of short film, usually combining the three main elements: the poem as verbal message; the moving film image and diegetic sounds; and additional non-diegetic sounds or music, which create a soundscape. That exists as the main consensus of what poetic cinema is but the true nature of such a topic is too transformative to be able to be confined within the space of a meaning that merely consists of a poem, image or sound which can be vague enough a description to mean literally any “poetic” film but the main scripture of poetic film begins with D.W. Griffith. his films where
The main cinematographic greatness of Jarmusch is his ability to find aesthetic scenes in literal garbage filled streets.The other main thing I have found in his films is the complete randomness of the actors and freedom they have making it a complete new micro film within a film. this is the overall short synopses of his films. the garbage or the main simplicity of showing americas streets, bars and cafes is too express the fact that no culture is perfect and we all are really just people.
Night on earth
In the taxi of Los Angeles As evening falls, tomboy cabby Corky picks up Hollywood executive Victoria Snelling from the airport, and as Corky drives, Victoria tries to conduct business on her phone. Despite their extreme differences socially, the two develop a certain connection. When Victoria suggests that cab driving is not much of a career, Corky counters that her dream in fact is to become a mechanic. During the ride, Victoria, who is a casting agent, comes to realise that Corky would be ideal for a part in a movie she is casting, but Corky rejects the offer because she intends to be a mechanic.
in the streets of new york is Helmut, an immigrant from east Germany. who was a clown in his home country, has found work as a taxi driver. After dark, he picks up a passenger named YoYo, a streetwise young man who wants to go to Brooklyn. Increasingly alarmed at Helmut’s inability to handle an automatic transmission, ignorance of New York geography, and feeble command of the English language, YoYo takes over the wheel. During the drive, YoYo sees his sister-in-law Angela on the street and forces her into the cab to take her back home. Helmut is clearly amused by the vituperation between the two. After Angela and Yoyo depart, Helmut struggles to drive back to Manhattan, muttering “New York…New York.
In France, Paris at night, a cab picks up two drunk African diplomats, who mock the lowly driver and find it hilarious that he is from the ivory coast. In French, when he says he is ivoirien, they say il voit rien he can’t see a thing. Sick of their insults, he throws them out, forgetting to get money off them. Next he picks up an attractive young woman, who is blind. As she cannot see the colour of his skin, he asks her where she thinks he is from. After a moment’s thought, she says the Ivory Coast. Prickly and sexually provocative, she rejects most of his efforts to be friendly, regarding him as beneath her, but he is genuinely fascinated by her and her predicament. So much so that, after dropping her off, he watches her walk beside a canal in the dark and he drives into another car, whose driver angrily accuses him of being blind.
In the early morning hours of Rome, an eccentric cabbie picks up a priest. As he drives, he starts to confess his sins. Much to the priest’s discomfort, he goes into great detail about how he discovered his sexuality, first with a pumpkin and then with a sheep, then details a love affair he had with his brother’s wife, miming the actions and mouthing the cries. Already ailing, overwhelmed by the barrage of unwanted information, the priest has a fatal heart attack. Unable to revive him, the cabbie leaves him on a bench to be found once it is light.
In the cold streets of Helsinki After an evening spent drinking heavily, three workers, one of whom has just been fired from his job and has passed out, climb into a cab to return home. On the way, the two conscious workers talk about the terrible situation their unconscious friend is in, being out of work and having to face a divorce and a pregnant daughter. The driver, Mika, then tells them all the saddest story they have ever heard. The workers are terribly moved and depressed by the story, and even become unsympathetic toward their drunken, laid-off companion. Leaving him in the cab, they stagger off to their homes. Mika wakes him, takes payment and leaves. Worker sits on the ground, passing neighbours greet him and he replies back.
In these rather short stories jim jarmusch is able to cover from gender stereotypes to religion and have some type of great answer to an aspect of the issues in dealing with such topics like how in the first short story a girl can desire to be a mechanic over being a superstar and the story that takes place in paris the blind woman is eventually the least racist in all the experience’s the cab driver would have had he in the end is shown to be blind by being unable to properly manage himself emotionally this story is my personal favourite with its poetic irony. The main concept is already a very humanistic poetism that focuses on the really slow moments within life like the act of calling a cab over and sitting through the uncomfortable silence or even an uncomfortable chat with the driver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxrdnJcjSVw the interview if you to watch it
In this quick interview we are able to see how he delves into characters over the overall design of film and this hamustic nature is expressed very naturally and poetically/
Jim Jarmusch makes movies about events like a chance meeting or a visit from relatives things that most of us don’t really think about or might rather forget but under his direction they are memorable his latest film night on earth takes us on five very different cab rides welcome to the broadcast thanks not only five different cab rides one inL os Angeles one in New York Paris Rome and house and Helsinki what’s what are we doing here well I wanted to make a film about a very kind of mundane situation of taking a cab ride and it’s kind of a if you were to drop in on the planet from the stratosphere at any given moment into any given city you would find the same experience the same situation people in taxis so I wrote five little stories that happen actually simultaneously at the at night time and they all take place there are very little relationships that develop between the drivers and their passengers and it occurring simultaneously at the same time and is there a connection between the events that are going on only the situation we start in LA in the evening when the Sun is just setting and we end in Helsinki in the morning when the Sun is rising again but they all happen simultaneously how do you consider yourself different as a filmmaker how is what you are about andyour are different than people that you admire like Scorsese I assume who John Lake John Cassavetes you know how was it different back Gena Rowlands is in this yes his wife how was it different Cassavetes was different from Coppola and and Scorsese clearly I mean he had avery personal filmmaking style in a personal way of telling the story verycinema from a very upfront very directvery motion very emotional you know well what’s every one is different all these people are very different I think for me I am most interested in characters and that’s true with Scorsese and Cassavetes but I start with care directors and I find stories that kind of weave around the the characters as the essence of the film so it’s I even start with actors in my head that I would like to write a character for and then collaborate with them so it’s really opposite of kind of the normal way of of creating a script and then going and looking for the elements toput into it instead I start with the actors the characters and they’re notreally plot oriented but I think that didn’t you intend to use two men in Los Angeles and then later decided to use Gena Rowlands because well I had written the first part in Los Angeles for two male characters and one of them was JohnTurturro the actor John Tutera who wewould like to work together but he told me that he had a conflict and it was very likely he wouldn’t be able to do the film and at the moment that he told that this conflict actually occurred and he couldn’t do the film somehow in that same week I met Jenna Rowland’s and Winona Ryder me really just by accidentI mean it wasn’t I didn’t go look forthem and in the con when I met with them we did discuss the possibility of working together so I I ran back and rewrote that story with them in my head sent them the script and to my surprisethey both agreed to do the film andwanted to do it and it was a very luckything because the film needed that onemore feminine element to it I think itreally is important for the film so itwas a good accidenttake a look at this clip from night onearth here it isI see I see Nicholas ray big influenceyes a big influence I was actually anassistant to Nick gray for a coupleyears up until his death so he was areal big influence even before I met himhe was a big influence on me what did heteach you well he taught me many thingsI think the most important thing hetaught me was that there is no way tothere is no single method to work withactors there is one way for eachdirector to work with each actor andyou think that there’s a method you canapply to all actors will not do formulathere is no formula it’s a collaborationin a matter of trust between thedirector and each individual actor youhave to find a way to collaborate thisis the first time you’ve used knownactors in ityeah be careful about that becausesomebody can said of course I’m knownbut these are better no never before wasa different view with working withpeople like Winona who had a reputationand had a public perception no it reallywasn’tI’m not really affected by the fact thatthey’re known I was very nervous to meetJenna because I’m a huge fanbut that evaporated after five minutesbecause she’s so generous and and warmso you wrote this in eight days I didyeah I wrote it very fast yeah how’d youdo it I mean did you just sit down andit was a story you had to tell so I justpour it out of it out of your penwell actually I was frustrated I hadanother script that I I was planning todo and had some problems with thefinancing and other problems I realizedthat was going to take me a while so Ihad an idea several years ago for ashort film with a blind girl and a cabdriver so I kind of pulled out thosenotes and I wrote that thinking aboutthe two actress that now are in thatthat Paris section of the film and thenI wrote another one for Roberto Benigniand in Italy and then I wrote anotherand and after eight eight or nine days Ihad five stories what’s next for youwell I’m not sure I’m writing two thingsright now which is odd for me it’s kindof schizophrenic so I but I’m a littlesuperstitious about talking about theit’s good to have you here Jim drummersthat filmed always opened around themI’d open was May first in New York andMay 8th the rest of the country tonighton earth good to have you thanks thankyou very much come back we’ll be rightback stay with us.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxrdnJcjSVw the intervew if you to watch it
The next film of Jim Jarmusch’s Filmography is Paterson
the initial quick summary of the film
Paterson is a hardworking bus driver in Paterson, N.J, who follows the same routine every day. He observes the city and listens to fragments of conversations while picking up and dropping off his passengers. Paterson also writes heartfelt poems in a notebook, walks his dog and drinks one beer in a bar after his shift is over. Waiting for him at home is Laura, his beloved wife who champions his gift for writing.
I find this film to be in a more fantastic realistic form where the dream of Paterson’s partner would amount to to be seen all around the film constantly the idea of twins was undoubtedly a very non subtle part of the film that would constantly show up in some mythologies it would represent good luck or impending doom there is a chance it was the very reason his poems were eaten by his dog in the ending part of the film or not the great part of contemporary films like this is the main interpretation is up to you. Throughout the film there are many references and links to great poets William Carlos Williams and Emily Dickinson to name a few. but the poems of william Williams are the most prominent and mentioned the most as the film goes on the many poems that are written by the characters resemble the style of his writing
(Paterson)
We have plenty of matches in our house.
We keep them on hand, always.
Currently our favorite brand is Ohio Blue Tip,
though we used to prefer Diamond brand
That was before we discovered Ohio Blue Tip matches.
They are excellently packaged, sturdy
little boxes with dark and light blue and white labels
with words lettered in the shape of a megaphone,
as if to say even louder to the world,
“Here is the most beautiful match in the world,
its one-and-a-half-inch soft pine stem capped
by a grainy dark purple head, so sober and furious
and stubbornly ready to burst into flame,
lighting, perhaps, the cigarette of the woman you love,
for the first time, and it was never really the same
after that.
All this we will give you.”
That is what you gave me, I
become the cigarette and you the match, or I
the match and you the cigarette, blazing
with kisses that smoulder toward heaven.
(William Williams)
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold. This poem is even mentioned in the film itself the dichotomy between poems is in a form of simplistic but within it lies a greater subtext of an overall deepness in life.
The films title itself is already a reference to the poem called Paterson by William Williams
“Paterson lies in the valley under the Passaic Falls
its spent waters forming the outline of his back. He
lies on his right side, head near the thunder
of the waters filling his dreams! Eternally asleep,
his dreams walk about the city where he persists
incognito. Butterflies settle on his stone ear.
Immortal he neither moves nor rouses and is seldom
seen, though he breathes and the subtleties of his machinations
drawing their substance from the noise of the pouring river
animate a thousand automations. Who because they
neither know their sources nor the sills of their
disappointments walk outside their bodies aimlessly
for the most part,
locked and forgot in their desires-unroused.
—Say it, no ideas but in things—
nothing but the blank faces of the houses
and cylindrical trees
bent, forked by preconception and accident—
split, furrowed, creased, mottled, stained—
secret—into the body of the light!
From above, higher than the spires, higher
even than the office towers, from oozy fields
abandoned to gray beds of dead grass,
black sumac, withered weed-stalks,
mud and thickets cluttered with dead leaves-
the river comes pouring in above the city
and crashes from the edge of the gorge
in a recoil of spray and rainbow mists-
(What common language to unravel?
.combed into straight lines
from that rafter of a rock’s
lip.)
A man like a city and a woman like a flower
—who are in love. Two women. Three women.
Innumerable women, each like a flower.
But only one man—like a city.”
This poem is greatly describing the overall feel and aesthetics of the film the approach is done in great detail the colours the once again humanism is greatly expressed especially the way the different cultures are blended in the film the first one we notice is the african american in the jazz bar across the street from patersons house with great grooves and a light display of their problems and lives,the next one is an typical indian man stereotype’s which is that they are always not fine and have lots of things to do and have minimum wage jobs. My favourite scene to do with that concept of the cultures in america is when the japanese man talks to paterson about poetry and he says that his poetry is in japanese and that means that if he translates it the poem wont be the same it would be like wearing a rain coat in a shower, the character of the japanese man was a very quirky and once again put in an fantastic realistic way as though the universe knew the fact of patersons fascination with william williams so in that very moment the japanese man states that he also likes william williams and then he leaves with words of encouragement for our character to write poetry once more.
Լևոն Վարդանյան 