Down by Law (1986)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Writer:

Jim Jarmusch (written by)

Release Date:

30 October 1986 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

It's not where you start - It's where you start again.

Plot:

The story of three different men in a Louisiana prison and their eventual journey.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Pimp | Escape | Prostitute | Deep South

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tom Waits	...	Zack
John Lurie	...	Jack
Roberto Benigni	...	Roberto
Nicoletta Braschi	...	Nicoletta
Ellen Barkin	...	Laurette
Billie Neal	...	Bobbie
Rockets Redglare	...	Gig
Vernel Bagneris	...	Preston
Timothea	...	Julie
L.C. Drane	...	L. C
Joy N. Houck Jr.	...	Detective Mandino
Carrie Lindsoe	...	Young Girl
Ralph Joseph	...	Detective
Richard Boes	...	Detective
Dave Petitjean	...	Cajun Detective
Adam Cohen	...	Uniformed Cop
Alan Kleinberg	...	Corpse
Archie Sampier	...	Prisoner
David Dahlgren	...	Guard #1
Alex Miller	...	Guard #2
Eliott Keener	...	Guard #3
Jay Hilliard	...	Guard #4
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	(scenes deleted)

Directed by
Jim Jarmusch

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jim Jarmusch		written by

Produced by
Cary Brokaw	....	executive producer
Otto Grokenberger	....	executive producer
Alan Kleinberg	....	producer
Tom Rothman	....	co-producer
Russell Schwartz	....	executive producer
Jim Stark	....	co-producer

Original Music by
John Lurie

Cinematography by
Robby Müller

Film Editing by
Melody London

Production Design by
Janet Densmore

Costume Design by
Carol Wood

Makeup Department
Donita Miller	....	hair stylist
Donita Miller	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David Ross McCarty	....	location unit manager
Rudd Simmons	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Guido Chiesa	....	second assistant director
Claire Denis	....	assistant director

Art Department
Janet Densmore	....	prop master
Janet Densmore	....	set dresser
Roger Knight	....	assistant props and sets

Sound Department
John Auerbach	....	supervising sound editor
Martin Bisi	....	additional sound recordist
Matthew Corey	....	apprentice sound editor (as Matt Corey)
Mark Goodermote	....	boom operator
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recordist (as Stan Kastner)
Robin Katz	....	second assistant sound editor
Frank Kern	....	sound editor
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Peter Waggoner	....	sound re-recordist
Sylvia Waliga	....	first assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Anderson	....	first assistant camera
Hank Billeaud	....	best boy
Hank Billeaud	....	gaffer
Theo Cremona	....	second assistant camera
Paul Ferrara	....	key grip
Christopher Porter	....	gaffer
Michael Ruggles	....	best boy
Louis Tancredi	....	electrician
Louis Tancredi	....	swing grip

Casting Department
Claudia Splecher	....	additional casting
Alison Walsh	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lynn Simpson	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Tim Brennan	....	negative matcher
Lori Mozilo	....	assistant film editor
Jay Rabinowitz	....	apprentice film editor
Tom Salvatore	....	color timer

Music Department
Doug Bowne	....	musician: drums
Curtis Fowlkes	....	musician: trombone
Tony Garnier	....	musician: acoustic bass
Lisa Krueger	....	music coordinator
Tom Lazarus	....	music mixer
Tom Lazarus	....	music recordist
Arto Lindsay	....	musician: guitar
Eugene J. Moye	....	musician: cello (as Eugene Moye)
Marc Ribot	....	musician: trumpet and banjo
E.J. Rodriguez	....	musician: percussion
Nana Vasconcelos	....	musician: percussion

Other crew
Billy Bragg	....	available lighting
Allison Brandin	....	production assistant
Joe Catalanotto	....	independent studios
Charles De Cuir	....	production assistant
Sara Driver	....	production troubleshooter
Peter Grand	....	script supervisor
Matthew A. Handal	....	production assistant (as Matthew Handal)
Kathie Hersch	....	production coordinator/auditor
Eric Hoffman	....	projectionist
Tom Jarmusch	....	production assistant
Lisa Krueger	....	assistant to producer
Tommy Samona	....	production assistant
Stephanie Samuel	....	assistant location manager
Ida Schonfeld	....	intern
Phil Seifert III	....	production assistant
Mary Shelton	....	location assistant
Camela Smyke	....	office coordinator: New York
Lynn Staats	....	production controller
Alison Walsh	....	assistant coordinator

Thanks
Simon Brook	....	special thanks
Don Donigi	....	special thanks
Bill Nisselson	....	special thanks
Pascale Ogier	....	dedicatee
Melvin Pukowsky	....	special thanks
Phil Sodano	....	special thanks
Enzo Ungari	....	dedicatee
Irwin Young	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Black Snake
• Grokenberger Film Produktion
• Island Pictures

Distributors

• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1987) (Canada) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Island Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Key Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• King Record Co. (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lume Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MCA Home Video (1987) (Canada) (VHS)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Mediafilm
• Pandora Filmproduktion (1986) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cynosure Films  titles (as Cynosure)
• Delta Airlines  special thanks to: In Louisiana
• Island Records  "Jockey Full of Bourbon" and "Tango Till They're Sore" courtesy of
• Louisiana Film Commission  assistance
• Otto Nemenz International  Arriflex cameras provided by (as Otto Nemenz Int, Inc.)
• Sound Ideas  music recorded and mixed
• Sound One Corporation  post-production re-recording (as Sound One Corp.)

Also Known As:

Down by Law (West Germany)
Down by Law - Alles im Griff (Germany) (TV title)
Bajo el peso de la ley (Spain) [es]
Daunbailó (Brazil) [pt]
Daunbailo (Italy) [it]
Down by Law (Finland) [fi]
Down by Law - Sous le coup de la loi (France) [fr]
Mimo zákon (Czech Republic) [cs]
Poza prawem (Poland) [pl]
Stin pagida tou nomou (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Company:

Black Snake

Trivia:

Roberto Benigni had never been to America prior to this film.

Quotes:

Bobbie: If you were a good pimp you would've hit me by now!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Robby Müller on 'Down by Law' (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tango Till They're Sore

Fascinating filmmaking far away from Hollywood

Wow, what a movie. Far away from Hollywood, Jim Jarmusch creates a world where you don't need drama, pathos and action to fascinate the watcher. Because fascinating is exactly what this movie is. A plot in the classical sense is almost completely missing; the scenes, in their simplicity sometimes reminding of theater, follow each other without ever creating real suspense; neither griping action nor complex dialogues are there to excite the spectator. And still, with ease Jarmusch fills more than a hundred minutes with a story you won't take your eyes off. It is hard to tell what the atmosphere of the movie is really based on, the characters, the setting, entirely in black and white, the music - probably all of it. Again, like in Jarmusch's later movie "Dead man", speed is an important factor: everything moves slowly, without haste, as there is no dramatic climax you could hurry towards; yet, boring is a word that certainly doesn't fit this piece of cineastic art. On the other hand, though some of the scenes seem quite surrealistic, it is not a really artistic movie breaking with all the traditional concepts of filmmaking; it is more a movie in classic shape with an unconventional story, not trying to shock, to confuse or even to make you think so much; this movie doesn't need all this to get your complete attention. You could probably speculate a lot about the meaning of the movie; to me, this seems highly unnecessary. Just let it unfold its atmosphere. Judge yourselves, but I was excited in a very special way by every scene of this motion picture, giving me one of my best cineastic experiences of the recent time.