Night on Earth
13 November 2022
Directed by Jim Jarmusch
See
Her: Five novels by Jim Jarmusch shot in five big cities around the planet in the night time. Briefly but clearly showing the cultural landscape and differences between them. It’s probably one of my favourite movies of all time which I have first watched 15 years or so ago and rewatched a few times since then. Besides the premise (a night time taxi trip) the only other element connecting the choices is a music track by Tom Waits.
Him: Night on Earth, directed by Jim Jarmusch, five vignettes of encounters between taxi drivers and their passengers in LA, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki.
Think
Her: I love the short novels format and believe that not all of the great stories require 90 minutes of screen time to be told. What I really like about this particular one is how masterfully Jarmusch gives a feel of the new city before introducing the characters. In 20 minutes he manages to tell two stories: a personal interaction between the driver and his passengers (which changes them all) and a story of each city’s cultural landscape. Not saying it’s perfect and it’s certainly made me question a few times why Jarmusch decided this has to be this way and not the other, but it’s definitely masterful.
Him: Started watching the first two nine months ago in Europe, and finished watching the final three in Australia. I recall Winona Ryder vividly, her character declining a Hollywood opportunity. The GDR bad driver in New York is a vague recollection, Paris was poignant with the blind passenger, I fell asleep in Helsinki, but heard the heavy story afterwards. Roberto Bennini’s character driving a bishop in Rome was bellismo. Probably because I watched Life is Beautiful for the first time recently.
Feel
Her: In each story I felt like I’m not just a passenger in that taxi, but i’m also travelling around the globe with the characters. I think the choice of characters and their juxtaposition is brilliant, i.e. black driver paired with blind passenger, young charismatic female driver with no ambitiouns to conquer the world with a successful Hollywood casting director who offers her the opportunity. These are little unexpected life changing moments.
Him: We’re all going through it, simultaneously, at different stages and places. But the kindness of fleeting interactions with strangers, in taxis or ubers can linger. I wonder about the moments I spent with some. Abbas in Melbourne recently, a Didi driver and petroleum engineer from Tehran, beginning to make his way in a new country. Those moments can be profound if you pay it forward.
