Stranger Than Paradise
Director Jim Jarmusch had already made an impression with his graduation film Permanent Vacation (1980) when Stranger Than Paradise was released, officially his debut film. The film not only masterfully captured the bleak mood of the 1980s, but also set a whole new direction for American independent cinema. The plot is minimal, the scenes—which invariably end in a fade-to-black—are static, and the dryly humorous, three-part narrative is steeped in melancholy. Essentially, it is a black-and-white portrait of loneliness and urban boredom. Starring jazz musician John Lurie, Sonic Youth drummer Richard Edson, and Hungarian actress/violinist Eszter Balint.
Willie (Lurie), who lives in New York, is visited by his younger cousin Eva (Balint) from Hungary. After ten days, she leaves for Cleveland to visit one of Willie’s aunts. Not long after, Willie decides to go there to look for her, along with his friend Eddie (Edson). Eventually, the three of them head to Florida, where Willie and Eddie lose all their money.
