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Somewhere else in town, mediocre pimp Jack (John Lurie) is on the receiving end of chatty Bobbie (Billie Neal), one of his girls, yet he hardly seems to notice. As she dwells on his numerous faults, all Jack does is sit there and count his cash. Only when the telephone rings does Jack become animated, wary but attracted to the offer that crooked associate Preston (Vernel Bagneris) has for him. In a nearby hotel a new and innocent girl waits, fresh into the city and a prime recruit for Jack. No one gets a free lunch on the streets of New Orleans though, as Jack finds out to his cost. From here it's a one-way trip to the OPP (Orleans Parish Prison).
Meanwhile, Zack is drinking himself into a stupor, surrounded by the ejected detritus of his life. Even the appearance of a crazy Italian tourist, Roberto (Roberto Benigni), fails to disturb his single-minded guzzling. Unfortunately the lure of easy money succeeds where all else has failed, with Zack being given the chance to drive a new Jaguar around town. It's no surprise that soon he's headed to the OPP too, given his inebriated state and lacklustre defence. As luck would have it, Zack and Jack are placed in a cell together, each of them trying to ignore the other's presence. Weeks pass until a familiar voice is heard; it's Roberto and he's come to join the party of innocents.
Down By Law is a comedy with a difference, directed to stand apart from the common herd. Rather than a stream of artificial situations where events are arranged merely to create humour, the laughs here emerge from deep within the characters. Whenever they do or say anything funny, that's a reflection of how they are inside, with the joke arising purely from our interpretation. In fact, Down By Law takes its avoidance of expected scenes a step further by neglecting to include moments that would be pivotal in any other film (such as courtroom sentencing, an explanation of why Zack and Jack were set up etc). What this leaves is the central trio of characters, talking, fighting and generally interacting; it works beautifully.
The wonderful and enchanting chemistry that exists between the three leads is a function both of the script and the acting. The former is packed with satisfying dialogue, making it very easy to watch and enjoy Down By Law, while the latter reveals the rewards of relaxing and letting the camera take its time. Benigni is the key figure, irrepressible and optimistic, a buffer between Zack and Jack. There is a certain naivety to his behaviour that exudes charm, making his eventual meeting with Nicoletta (Nicoletta Braschi) all the more satisfying. Waits and Lurie are equally excellent, both lethargic slacker types but from a radically different mould. Confinement ensures that a grudging friendship arises but that's as far as it goes. When the foundations to a movie are this ambiguous, predicting what's going to happen next is nigh on impossible, a welcome variation on by-the-book movies.
As companions to the writing, the photography and lighting are prominent elements in Down By Law. The opening tracking shots form an evocative introduction to the Louisiana bayou while the generally open shooting style allows the camera to remain static while very little action occurs. All of this is rendered in complex, soft-edged shadows and pools of light (reminiscent of early Fritz Lang), drawing out the European style of this slow but enchanting story. The extra clues that this is a Jim Jarmusch feature are that the off-key jokes and the fact that the passing of time is barely referred to even when the jumps between neighbouring scenes can be seconds or weeks (only scratch marks on the cell wall gives an indication). Altogether, Down By Law is a film which will entrance some and leave others scratching their heads; make sure you're in the first group!
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