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Rating: 5 - Brilliant Movie
Dead Man is a surreal western, beautifully filmed in black and white, which adds a depth and grittiness rarely seen in modern films. The story of how William Blake loses his innocence and embraces his fate as a killer of men should be a mandatory viewing requirement for any fan of the western genre. Add the witty and wonderfully eccentric performances of Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop, Billy Bob Thorton, Lance Henriksen, Gary Farmer, Crispin Glover and Robert Mitchum and you have a film that no serious collector can be without. IMHO, this is one of the most underrated and overlooked films of the last decade.

Rating: 5 - Poetry in the old west
Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man" is not only the best film of the 90's, but a mysterious, beautiful film that stands high among the finest American Films ever made. But at the same time, I can understand why many people disliked it. To quote Roger Ebert "The soundtrack by Neil Young sounds like nothing more then a guitar being repeatadly dropped on the ground". But you have to consider that Jarmusch chose this score for a reason. It's sort of like the anti-Hollywood score. Jarmusch himself said that there are so many taleneted musicians out there, he's at a loss to explain why almost all scores in movies today sound exactly the same. I've seen the movie 8 or 9 times now, and own it on dvd. The film is absolutely beautiful and quite thought-provoking. What you have to understand is that it's really a tale of one mans journey towards death, if you go in with the idea that it's going to be your typical shoot-em-up western, you're probably going to hate it. There are also alot of subtle messages in the film and plently of witty humor and dialogue to keep the viewer entertained. This is a film that can only increase in beauty and get better with repeated viewings. Go in with limited expectations and you might end up enjoying it or maybe even loving it as much as I did.

Rating: 5 - Poetry for people who hate poetry
I'm not allowed to refer to another person's review here, but at the time of this writing, Amazon.com was posting a review of this movie that was clearly written by a person who was raised in Disneyland. This is one of the best movies ever made. Chicago Reader calls it an Acid Western and rates it "masterpiece". It compromises to no filmmaking convention. It's hardly possible to review it without giving away important aspects of the film the viewer should experience for her/himself.

The movie is not a story, even though it's told through a story. The evolution of William Blake from innocent Cleveland accountant to a symbol (for English-educated Native American reject Nobody, played by Gary Farmer) for poetry itself; the tiny little worlds of late-19th-century white Western of-necessity survivalists, and the effects these little worlds had on Blake; the hilarious campfire scene with Iggy Pop and Billy Bob Thornton (and a third person -- can't find out who), and the dying beauty of the natives; the brutal innocence of the disenfranchised Nobody whose illusions (or were they?) propelled Blake to his -- future ... I was completely immersed. There is only one thing wrong with this movie. I love Neil Young, but, unless I'm missing some important symbolism, his score could have been more, well, varied. There are not many movies I want to own but this is one.

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