Dead man is as strange a western as you're likely to see but is in itself a viable measurement of the evolution of American film. It has long been described since release as the ultimate post-modern western but I think it may well serve more of a purpose than that. The film is very nicely shot and the black and white evokes nostalgia toward the American westerns of old whilst the narrative structure, mise en scene and musical score point toward the changing face of American film with influences of European art cinema. The film demands you ask questions of it immediately and Jonny Depp's portrayal of William Blake makes for one of the most undecidedly strange protagonists I've seen in a film whilst ultimately the character of William Blake himself reminds me of James Stuart's Ransom Stoddard from John Fords Classic 'the man who shot Liberty Valance' if he had actually went the full nine yards and shot Liberty Valance. William Blake comes to accept his situation very easily and that's the kind of film this is, you won't enjoy it if you pick at its artistic direction constantly but if you just sit back and come to accept the narrative then you should enjoy it, even if it does tend to get lost within itself toward the end.
Review of Dead Man
