Night on Earth (1991)

August 1, 2024 1:20 PM

[TRAILER] Jim Jarmusch's film presents five stories, each involving a cab ride and set in a different city around the world. In Los Angeles, no-nonsense taxi driver Corky (Winona Ryder) gets an engaging customer in the form of a Hollywood casting agent (Gena Rowlands). In New York, streetwise YoYo (Giancarlo Esposito) finds his cabbie Helmut (Armin Mueller-Stahl) knows precious little about how to actually drive. In Paris, a cabbie (Isaach de Bankolé) spars with a blind customer (Béatrice Dalle). In Rome, quirky driver Gino (Roberto Benigni) makes a lively confession to an ailing priest (Paolo Bonacelli). And finally, in Helsinki, somber Mika (Matti Pellonpää) picks up three men headed home after a night of drinking their troubles away.

Also starring Rosie Perez, Emile Abossolo M'Bo, Pascal N'Zonzi, Kari Väänänen, Sakari Kuosmanen, and Tomi Salmela.

Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Produced by Jim Jarmusch, Jim Stark for JVC/Victo Music/Le Studio Canal+/Channel Four Films/Pandora Films. Cinematography by Frederick Elmes. Edited by Jay Rabinowitz. Music by Tom Waits. Distributed by Fine Line Features/Pandora Cinema.

77% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on Max and Criterion. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (13 comments total)

I remember seeing this on VHS with Winona Ryder being the only name I recognized -- pre-Giancarlo Esposito, pre-Roberto Begnini, pre-Tom Waits (what a soundtrack!) being remotely on my radar.

I was transported by it; every second of it was a revelation for me. One of the first real magical movie experiences of my young adult life.
posted by Shepherd at 5:21 PM on August 1 [3 favorites]

i really need to rewatch this. Jim Jarmusch was my gateway drug into art house movies (along with Wim Wenders and Akira Kurosawa).
posted by kokaku at 5:42 PM on August 1 [1 favorite]

Oh damn, this takes me back. I think I first saw this on Arté - France's arts channel - in the 90's and it was Isaach de Bankolé and Béatrice Dalle's Paris segment that was being lauded, although truthfully each vignette is delightful in their own way. HBO's Taxicab Confessions probably owes this a beer.
posted by Molesome at 1:53 AM on August 2 [1 favorite]

I saw it recently for the first time. I found it irritating, and the rides in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Roma couldn’t end fast enough. But the last story which took place in Helsinki, as the morning was about to break, was sad and powerful. Jarmusch was a friend of Aki Kaurismäki, and this influence might have helped.
posted by growabrain at 5:57 AM on August 2

I remember loving this movie as a teen and have been afraid to rewatch it ever since in case it doesn't hold up.
posted by prefpara at 6:57 AM on August 2 [1 favorite]

I loved this in the theater (in high-school? crap I got old). Just re-watched recently with my wife, who'd never seen it, and I think it holds up well. Like Molesome says, each section is delightful in their own way. I really runs the gamut of humor and emotion.
posted by mrphancy at 7:42 AM on August 2

That soundtrack is best. And man, me and my friends really got way too much mileage out of the bestiality story. I should rewatch it as I haven't seen it since high school.
posted by Kitteh at 8:22 AM on August 2 [2 favorites]

I remember seeing this in the theater and being entranced by watching a blind Beatrice put on lipstick in the back of a careening Paris taxi. Ah, memories! This was the first movie I re-watched after moving back from Rome the first time I felt Romesick, too.

Definitely agree that the final vignette is the one that seals the deal on this film, much like the "far from Yokohama" segment is the *chef's kiss* that makes Mystery Train one of my top 5 favorite films of all time.

Jarmusch is, by definition, always just a little too much, IMO. It's when he sighs and pulls back for a few minutes and lets the actors and the story just breathe a little that his real genius as a filmmaker shines through.

I'd argue, too, that you could cut any of his movies into a better, shorter film without losing anything, but then they wouldn't get theatrical releases.

Jarmusch has a gift for making films that recreate that magical moment when you and a friend lock eyes in public while overhearing the most fucked-up story of your life and burst out laughing. Unfortunately, he also has a tendency to drag that moment out for far too long.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:54 AM on August 2 [5 favorites]

I saw this shortly after it came out, possibly in the theater (I was heavily into going to arthouse movies back then) but more likely on video/cable, and I was pretty disappointed in it. For my money Mystery Train is the better "series of vignettes" Jarmusch film. The wife and I rewatched both last year, and I'll admit that Night on Earth played better for me this time, but I still like Mystery Train more.
posted by Pedantzilla at 11:02 AM on August 2 [3 favorites]

I like this movie a lot, but it's not my favourite Jarmusch. Still I guess he must be low key one of my favourite directors because I've loved every movie I've seen by him.
posted by Alex404 at 8:52 AM on August 4

I've loved this since seeing it when it first came out - and thought about it a lot when in any of the cities features - or in taxis generally. The scene with Giancarlo Espocito/Yoyo should really be required viewing for Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul fans.
posted by rongorongo at 3:53 AM on August 5

Here is Jarmusch talking about how he made the film: easy to write but very hard to make.
posted by rongorongo at 4:22 AM on August 5

One more (long) Jarmusch interview about the film - I love that at least some of the cab rides were based on his own direct experience: he did indeed spend time driving around Rome,l late at night and the wrong way on one way streets, with Roberto Benigni and also once had to take over as driver from an inept foreigner who could not work out how to drive an automatic transmission, in New York.
posted by rongorongo at 5:51 AM on August 5