Paterson
The use of time. Paterson (2016), written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, with poetry written by William Calros Williams and Ron Padgett, slows down and takes a different approach to the use of time compared to what we see rather often in many movies. We tend to see this trait exercised more in indie films rather than blockbusters, and I believe Paterson falls into this near experimental category as it is simply a slow drama, but that is not to say it is uninteresting. It does not feel overly drawn out or long, but more so that of being a day to day life, as life for many is quiet. It is routine with spurts of weird interactions, and a strong internal life that holds dearfully to the truthfulness of the reality of our internal feelings which many people do not allow to go over the top in day to day life, instead generally thinking and remaining quiet.
Overhearing random people’s conversations on the bus. Perhaps this attributes to the feeling of the town of Paterson, as the bartender takes pride in everyone who comes from Paterson and has become famous. Perhaps this is the tribute to the oddness of Paterson they are attempting to capture. The man and the place. Yes, the main character in the movie Paterson is named Paterson (Played by Adam Driver) who lives in a town called Paterson. Everyone here seems to be interested in others. What have others accomplished? Who has come from this little town? It seems only Laura (played by Golshifteh Farahani) actually has great ambitions and dreams, yet she is wrapped up in the half-assed attempt to follow it, while others simply seem to exists and be in their daily life. Though it may not be correct to say that, as she keeps most of it to herself and does not attempt to sell or share with the world despite her pushing Paterson to do so with his poetry.
What is the purpose of Laura, Paterson’s live in partner, being so topsy-turvy in her decisions and dreams she follows half-heartedly, while Paterson himself is content with driving a bus and writing poetry in his free time? Is it a dictation on our society? The amount of creativity we all have, yet no one shows? We simply drive the bus, speak with those around us, and end the day getting a beer. Or we burst forward with our creativity scattered in all directions, unable to focus or make anything from it. The jack of all trades.
The overtly softness of the acting. The acting is in no way over the top, but comes down as quiet and very under the bottom. It’s subtle. It is Paterson’s ease to acceptance that is on some level unsettling, yet understandable. It is the human inhabitance of the quietness within us all that we may seem to overcome in day to day life, but we still have this voice in the back of our minds narrating and making sense of it all. Driver’s performance mimics his characters style of poetry, something I’m sure was meticulously planned with the writers and director. The scribbles on the screen as Paterson writes makes it feel personal, and with some level of participation for the audience. Instead of just hearing his words through voice overs, the addition of the words written on the screen let us feel as if we are reading, rather being allowed to read, his poetry, which Paterson is adamant about not sharing with the world, making it an extra special connection.
The specification of days. Each day begins and ends the same. It is his routine. We start of a shot over Paterson and Laura’s bed. After a second, the day shows up written on the screen, and Paterson wakes up. He goes to work, writes in his book of poetry, comes home to find Laura doing something new, and goes to the bar. Each day ends with a slow fade to black in the bar and starts again. No day is ever the same and each focuses on some new form of oddity in his life depending on what Paterson is paying attention to, or something the filmmaker wants us, the audience, to pay attention to. The small things change day by day, but the shots generally keep to the same pattern. It seems simple at this point, but truly wide shots are used when we are to view the whole world and take it in, while close-ups are used when we are to be isolated or wrapped up in the moment. That should go without saying, especially to anyone who knows anything about movies and film, but Paterson really incites this. It’s slower pace, allows us to notice this, where the craft of frame goes unnoticed in many other movies.
There is something overly captivating about Paterson despite its deliberate opposition to the standard dramatic movie approach. It is quiet and calming. Though it does not quite feel boring as the daily specifics change, though I must point out that Paterson is the kind of movie where the viewer can choose to feel invested in the story, or not. If you choose to do so, then it will captivate you, but for those with a short attention span or those who choose not to get invested, it will quickly become boring and uninteresting. You have to be in a mood, and be willing to appreciate the smallness of life in order to appreciate the tender approach Paterson brings.
Sept. 10, 2018