Synopsis

In 19th-century America, William Blake travels west to accept an accounting job, only to become a fugitive after a fatal confrontation. Wounded and pursued by bounty hunters, he meets Nobody, an enigmatic Native American who believes Blake is the reincarnation of the English poet William Blake. Their strange journey becomes a dreamlike passage through violence, identity, and death.

Factoids & Trivia

• Jim Jarmusch described the film as a "psychedelic western," using the traditional Western landscape as a setting for an increasingly surreal and spiritual story.

• The movie was shot entirely in black and white, with cinematographer Robby Muller emphasizing stark contrasts, misty wilderness, and the visual texture of classic Western photography.

• Neil Young created the score largely through improvisation. He watched the edited film alone in a studio and played guitar, piano, and organ in response to the images.

• The screenplay was inspired in part by Rudy Wurlitzer's unproduced Western script "Zebulon." Wurlitzer later reworked that material into the novel "The Drop Edge of Yonder."

• Filming took place in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and California. Production ran from October 10 to November 10, 1994.

• The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 27, 1995, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. Its limited United States theatrical release followed on May 10, 1996.

• With an estimated budget of $9 million, it was Jarmusch's most expensive film at the time, partly because of the cost of creating convincing period detail.

• Initial critical reaction was mixed, but the film's reputation improved over time. It was later recognized as an important revisionist Western and became part of the Criterion Collection.

• The soundtrack album combines Young's instrumental music with selected dialogue from the film and readings of William Blake's poetry.