SPOILER First of all, I must say that for the most part I dislike Westerns; hate bloodshed and violence in movies; and, since I don't believe in killing animals or people, I don't like movies that portray either graphically. Having said that...Dead Man is one of the most remarkable and mesmerizing movies I have ever seen. I just came upon this move recently on IFC and I have already watched it multiple times. The cinematography is hypnotic and brilliant, reminiscent of some of the wonderful scenes in The Long Riders (another move that I "shouldn't" have liked, but did!).
The acting in Dead Man-- incredibly quirky and on target for most of the cast--left me stunned by the talent of Depp, Farmer, Henriksen and Thornton. Neil Young's instrumental work--which is almost another character, providing a harsh, pounding voice--is such a complement to the movie, I cannot imagine any other music in its place.
I have read most of the comments and it seems that only a few folks came away from this movie with the concept that I have - Blake is already dead. But Nobody sees that Blake should have died when he was shot. That's why he asks "Did you kill the white man that killed you?" Then when Blake says, "I'm not dead," Nobody assumes the role of trailguide taking Blake on the path to acceptance of his death.
There are so many symbols, allusions and metaphors in the film, both obvious and hidden, it's like panning for gold. The film is so poignant at times it almost hurts, like the pain that Blake feels from the bullet near his heart. I can't believe I missed seeing this film "at the movies" and never heard much about it until recently.
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