ONLINE FIRST
published on August 19, 2022
Michael Forest
https://doi.org/10.5840/filmphil202281717
Double Reversals in Jim Jarmusch¡¯s Night on Earth
This essay explores the underlying connections, through reversals and doubling, in Jim Jarmusch¡¯s Night on Earth. The film utilizes more than just similar cinematic techniques across its five episodes, it embeds conceptual connections that result in a strong location-expression conveying to the viewer the unique ¡®flavor¡¯ of each of the five cities. The essay explores the concepts of reversal, doubling, location-expression, and spectatorship. It elucidates the filmic expressions of place by gesturing toward expression theory and rasa theory. Ultimately, the film¡¯s unity, like that of a rock band¡¯s LP, holds together enough to suggest the peculiar awareness of the filmgoer¡¯s tourist spectatorship.