Do you have any Tobacco?..
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Cinema_Crow — 17 years ago(April 20, 2008 10:27 PM)
Agreed. I think that was the idea behind the theme, also I personally think that having tobacco represented that one had been offered the gift, as on that has embarked on his spirit quest as blake is. I noticed just last night when watching the film again, that every character in this movie does ask either blake or another character if they have any tobacco. The only ones that do not, are Robert Mitchum and John Hurt's, and they are, incidentally smoking throughout the movie.
interesting. -
Mr_Cinema8 — 17 years ago(May 06, 2008 01:29 AM)
There's a few things going on there , so alot of you are right IMO(first time I've ever used IMO). A brilliant filmmaker, which I believe Jarmusch is, will give layers to elements like that. They will function differently throughout the movie. On the surface, NOBODY kept asking him that because as someone earlier pointed out Indians use tobacco as a spiritual offering. Symbolically, I believe the tobacco did represent faith, as Johnny Depps character was in purgatory and trying to make it to "heaven"(or whatever you want to call it). And lastly, it was a great running gag. Jarmusch is the master at this layering, as you'll discover if you watch "GhostDog" which has even more of that going on.
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pathfinder616 — 10 years ago(February 03, 2016 05:52 PM)
waabus44, thanks for explaining the reason Nobody asked Blake for tobacco. several white frontiersmen asked Blake for tobacco and had no spiritual need for tobacco. they simply enjoyed chewing and smoking it.
the line "Do you have any Tobacco?" is delivered by almost every new character that appears and it would appear it has a 'tongue-in-cheek' connotation.
We deal in lead, friend. -
antimusick — 19 years ago(June 13, 2006 01:28 PM)
All great films have some kind of catch phrase
see AFI 100 years of famous Movie Quotes list:
http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/quotes.aspx -
JefferyHunt — 19 years ago(July 18, 2006 10:10 PM)
He's in purgatory (Hell, America, Wild West, Individualism and its decadence, freedom ironically sought in purgatory). He's there becuase he doesn't smoke. Tobacco represents faith, what it takes to get hime to the other side of that river(Jordan?). Because, at the end, this time the boat moves and he moves with it (as opposed to how the guy from the train described it). And Jarmusch probably chose tobacco for the reaseons the above poster explained. At leasts that's how I read it and it makes sense considering that the movie feels very spiritual.
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Tyler_Bateman — 19 years ago(July 20, 2006 12:48 PM)
Personally, I think this is an existentialist movie, without much meaning. It is a very good movie, very interesting, but I don't think it should be thought into incredibly hard. It is one of those movies you watch, and you take what you can from it without thinking about it too much. I think if you did, you would find essentially the movie is meaningless, with random outbursts and memorable dialouge among strange mood scenes. It's a masterpiece though, I must say.
And now, the news. -
tompetty832002 — 19 years ago(November 08, 2006 10:44 AM)
you are wrong if you dont think it is meant to be read into and i really dont see how you could view it as a masterpiece if you took it at surface level it is just another movie with a guy on the run. if you think it isnt meant to be read into, you are wrong, plain and simple
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Brasil123 — 12 years ago(April 28, 2013 07:49 AM)
there is a thing known as intuition which allows you to draw meaning from something, let's say a film, without having to isolate and give meaning to countless symbols and plot devices.
I'm not saying film analysis doesn't have its place, but if the film flows well, and it gives you a certain feeling, and you really do feel like there are deep, important questions being asked, I think it can be a masterpiece without looking much beyond the surface.
What the previous poster may have meant by saying it does not have to be read into, is that giving everything one static, specific meaning may close your mind to various different, equally valid interpretations of the film.
That's the beautiful (and frustrating) thing about art: nobody's "wrong, plain and simple"