Never Never Compromise | The Great Acting Blog



“it’s like someone saying, “you’re film’s not stupid enough, so it’s pretentious”- Jim Jarmusch

A Jim Jarmusch film doesn’t happen all that often, perhaps about once every four or five years. However, while his contemporaries from the US indie film scene of the 1980s have either faded or watered their aesthetics down in order to gain a broader appeal, neither has happened to Jarmusch, and so he has become one of the last true artists working in American commercial cinema. He has built up trust among those who regularly watch his films because they know that they are getting something which is true and committed, neither showcasing nor mercantile.

I believe that Jarmusch’s absolute refusal to compromise on his films is at the core of the longevity and consistency of his output. He insists on having full control over the final cut of his films, and if he doesn’t have that, he usually refuses to make the film. Even when Harvey Weinstein asked him to cut the length of his 1995 film, Dead Man, Jarmusch refused (because he thought the film would lose it’s poetry) (Weinstein butchered the release of the film in response). This takes enormous strength of mind and belief in the work. It’s difficult to know whether it is a philosophical position which Jarmusch adopts or whether it’s a visceral, emotional reaction, either way though, Jarmusch always remains true to his work.

Compromising may make life seem easier for a moment or two but it causes damage for the long term. If however, you compromise because your work is not worth fighting for, if it doesn’t matter what happens to it, then it’s probably not worth doing. If fear holds you back from standing up for your work, then create something which makes compromise so intolerable that it overrides the fear.

 

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