Dead Man has been justifiably noted as among the most astute and accurate cinematic depictions of Native American culture, identity and spirituality. Instead of relying on traditional stereotypes employed in the genre of Western films, Dead Man subverts and reverses such faulty understandings. Most prominently is the conception of the "noble savage." The archaic notion of the "noble savage" posits that "primitive" peoples such as the Native Americans are both uncultured and, resultantly, uncorrupted; in some senses closer to the unruliness of nature than to human civilization. It is evident that Jarmusch was cognizant of these tropes during the creation of Dead Man. Reversing the stereotype, the film's most cultured and educated figure is Nobody, a Native American. It is instead the white settlers, such as Blake, who exist in ignorance. For example, Nobody recites verses of Blake's poetry, though the character of William Blake is clueless to the reference. In Dead Man it is the white settler who acts like the "savage," with the town of Machine depicted as a harsh an inhumane environment. It is the white man, Cole Wilson who is the cannibal and the murderer. It is the white man who kills and rapes and commits adultery. In this sense, the notion of the "noble savage" is deftly rejected.
Throughout the film, Native American characters speak in languages such as Cree. The usage of the language is researched and accurate, as is the inclusion of traditional Native American clothing. When characters speak in Indigenous language, no subtitles are provided. Here again Jarmusch inverts the "noble savage" trope. According to film theorist Jonathan Rosenbaum, these instances often include jokes and references that would only be understood by Native American viewers. In this sense, Jarmusch does not provide a cultural product only intended to engage the white western viewer, and further challenges their claims to knowledge. Dead Man actively attempts to divorce itself from the voyeuristic gaze of the settler, and instead offers the Native American a cultural outlet. It is, after all, the telling of a Native American narrative and must therefore, engage Native American methods of storytelling.
The presence of spirituality is also central to the understanding of Dead Man, as is awareness of religious colonialism. During the colonization of the Americas, religious figures such as the Jesuits accompanied expeditions and attempted to convert the peoples they discovered. This was done, in their viewpoint, in an attempt to "save the souls" of the "noble savage." In Dead Man, this is again subverted. It is Nobody who saves William Blake's soul. It is Nobody who leads him towards spiritual transcendence in line with the Native American worldview. During his vision quest, Blake finally reaches a measure of peace with his surroundings and this occurs outside of a western paradigm. The only religious figure featured is a Missionary who attempts to capture Blake for the reward money. The film therefore takes place wholly outside of the typical Judeo-Christian framing of colonial efforts, which is in itself truly a rare feat.
The presence of William Blake is also prevalent throughout the film. He is at once an American accountant and the 18th and 19th century English poet. Blake's form of ecstatic verse was incredibly unusual for his era. He was a deeply spiritual figure who also famously rejected religion in favor of alternative spirituality. These character traits are evoked throughout the film, as Nobody often quotes his work. It is in a sense suggested that with this free-spirit and liberated mind one can escape the trappings of the western culture forced on to the peoples of Indigenous America.
Attention must also be paid to the role of liminality in the film. Liminality can be defined as the period of transition between two stable states. The term, often used in the anthropological study of rituals, is often used to refer to that which is disorientating or destructive. As the titular dead man, Blake exists in the liminal space between life and death. He is removed from the world of the living by the bullet in his heart, though still possesses a human form. The film is therefore his experience of the liminal state, capped by his death at the novel's conclusion. In a similar sense, Nobody is in the position between his Native American and westernized identity. In this space, he experiences the rejection of his family and tribesman. Here Jarmusch gestures towards the liminal spaces that mark the human experience. Though not often as blatant as that between life and death, the human experience is marked with periods of transition and change, often painfully so. If one can embrace them, as Blake did, they are offered the opportunity to achieve a sense of transcendence.
Dead Man is a fantastically rich and rewarding film. Though sparse in dialogue, it is rife with deep symbolism and meaning. Further, it is unparalleled as a depiction of Native Americans in film. For these reasons, it merits continual analytical attention.
