Dead Man depicts the story of William Blake (Depp) a young accountant who seeks his fortune in the Wild West. One mischance leads to another and Blake flees into the wilderness. He encounters many strange characters, including 'Nobody', a native American who mistakes him for the celebrated poet. The city-slicker is recreated as an outlaw visionary warring with a fallen world.

A striking and dream-like film about our vulnerability to chance and estrangement from the world, Dead Man is an imaginative re-working of the Western genre by Jim Jarmusch. Filmed in black and white with both dramatic contrasts and fine shades of grey, it has a distinctive, very moody, visual aesthetic. Neil Young's haunting soundtrack for electric guitar makes a major contribution to the film. A crisp well written script is complemented by an intelligent use of silence.

A host of famous people (including Robert Mitchum, John Hurt, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover and Steve Buscemi) have cameo roles that offset Depp, who is at his most austere and reserved. Dead Man blends action, feeling and reflection - superb!