Who's the Cowboy Now?

The other day, Alyssa and I watched a 1995 self-proclaimed "acid western" by Jim Jarmusch, featuring a young Johnny Depp. Also in the film: Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, and Gary Farmer, a Native American actor who plays the role of Xebeche ("He who talks loud, says nothing"). Through most of the film, Xebeche goes by the name "Nobody," and serves as a spiritual guide to Johnny Depp's character, accountant William Blake, whom Nobody mistakes for the wandering spirit of the poet with the same name.

We were inspired to watch the movie after hearing The Illalogical Spoon's scathing ditty, "Who's the Cowboy Now?," a harsh criticism of American entitlement and greed. The ending of the song features a sound byte from the film:



Here's the clip from the movie:



For those interested, the soundtrack was performed by Neil Young, alone in a recording studio, improvising on the electric guitar as he watched the movie.

The film itself is a beautifully tragic and poetic look at the myth of redemptive violence, as well as the subjugation of Native Americans at the hands of Manifest Destiny. It's a wonderful movie, but exceedingly trippy. Watch it, but at your own discretion.