Down by Law

1986
15
1h 47m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

57K

YOUR RATING

Roberto Benigni, Tom Waits, and John Lurie in Down by Law (1986)

Play trailer1:37

3 Videos

99+ Photos

Quirky Comedy Comedy Crime Drama

Two men are framed and sent to jail, where they meet a murderer who helps them escape and leave the state.Two men are framed and sent to jail, where they meet a murderer who helps them escape and leave the state.Two men are framed and sent to jail, where they meet a murderer who helps them escape and leave the state.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

57K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 4 wins & 6 nominations total

Videos3

Trailer 1:37

Down by Law

Trailer 1:32

Down by Law: The Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]

Trailer 1:32

Down by Law: The Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]

Clip 3:12

Bill Murray vs. Zombies? We're Dying for 'The Dead Don't Die'

Photos103

+ 96

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Roberto Benigni's rabbit soliloquy was almost entirely self-written/improvisation, based on his own life experiences. His mother actually did raise rabbits.

Goofs
Zack writes the number of the days he's spent in the cellar on the wall. Before he fights Jack for the first time, he angrily scribes two big lines (two days). In the next scene with Roberto, they are normal length.

Quotes
[repeated line]
Roberto: I scream-a. You scream-a. We all scream-a. For ice cream-a.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Color of Money/Sid and Nancy/Down by Law/Clockwise (1986)

Soundtracks
Jockey Full of Bourbon
Written and Performed by Tom Waits
from his 'Rain Dogs' album
Courtesy Island Records, Inc.
(opening title)

User reviews132

Featured review

8/10

Mississippi blues

A black comedy about three men deceived by luck and given to their destiny, after a stint in prison and a daring escape.

Beautiful cinematography in black and white by Robby Müller, taking advantage of the photogeny of the decadent south and the Mississippi delta, excellent music, divided between the songs by Tom Waits and the soundtrack by John Lurie (from The Lounge Lizzards), both protagonists of the film, joined by the inimitable Roberto Benigni (and his wife and muse Nicoletta Braschi) adding a touch of chaos and humor to the story.

A cult film that looks even better as the years go by.