Some things should remain mysterious 
With his trademark shock of white hair and cool, rock star persona, Jim Jarmusch is one of the last true representatives of American independent filmmaking. For years he has resisted the call of Hollywood, preferring instead to make his own quirky movies such as Mystery Train, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai and Coffee And Cigarettes. His latest film, Broken Flowers, stars Bill Murray as a man in search of a son he never knew he had, and coming face to face with his romantic past. Critics in Cannes called it Jarmusch's most mainstream movie to date. Below, the director expresses his puzzlement.
Reviewers keep saying Broken Flowers is your most commercial film. Given your fierce independence, does this bother you?
I have no idea why they'd say that. I don't get it. Why do they say that? What makes it commercial?
Maybe the focus on romantic entanglements means it fits into the romantic comedy genre, which is commercial.
But I don't see this film as a romantic comedy. I guess [critics] could put that label on it but that鈥檚 not my problem, what label they put. I thought maybe it's the cast but then it's not like I haven't worked with known actors before.
How did Broken Flowers evolve?
It started with the idea of someone who had a lot of lovers in the past getting an unsigned letter in the mail saying, "We had a kid and he's looking for you."
Why did that attract you?
The idea of going back and seeing former lovers just seemed like a potentially interesting story to me. Also, it gave me an opportunity to work with female actors of a certain age. Because now, if you鈥檙e over 35 and in Hollywood, it's like, "Forget it. We'll wait a few years and you can maybe play an old lady." But in that section of that age group, God, there's so many incredible female actors. I was lucky to have these four, although Tilda Swinton's a bit younger than Frances Conroy, Sharon Stone and Jessica Lange. So partly I had a desire to work with some of them and that drove some of the story. But I'm not sure where ideas come from. And I think if you try to solve the mystery you might break something. Some things should remain mysterious.
What was it like working with Bill Murray?
Well Bill doesn't like to rehearse so our preparation for the film consisted of long talks. Our biggest one was about a two hour walk we took though New York at night and we just meandered and talked about our ex lovers, women in general, and about all kinds of things. It wasn't a conversation specific to how do we approach the character, but it always came back to the character and we got a lot from that.
What was he like on set?
It was very obvious that Bill wanted me to be his director, even though sometimes he would act like he wouldn't hear what I said. He's very, very fg smart. He's way ahead of me. He's also very sensitive to other people and how they feel, and he's very non-hierarchical, as I am. He knew every crew member's name after three days, like sixty people, and he'd bring them gifts, joke with them, and keep everyone's spirit up. Bill's very funny off camera and sometimes I had to bring him back into it so that he didn't make it funnier. But he always knew what we were doing.
Tell me about his character, Don Johnston.
For me he was unusual because at the start he wasn't someone I really care for. In all my other work I love the characters in the beginning, however flawed. Don Johnston, I have no real connection to. He's not the kind of person I hang out with. What's his problem? But our plan was that by the end, I want to feel for the guy.
Whatever Don Johnston's existential flaws were as a character, part of the motor of the movie is going back to see why these women were not his destiny. You're partnered with the actress Sara Driver. How much of the writing of these women is inspired by your own romantic history, and what was it about Sara that made her the one you want to be with?
Um, well, that's very personal. I don't know if I want to talk about it except to say that Sara is someone who is a totally non-judgemental person and we have been together, and apart, for a long time, and I have a lot of experience with girlfriends even though Sara is my mate. I learn more from women than men because men are not mysterious to me. So I am very blessed that I have a woman that accepts my past and my love for women, you know? Anyway, that's way more personal than I ever get so don't print any of that!
Broken Flowers is released in UK cinemas on Friday 21st October 2005.
