Julian Po

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Julian Po is a 1997 film starring Christian Slater as Julian Po, a man who wanders into a small sleepy town with the intent to kill himself. When the townspeople learn of his plan, Julian becomes a minor celebrity, and is offered all sorts of free perks since this is the most exciting thing to ever happen in that town. However, Julian gets attached to the town and decides life is worth living after all, much to the annoyance of the townspeople who decide to set into motion plans for his suicide, assisted or forced if need be, as long as he keeps his word and carries through with his original plans, much to his desperation and anger.

Julian is a man with no goals except to kill himself at the beginning of the movie. He is treated with suspicion, then sympathy once he explains his goal, as mentioned in the previous paragraph. Then, he meets Sarah, a pretty girl who says that she's been waiting her entire life for him. It is she who rekindles within him the desire to live, to experience love. After they make love, however, Julian awakens to find the bed empty and a letter from Sarah. He rushes to the bridge out of town, knowing that it is too late: Sarah has committed suicide, explaining that she wants to see Julian "on the other side". Heartbroken, Julian's mental condition is not helped by the townsfolks' cruelty, forcing him to "keep his promise" on killing himself. Before this, many of the townspeople have tried to "assist" him with his suicide; the barber offering a quick, bloody death with scissors, the hotel manager showing off his multiple rifles, and the town sheriff expounding on the joy of death and killing.

The film ends with Julian walking out of town, dressed in a suit and tie, "supervised" by the town sheriff and barber so as to make sure he does not run away. It is assumed that he kills himself shortly afterwards, fulfilling his dream of "going to the sea" (by way of corpse).

This film is a version of the 1982 Yugoslavian/Czechoslovakian coproduction Smrt gospodina Goluze (Death of Mr Goluza).