The Coen Brothers

[Bonn1827]

Philip, with reference to "The Big Lebowski": it does contain coarse language, and a lot of it, which I don't usually like in film. However, the Coen's are such wonderful film-makers one is prepared to overlook this pecadillo. But the subversive humour and intertextual references to other films make it hugely funny, with stunning performances from Goodman, Bridges, Buscemi and Phil Seymour-Hoffman (who, incidentally, is the most outstanding American actor alive today). The lead character is "The Dude", which is simultaneously a term of endearment in the USA and a direct reference to Howard Hawks/John Wayne film "Rio Bravo" and a main character called "Dude". Actually the Coen's film does bear repeated viewings because it is so rich and one is likely to miss a lot of the humour the first time around. Their absolute masterpiece, IMO, is "The Man Who Wasn't There" - a film noir comedy/thriller in the vein of Billy Wilder. Enjoy these if you can but, as I don't know you, it's hard to recommend edgy films like this to everyone!! It's specialty fare.

Skippy is propogating at a frightening speed, when he should paws!! The drought here has made it hard for his relatives and mates.

[Michael]

"The Man who Wasn't There" was on Sky a few weeks ago and unfortunately I missed it. I believe the soundtrack includes a good deal of Beethoven - the piano sonatas?

[Bonn1827]

And the slow movement from the "Archduke". Yes, the film is full of Beethoven and this is one of the reasons I love those terribly literate and well-educated Coen Brothers. They not only know a phenomenal amount about film but the other arts as well. I guess they hark back, in many ways, to the "glory days" of Wilder, Lubitsch, Renoir, Lang etc. etc., those film-makers they so patently adore. What is "Intolerable Cruelty", after all, if it is not a homage to screwball comedy of the late 30's/early 40's and Hawks and Sturges? So much to enjoy.

[Bonn1827]

This morning I've had another quick look at "The Man Who Wasn't There" as it also contains music from "The Marriage of Figaro", which the Coen Bros. use ironically. Look, I really recommend this masterpiece and I even saw more layers of meaning in it today, specially the visual references and subversion of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Inherit the Wind"!

[Quijote]

These sound like excellent recommendations to me, and I thank you for them. As far as I can recall, the Coen brothers also made "Blood Simple" and "No Country for Old Men", both excellent films in my humble opinion. Don't worry about the coarse language and "edginess", that's all right up my street.

Two films I particularly like are by Quentin Tarantino : "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction". What's your opinion / take on these, Bonn?

[Quijote]

Talking of "edginess", I must admit to a penchant for Peter Greenaway and David Lynch. One aspect that remains in my memory of Greenaway's films is his choice of music : Vim Wenders (Roehre will check my spelling for me) for "The Belly of the Architect" and Michael Nyman for "The Draughtman's Contract" (in French this was titled as "The Englishman's Garden" or something like that). Another director I particularly like is (his name escapes me right now, damn!) the guy who made 2001 : another director with a great ear for the choice of music.

[Quijote]

Kubrick !!

[Bonn1827]

The music for those Greenaway films is terrific, but I didn't particularly enjoy the films as I thought they were high camp. "The Draughtsman's Contract" with music by Michael Nyman was highly original.

Kubrick's best film, IMHO, is "Barry Lyndon", though I didn't really like Ryan O'Neill as the eponymous "hero". Some lovely tracking shots - especially of the soldiers going into battle. The editing was rhythmic and musical too, I recall. Kubrick's other work is rather a mixed bag and I think he's an acquired taste really. Hard to believe he directed "Spartacus"!!

Re Tarantino. I didn't really enjoy either of those films you mention as these were too "cartoonish" for my tastes and they may have indirectly influenced the improbable Baz Lurhmann!! But I did see "Kill Bill 1" and, though I didn't really "enjoy" the film I realized whilst I was watching it that it was extremely well made, with high production values and tremendous artistic effects - that it would probably go on to become a very important film.

"No Country for Old Men" was very Hitchcockian and excellent. I was one the edge of my seat most of the way, but those idiosyncratic characters the Coen Brothers draw out of their actors are unique, and this one was based on the Cormac McCarthy novel and not a creation of their own like so many of their other films. Another excellent one I forgot about is "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou". This is very very funny, and iconoclastic. Really, together with Woody Allen, I believe they are the most interesting film-makers currently working (and they're all Jews, i.e. terribly clever). Woody Allen has a fabulous ear for music too, with a special love for Gershwin (of which his films have plenty), Cole Porter and his phenomenal music (with performances by the great Bobby Short) and Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, and Bach ("Hannah and Her Sisters" - his masterpiece, IMHO). I feel a direct affinity with Allen the minute I listen to the music he chooses, as well as his absolute love for New York. The man is a living legend!!

[Bonn1827]

OMG, my daughter has just emailed to say she's going to the USA to try and get into the University of Southern California's course on Cinematic Arts. Where did I go wrong???!!!! She's got an excellent job producing radio programs in Sydney!!

[Quijote]

Re Greenaway, Kubrick and Tarantino - some interesting comments, for sure. I particularly liked the term "high camp", and I think it does apply to the last film I saw by him : "Prospero's Book" (if I remember the title correctly).
I am no film specialist, but I sometimes to like to think (usually through substance abuse) that it offers that "total work" experience so beloved of Wagner : drama, visuals, music ...

[Quijote]

OMG, my daughter has just emailed to say she's going to the USA to try and get into the University of Southern California's course on Cinematic Arts. Where did I go wrong???!!!! She's got an excellent job producing radio programs in Sydney!!

Not my place to comment on this, but good on her! He (or she) who dares, wins.

[Bonn1827]

Point taken about the "total work" experience, a la Wagner.

I generally prefer the "chamber music" kind film: the 2 or 3-hander. More intimate, with emphasis on script and character being essential. Even "The Big Lebowski" is a 3-hander and you really do have to listen!! The lines in "The Man Who Wasn't There" are superb; etched in ennui and cynicism!! A subversion of 'the American Dream' if you will, but garbed in the idiom of film noir.

[Michael]

This morning I've had another quick look at "The Man Who Wasn't There" as it also contains music from "The Marriage of Figaro", which the Coen Bros. use ironically. Look, I really recommend this masterpiece and I even saw more layers of meaning in it today, specially the visual references and subversion of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Inherit the Wind"!

Just happened to catch "The Man Who Wasn't There" last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I understand that the movie was filmed in colour but released in black and white - which was a good decision because it really did look like a "film noir" from the late forties. And the soundtrack was saturated with Beethoven - at least four piano sonatas - and the slow movement of the "Archduke" was played over the opening titles. Billy Bob Thornton was outstanding.

[Bonn1827]

I'm glad you liked it, Michael. I was sure it was filmed in B&W - or, at least, that's what I thought I heard on the DVD Extras. Roger Deakins is a fabulous cinematographer!! Billy Bob was exceptional, but all the players were good. This film is a Coen masterpiece, IMO. It delivers more on repeated viewings. What about the scene when "Doris liked to go to Church" and "BINGO"!!! The script is fabulous. I mustn't go on so....!!

[Michael]

I'm glad you liked it, Michael. I was sure it was filmed in B&W - or, at least, that's what I thought I heard on the DVD Extras. Roger Deakins is a fabulous cinematographer!! Billy Bob was exceptional, but all the players were good. This film is a Coen masterpiece, IMO. It delivers more on repeated viewings. What about the scene when "Doris liked to go to Church" and "BINGO"!!! The script is fabulous. I mustn't go on so....!!

You needn't! I've ordered the DVD.