First off, let me state that I love the Coen Brothers. I love “The Big Lebowski” & my favorite is “No Country For Old Men.”
Now, don’t get me wrong here…I think Fargo is a good movie. What I don’t really understand is where I’ve heard many people say it’s one of the greatest movies ever made, or it’s the best Coen Brothers movie. That’s the part where I’d really like some clarification.
Why do so many people think this movie is one of the greatest? Is it the acting? The dialog? The plot?
Break it down for me and help me understand what I’m missing.
I think the movie was very clever using juxtaposition … on one side we have a husband and wife expecting their first child and all the trappings of such a joyous event … on the other we have a series of brutal and bloody murders … from grinding up dead bodies in a chipper to losing a postage stamp design competition … very contrasting scenes …
It was a good movie, but not great … but I can see where some would say it’s the greatest movie ever …
The acting is top-notch, in my opinion. The accents add a bit of goofy realism to the film that otherwise would be missing if the actors spoke with generic Hollywood accents.
The plot really is good and unfolds not as expected, without getting into spoilers.
I can go on and on, with the breezy confidence of a guy who’s had a few beers, about how I’d improve movie after movie. But ask me who I’d swap William H. Macy out for, and I’d – shrug, I guess? I wouldn’t change him, or even anything he did in the role; ask me who I’d swap Frances McDormand out for, answer’s pretty much the same.
Wouldn’t change a thing about Steve Buscemi, either; heck, I can’t even see a clear way to improve on Steve Park as Mike Yanagita.
I would never call it the greatest move ever but I think it’s my favorite from the Coen brothers.
I think people like its quirkiness. Something about the stark snowy setting and the dash of dark humor. It’s mesmerizing, to me anyway. And even though it has the Coen fingerprints all over it, it feels very one of a kind and a little bit surreal.
A good place to start when you wonder why people think a movie is great is over at Roger Ebert’s Great Movies. Here is his take on Fargo.
I think it is about being satisfied with a good life. Marge has a good life, is satisfied and looks on all of the positives in that life. Jerry Lundergaard has a good life, but tries a ridiculous kidnapping scheme to somehow make a better life. I think the oppressive snow covered scenery reinforces that, especially near the end when Marge says “There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Don’t you know that? And here you are. And it’s a beautiful day.” As a native Minnesotan, I chuckle at that since the day looks to be gloomy and cold as hell.
Man, I miss Ebert. Nice piece – thanks for posting it. Although I disagree with some details of his interpretation of Lundegard’s motivation: I believe the movie implies heavily that he needs money to cover some unsavory debt that is never explained. (GMAC isn’t just harassing him about the one missing car, right?)
I think Fargo’s great because it’s a well-rounded movie. The plot, dialogue, and acting are all top-notch. Plus, it is strong in areas where other great Coen movies sometimes fall short*: it’s thematically rich and grounded in a positive, humanistic vision of how we should live. That last scene in the prowler turns it from a smart, well-executed farce to something far more powerful and moving. I’ll go ahead and call it my favorite Coen movie.
I’m thinking of Miller’s Crossing and Blood Simple especially, but there are other examples.
PS: I saw the movie in a theater in Bonn, dubbed into German. The audience did not like it much. I think the funny accents do a lot of heavy lifting in the writing.
Some might consider this a spoiler, so avert your gaze now (or forever hold your piece…)
On the one hand, the crooks are trying desperately to get ahead of the game: One big score and they’ll be living the high life. On the other, Frances McDormand’s character and her husband (and other characters) know that they’re already on the road to happiness, and they’re fine with getting there one small step at a time.
It’s the juxtaposition of these two kinds of ambition that gives the film depth, in my opinion. Acting, dilaogue, plot, casting (as mentioned upthread) and photography are all top-notch, too.
Well, he was embezzling by fraudulently borrowing money from GMAC through his father-in-law’s dealership to somehow make a better life. When he got underwater, he engaged in the ridiculous scheme to try to prevent himself from going to jail.
The crux of its greatness in my mind is that it illustrates the basic truths of human life, and the violent, gruesome, horror of humans gone wrong, with normal, relate-able, everyday people responding with calm perspective to bizarre situations.
None of these characters are hammed up, or Hollywood gorgeous. Nobody is a world expert, or the world’s worst villain. And yet, the truths are so broad, so all-encompassing, and so ordinary.
Carl: What kinda trouble are you in, Jerry?
Jerry: Well, that’s… that’s… I’m not go inta, inta… see, I just need money. Now, her dad’s real well off.
Carl: So? Why don’t you just ask him for the money?
Grimsrud: Or your fucking wife, you know.
Carl: Or your fucking wife, Jerry?
Jerry: Well, it’s all just part of this… They don’t know I need it, see. Okay, so there’s that. And even if they did, I wouldn’t get it. So there’s that on top, then. See, these’re personal matters.
Carl: Personal matters?
Jerry: Yah. Personal matters that needn’t, uh…
Carl: Okay, Jerry. You’re tasking us to perform this mission, but you, you won’t, uh, you won’t… Aw, fuck it, let’s take a look at that Ciera.
Right. When we hear the first phone call from the GMAC guy, he references a list of VIN numbers that were unreadable. From the context of the conversation, that list was received several days prior, before he took the car.
Plus, Jerry freaked out when he was only offered a finder’s fee on the deal he proposed to Wade. That fee would have been about 70K, more than enough to cover the car and have a lot left over. The list of VINs he gave to GMAC were all bogus.
I got the impression that Jerry had been trying scam after scam after scam to get ahead and he kept failing.
Yes. Jerry has failed at a small scam, and he has been snowballing since then, trying to pay off the debts he has run up and maybe make enough to get away. He is panicking now.
