PRINTThe brothers Coen
Filmmaking as a family business
February 21, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
THE DIRECTORS:
Like many teenagers, Ethan and Joel Coen mowed lawns for money. It was hard work and not as fun as going to the pool, but it paid off when they merged their funds and bought a Super-8 video camera. The Minnesota natives remade movies they watched on TV by casting friends and adding their own production style.
Years later, they scraped together enough money to film their low-budget feature film debut, Blood Simple, in 1984. The film’s success allowed them to have the final cut on all of their films since then, which allowed them to have complete creative control as directors — a rare privilege for up-and-coming filmmakers. After the film’s release, Roger Ebert praised the duo for their energy, intensity and determination to make an impression. It is said the brothers have such similar visions that they basically work as a two-headed creative monster.
THE STYLE:
The brothers’ tone is sharp, dark and innovative. Their plots are more about character building than traditional storylines. Few characters in their movies have any idea of what is really going on; confusion is a trademark of the Coens’ scripts. Violence and murder are common in their films, such as the scene in Fargo in which a character is run through a wood chipper.
Remote and rural settings are also a popular and beautiful element in their films. This creates more focus on the interactions between characters. One scene in their latest film, No Country for Old Men, shows the brothers’ devotion to character interaction in a conversation between an old gas station employee and heartless killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). The scene delves into the mind of Chigurh and reveals his merciless attitude.
THE ESSENTIALS:
No Country opens with Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbling across a case filled with money and stealing it. This puts him in the crosshairs of Chigurh, who also wants the money.
The film is nominated for eight Academy Awards — the Coen Brothers are nominated in four of those categories, including Best Film and Best Director. This is their first film to be nominated since O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and the brothers are expected to nab their first Oscar since Fargo, their only film to ever win (Best Original Screenplay).
The duo that started out with a lawn mower and a Super-8 camera will once again be competing Sunday at the Oscars. Like Fargo, No Country — with its dark tone and bizarre murder scenes — has garnered rave reviews. Fortunately for movie fans, the Coen brothers are still doing what they do best without selling out in the process.
