cinema_of_coen_brothers
TRANSCRIPT
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Coen Brothers
Ethan Joel
ahiers du cinema interview published 1996 Majid Valipour - Jan 2011
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Brief history Raised in Academic Jewish family in Minnesota. Joel is three years older Started making copies of Hollywood when they were kids Joel has a degree in film from NYU; Ethan studied
philosophy at Princeton
In 1984, the brothers wrote and directed their first movieBlood Simple. (many of their signature motifs and styles) Barton Fink (1991) was their critical success with a Palm
D'Or Fargo(1996) was their breakthrough at box office and Oscar
No Country for Old Men (2007) brings the tandem Oscarsfor best picture and director
Had to split the producer and director credits due toHollywood rules but no longer had to do so since they are an"established duo".
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3 pillars to understand Coens
1-Influence of Hollywood genres As boys home-made remake of old Hollywood films As adults their movies are heavily references and subvert
classic genres2-Their status as independent movie makers
Different from avant-gardes like Jim Jarmusch who makemovies for small elite (mostly European) viewer
Prefer creative control over low-budget entertaining moviesfor wide-market (coming from American independent horror movie tradition e.g., Sam Raimi)
3-Paying attention to carefully detailed settings of specific erasand regions Frozen North Dakota in Fargo Depression era in O brother where art thou? 60s and minnesota in the serious man
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1984 - Blood Simple
Film Noir Styling, Cult Successoens are independent but realist: wanted to make this black and white to be close to Noir
enre but to appeal to wider audience made it in color .
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1987 - Raising Arizona
Cartoonish Comedyoens are obsessive planners, putting virtually all the visual and cutting cues in
the script. Actors cannot change a single word. Nicolas Cage: "Joel and Ethan have a visionnd I've learned how difficult it is to accept another artist's vision
.
They have an autocratic "
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1990 - Miller's Crossing
Gangester Movies, Prohibition era
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1991 - Barton Fink
Cross of Hollywood satire and horror film, 1940's LA
Coen parodied, commented on, embraced, subverted, and renewed each genre.Ethan: "The public expects certain things, certain typical situations that it was amusing for us
to change, subvert to."
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1996- Fargo
Realistic thriller, Frozen North Dakota, 2 OscarsFrequently casts same actors. e.g., Steve Buscemi (6 times), spouse Frances McDormand
(5), Jon Polito (5), John Goodman (5), John Turturro (4), George Clooney (3 ), MichaelBadalucco (3),etc
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1998 - The Big Lebowski
mystery/pothead combination, LA
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2000 - Brother, Where Art Thou?
1930s Depression era in Missisipi
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2007 - No country for old man
Noir/Western themes, 1980's West Texas , 3 Oscars
Considered to be a departure since it does not use their regular actors
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2008 - Burn after reading
Black comedy with A-list cast
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2009 - A serious man
Comedy, 1960s in Minnesota, most personal
Most of their work analyzes humanity's weak points and turning them into a kind of comedy.
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1984 Blood Simple, film-noir styling 1987 Raising Arizona, cartoonish comedy 1990 Miller's Crossing, gangsters in prohibition era] 1991 Barton Fink, cross of Hollywood satire and horror film, 1940s LA 1994 The Hudsucker Proxy, 1940s-style comedy 1996 Fargo, realistic thriller, frozen North Dakota, 2 oscars 1998 The Big Lebowski, mystery/pothead movies, LA 2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou?,1930s Depression era in Missisipi 2001 The man who was not there, thriller in 1940s California 2004 The lady killer 2007 No country for old man, noir/western in 1980s era, tandem oscars 2008 Burn after reading 2009 A serious man, comdey, most personal film 2010 True Grit