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In 1982, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen had an idea. Barely out of college and with almost no experience in filmmaking, they directed a teaser trailer for their idea: a man on his knees, another dragging a shovel menacingly towards him, a bullet-riddled wall. Simple. Then they went door to door, business to business, showing the film to whoever they could. As simple as an Avon salesman. I'm sure many must have thought "why should I trust you?" before giving them money. But eventually, they got $1.5 million, and that was the start of one of the most prolific film careers in Hollywood. And it all started with a simple idea and a simple approach to bring it home.
Blood Simple follows Ray (John Getz), a bartender at a local bar who is having an affair with Abby (Frances McDormand), the wife of his boss, Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya). When he suspects, he hires a private detective (M. Emmett Walsh) to follow the love birds and then kill them. The story is as simple as it's classic; a story of love, betrayal, and murder. But obviously, things don't go as planned, and the simple story ends up becoming a complicated mess of deceit, confusion, and revenge.
The film is damn good. The fact that it was made by two brothers with hardly any experience doing this, on a shoe-string budget is just motherf-uckin' impressive. The film is full of what has made the Coen so popular now. Unique twists, clever dialogue, subtle - and not so subtle - references to other films, dark and deadpan humor; and it all works perfectly here. Seriously, looking at the direction, you wouldn't think this was made by a rookie director. The Coens are raw, but still have a unique eye to move the camera and a meticulous way to set a scene that more "seasoned" directors would dream for.
Plus, in the midst of it all, the film has a perfect cast that knows exactly how to carry this film. Getz and McDormand are not flashy, but the characters aren't supposed to be, and they deliver. However, it is Walsh the one who steals the film as Visser, the scheming private detective that tries to have his cake and eat it too. Every scene with him is a delight. The title of the film comes from a Dashiel Hammett novel in which a lead character is afraid that the escalating violence around him has affected him psychologically, which is what Visser warns his employer about. A simple act of violence will eventually lead to more violence, making it harder to go back.
The Coens had their simple start in 1984. 30+ years, seventeen films and four Academy Awards later, it is undeniable how their career has "escalated". They stand as one of my favorite directors, and I trust them to fully mess with my head any time they want.
Grade:
BLOOD SIMPLE
(1984, Coen)
(1984, Coen)
"Trust you not to go simple on me and do something stupid. I mean, really stupid. Now, why should I trust you?"
In 1982, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen had an idea. Barely out of college and with almost no experience in filmmaking, they directed a teaser trailer for their idea: a man on his knees, another dragging a shovel menacingly towards him, a bullet-riddled wall. Simple. Then they went door to door, business to business, showing the film to whoever they could. As simple as an Avon salesman. I'm sure many must have thought "why should I trust you?" before giving them money. But eventually, they got $1.5 million, and that was the start of one of the most prolific film careers in Hollywood. And it all started with a simple idea and a simple approach to bring it home.
Blood Simple follows Ray (John Getz), a bartender at a local bar who is having an affair with Abby (Frances McDormand), the wife of his boss, Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya). When he suspects, he hires a private detective (M. Emmett Walsh) to follow the love birds and then kill them. The story is as simple as it's classic; a story of love, betrayal, and murder. But obviously, things don't go as planned, and the simple story ends up becoming a complicated mess of deceit, confusion, and revenge.
The film is damn good. The fact that it was made by two brothers with hardly any experience doing this, on a shoe-string budget is just motherf-uckin' impressive. The film is full of what has made the Coen so popular now. Unique twists, clever dialogue, subtle - and not so subtle - references to other films, dark and deadpan humor; and it all works perfectly here. Seriously, looking at the direction, you wouldn't think this was made by a rookie director. The Coens are raw, but still have a unique eye to move the camera and a meticulous way to set a scene that more "seasoned" directors would dream for.
Plus, in the midst of it all, the film has a perfect cast that knows exactly how to carry this film. Getz and McDormand are not flashy, but the characters aren't supposed to be, and they deliver. However, it is Walsh the one who steals the film as Visser, the scheming private detective that tries to have his cake and eat it too. Every scene with him is a delight. The title of the film comes from a Dashiel Hammett novel in which a lead character is afraid that the escalating violence around him has affected him psychologically, which is what Visser warns his employer about. A simple act of violence will eventually lead to more violence, making it harder to go back.
The Coens had their simple start in 1984. 30+ years, seventeen films and four Academy Awards later, it is undeniable how their career has "escalated". They stand as one of my favorite directors, and I trust them to fully mess with my head any time they want.
Grade: