By Chaz Elmore
It's been several years since the Coen brothers have graced us with their cinematic presence. Their last entrée was 2004's Ladykillers, the Tom Hanks film that became a so so remake of a much better 1955 alec Guinness starring film. Nonetheless the Brothers Coen have returned with full force and No Country For Old Men is a vicious, bleak and haunting film that shows a much more mature and steady handed even pessimistic approach from the two who've built such a cult following with films like The Big Lebowski, Fargo and Raising Arizona.
No Country For Old Men is based on the multi-layered Cormac Mcarthy novel of the same name. It's a sprawling story about Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a gruff Vietnam Vet who stumbles upon a messy and violent aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong. There's a truck full of heroin, half a dozen dead bodies and a case of money. 2.4 million dollars of money. After Moss makes the fateful choice to take the money, he unleashes a literal force of nature, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). A tweaked out shotgun toting, Cattle-gun wielding manifestation of Evil that hunts Moss with reckless abandon. Chigurh isn't, nee can't be human as he eliminates every person, animal or object that stands in his way of accomplishing his goal of retrieving his money. Even when the corrupt corporation that hired him to return this money, hires another hitman to aide in the return of the money, Chigurh not only brutally eliminate the hitman, but then goes one step further and takes out the boss that hired him in the first place. Why?! Because it's the principle of the matter. But I digress.
In his attempt to flee Chigurh, Moss's journey takes him from the bare landscapes of south Texas to the border towns of Mexico. Surviving gunfights, car crashes and a run in with a vicious pit bull, all while trying to keep the 2.4 million dollars out of the hands of Chigurh. Following the trail of Moss and Chigurh is Tommy Lee Jones Sheriff Bell. Bell is the moral voice of this film as he tries to make sense of the swath of dead body and violence left in Chigurh's wake. Bell tries to keep a promise to Moss's wife, to bring him back safe, to help him from the mess he's gotten himself into, but deep down inside, he doesn't even know how to process all he's seen.
With No Country For Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen have taken the themes of their most popular films; random violence, characters faced with moral dilemmas who always make the wrong decision that send them on the craziest, often time deadliest ride of their lives, and with them created a much more narrow view of the world. Not to sound too "clichéd critic" here but this is a film that you will have to process for days or weeks after seeing it. You won't immediately know just how to process it. You are taken for a ride and by the time you step out of your seat and it's all said and done you can't help but throw your arms up and wonder what that was all for. But then you start to dwell on it, the film starts to grow on you and you find yourself unable to put the film out of your head. It will be a truly rewarding weeks to follow and you will be the better for it. No Country For Old Men is more Blood Simple than Fargo or Lebowski. The two share the same oil black sheen though No Country never gives us a "kill the bad guy" reprieve, instead it leaves us pondering all that's happened in the hour and a half preceding. Much like Jone's sheriff Bell who can't help but feel as though he has no explanation for what happened just that it did and he lived to tell about it.
I implore fans of the Coen brothers, actually I warn you, do not see this film expecting the hijinks and vulgarity of say a Lebowski or Raising Arizona, instead you should be warned that you will see a film much darker and disheartening than Blood Simple or Barton Fink. Just know that and that will keep you from walking out of the theater going "What was that all about?!" cuz trust me, you'll already be hearing a lot of that!
Till next time, enjoy,
Chaz
PS: to all moviegoers. I'm sorry for this but I have to say it. Because I say this on behalf of lovers of film and specifically filmmakers who slave for months even years to deliver the film you pay 8 dollars to see. And that is this: Once films are made and printed and then delivered to the theater, they are or should be pre-screened to ensure quality of print i.e. no dust or scratches on the film, sound and just as important the projected aspect ratio of the film.
What's aspect Ratio charles?! Well, anybody who's been buying dvds since 1999 should be familiar with the term Aspect Ratio. In this case, it's the frame size that the director and director of cinematography (the cameraman) have chosen for their film to be shot in and eventually projected in. In most film cases there are two variations. 1.85.1 which is standard, (actually academy aperture is closer to 1.66.1 but 1.85 translates closer to what most dvd's are telesynced to.) The other is 2.35.1 or better known as super 35 or a variation is anamorphic widescreen which is closer to 2.40.1. Now I'm sorry if all these numbers are freaking you out or sending your head spinning but I have to explain so you'll understand what I'm about to say. Depending on which of those aspect ratios is used it is then absolutely necessary for the theater to project that film in it's correct ratio. It's a complete affront to the filmmaker if anything but that is done. But, as a casual filmgoer, I'm sure your asking "What's the big deal, why does it matter?" Let me ask you this, say you wrote the best song ever, this thing will make millions of people swoon and hearts melt. You send the song off to a radio station with notes on how to play it and such and such and then one day you turn on the radio and lo and behold there's your song. Only it's not the way you intended, instead it's being played on a ukulele and a kazoo. That's what it's like. So when one of us filmgoers who care how the film is projected, especially as it pertains to the way the filmmaker intended goes to management and asks them to fix the lens that will project it correctly, don't whine or complain or kick up a fuss, because some of us actually do care how the film is presented. That's why we go.
There, I'm done. Thank you for listening.