click pic for trailer
On the second viewing i decided to take a closer examination to figure out why exactly this won best picture. In doing this i couldn't help but put it in context with the films that i have watched in class recently and i think that helped shape my new opinion about the film as a whole. This film has a very independent sensibility. The locations such as the barren desert and the small towns look as if they would be rather easy to get and for cheap. Alot of the action is done using old techniques such as blood squibs and prosthetic effects, and doesn't rely on cgi. But the main reason this film is so unique is the characters. The characters involved might be cliched but they way they are acted are so unique and what they say and react are unlike anything you would normally see in film, especially a Hollywood studio one. The reason i wouldn't recommend this film to your standard movie goer is the same reason i wouldn't recommend most other independent films to others. And that is basically because the characters and events that are shown arn't very mainstream in the fact that the hero doesn't win and the world isn't a great and wonderful place its filled with violence and it isn't pretty.
For anybody who is a film major or in this class i highly recommend getting the dvd, it comes with bonus features that are really amazing. There is one on the actors describing there characters and working on the film and there is a really good short on the Coen Brothers and how they work. All in all i thought the film was rather good, it had alot of things that i think make a great movie; acting, location, dialog and story. Its just the violence and its sensibility that i feel the general public wouldn't like, but then again who cares about them i rather see a good movie.
2 comments:
Hey Rob I thought you had a great post for your second lived experience. I just recently saw "No Country For Old Men" and I was very impressed after having seen it. I thought you made a very good point when said that you would not personally recommend it to the average movie-goer because it does not have a mainstream happy ending and there is quite a bit of violence. Your point resonated with me perfectly because I just recently talked to my mom (I convinced her to watch it), and the first thing she said was, "Yea it was alright, but I don't really understand why it won for best picture. It was an interesting plot, but I couldn't take all the violence and the ending was just so depressing." I expected her to say most of what she said considering any movie with a fair amount of violence in it is going to rub her the wrong way, but I didn't expect her to ask why it won numerous Oscars along with Best Picture.
I decided to try and point out little things in the movie and then explain to her why these things made it such a good moive despite the violence, ending etc. that she did not like. The first thing I had to point out was that she will never forget this movie. The plot and dialogue in this movie were simply brilliant. I talked with her about the scene with Bardem where he is talking to the store clerk. I pointed out to her that Bardem's character (Anton Chigurh) is so intimidating as well as smart that he instilled a sense of fear and curiosity in the store clerk just by having a conversation with him. Bardem's tone of voice, body language, and questions immeadeitly cause the store clerk to become uncombfortable and he caps off the scene by flipping a coin and asking the clerk to "call it". I explained to my mom that at this point the clerk is perplexed but also afraid at the same time. That is why he asks Bardem what he stands to win or lose: His life, being robbed or maybe Bardem is simply asking him to call it for nothing. After breaking down many scenes like this to my mom she admitted that I had a point and that you very rarely watch a movie that has such a good plot, dialogue and cinematography in it.
I also explained to her that although she did not like the depressing undertone and violence of the movie, that is in part what made it a good movie. She admitted that she likes a cliche/mainstream storyline where there is a happy ending and the good guy prevails. I explained to her that, obviously that is not what always happens in real life and that although the movie may seem depressing or that you do not get anything out of this movie, the fact is that is what made it more real and believeable. Thus, thats what made it an even better movie.
Lastly I have been and will continue to recommend this movie to anyone I know because although he or she may react as my mom did, I can still get them to appreciate the quality of the acting, directing and writing of a "Coen Brothers classic."
ROFLCOPTER forget them, I would rather see a good movie. That made me smile. You're right, Rob. No Country really is an amazing film and I was rooting for it to win best picture the whole way. The thing I liked best about it was the theme. You touched on this, that the world is a cruel and brutal place. It is unforgiving. I thought the most significant thing that is said was that the world does not care about you. You are just another person. When the main character (Brolin) dies, the audience doesn't even get to see it. He was a main character in our minds, but then he is just wiped out and we never hear from him again. I think the film did a great job of bringing this idea of a cold, uncaring world into the film and then illustrating it through Javier Bardem and Brolin's characters. Also, I have not seen an ending this good for a long time. Maybe ever. It was the perfect way to end this film. It is sad. You grow old. The world forgets you. Absolutely brilliant.
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