|
|
Post by stephen on Mar 18, 2018 20:47:20 GMT
Honestly, aside from M. Emmet Walsh's superb performance, I don't find a whole lot of worth in it. It feels so much like a trial run for ideas and premises that the Coens would later refine in films such as Fargo and especially No Country for Old Men (funny, considering the latter is an adaptation). The leads are wholly unlikable, perhaps the most repugnant protagonists the Coens ever wrote, and even though I love Frances McDormand in general, I find her a bit off here.
|
|
|
|
Post by Viced on Mar 18, 2018 21:14:14 GMT
I agree with Stephen that it feels kind of like a trial run overall..... but at the same time I'd say it's really good. Lots of good shots, legendary M. Emmet Walsh performance, great work from Fran and Dan Hedaya...... and the ending is freaking amazing. That is one of the greatest song kick-in to end credits moments ever.
|
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Mar 18, 2018 21:39:58 GMT
It's one of the all-time great film debuts for me - not just because it's awesome (it is) but you knew it promised even more because so much artistry was on display - they were film school geeks but guys who knew how to tell a story and do the hard work necessary for it to work at a screenplay level, to embellish and yet completely control the material. Not only are Hedaya and Walsh amazing, you'll never react to a newspaper being thrown on your front door the same again.  Bullets holes through the walls is a classic movie scene and of course and the film of course is packed with irony and morbidly dark humor - right from here their films were stamped with their own unique worldview. I love the first 4 Coen Bros. films - Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink defined them as best of their generation and they still hadn't made their best films (!) but those first 4 are sort of connected by the originality, genre-spins, and playfulness too. It makes a great double feature with many classic noir films too (like Postman Always Rings Twice) though it never feels like a copy to me and it came at a time in the 80s, right in the middle of many fine US neo-noirs (House of Games, At Close Range, Body Heat, Thief, Cutter's Way, and many, many, others) |
|
|
|
Post by ibbi on Mar 18, 2018 22:24:53 GMT
Love it a lot. In the grand scheme of things it is something that they would go on to surpass many times over, but you can see so much of what has made them great here in all its rough, unpolished glory. It's certainly not a perfect film by any means, but there is plenty of magic in it to stand as evidence that these guys had something very special from the get go.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2018 22:28:25 GMT
I agree with Stephen that it feels kind of like a trial run overall..... but at the same time I'd say it's really good. Lots of good shots, legendary M. Emmet Walsh performance, great work from Fran and Dan Hedaya...... and the ending is freaking amazing. That is one of the greatest song kick-in to end credits moments ever. Yep, couldn't agree more with this. |
|
|
|
Post by FrancescoAbides on Mar 18, 2018 22:33:13 GMT
It's a classic
|
|
|
|
Post by pendragon on Mar 19, 2018 2:43:59 GMT
It may be a bit rough in parts compared to their later films, but I still think it's one their best. The script is extremely clever and the film is rich in atmosphere. I love the Coens most when they're in thriller mode and hope they get around to making another one soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by getclutch on Mar 21, 2018 1:15:33 GMT
Very intriguing and suspenseful film, and totally entertaining.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,193 
Likes: 1,586
|
Post by Nikan on Mar 27, 2018 9:01:19 GMT
Ridiculously good, specially for a debut.
|
|
