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| Fargo (1996) Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen |
1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.
Fargo is a film that portrays the uniqueness of the Midwest, a fairly uncommon setting for a film surrounding a murder mystery. Written and directed by the Coen brothers the movie revolves around the investigation of three violent murders in Minnesota. The characters seem to carry themselves nonchalantly despite the morbid situation and the film is comedic, dark, yet still manages to be endearing. To describe the plot to someone does the film little justice, it deserves a viewing to be fully understood.
The film was an Oscar darling garnering six nominations and winning two: best actress in a leading role for Francis McDormand, and Best Screenplay for Ethan and Joel Coen. The film isn’t a big summer blockbuster, or special effects driven affair. It is truly a film about people and the decisions we make, all the while presented in a unique time and place with characters that would rarely be given the opportunity to shine on screen the way they had.
2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content. You may use the library or the Internet.
Movies We Love: Fargo
By Robert Levin
Levin’s article essentially outlines what is so appealing about the film Fargo, even all these years later (the article was written in 2009, 13 years after the films release). At its core what the film does so well is “blend insightful character depictions with a keen sense of the ways genre work” (Roger Ebert). Levin goes on to elaborate on Ebert’s review. At its core the film is a mystery, with some noir elements. Rather than make the film your typical procedural genre it takes an unlikely but loveable protagonist with some rather inept yet true to life antagonists and sets it in rural Midwestern America.
One example they provide is how most films include dialog that seems only core the plot, the mystery at hand, but the real world doesn’t follow the typical story structure. We talk about sports, what was on tv, and the list goes on. The film does just that by allowing us to get glimpses of Marge’s life in ways completely unrelated to the murder mystery. That’s not say these scenes provide no purpose, instead they provide us with insight to these character and who they are at their core. William H. Macys performance also solidifies this thought with his bumbling, panic stricken performance on a man whose thrown caution to the wind for the proverbial “quick buck”.
Levin also discusses the Coen’s wonderful cinematography, establishing what seems like a barren wasteland of snow as something of a prison for these characters. They use long shots to portray the vastness of the space, isolating these characters in more ways then one. Finally among the murder mystery they manage to pepper in comedy and whit. The film follows the tried and true three-arc story structure but you never find yourself knowing what comes next. Levin summarizes it as Coen’s most complete work to date.
3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?
I first saw Fargo at a much younger age and can honestly admit it is one of those films I wasn’t mature enough to grasp. My first response was “what the hell did I just watch?”. I wasn’t exactly the overanalyzing story driven cinephile I claim to be today. With time and growth this is my fourth time watching the movie - god only knows how many times it has played on FX or TNT. The film has grown on me and I can appreciate it now with fresh eyes. Sometimes it is hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that is so appealing about a film; most people go with the clichéd “I liked it”, but what does that mean?
I liked the article and felt Levin put into words, and quite well, exactly what it is the film brings to the table. It takes what seems like a simple setting and most would consider “ho dunk” characters and imbues them with life. On the surface Marge and her husband’s relationship seem bland with little to say, but what it truly reveals is a sort of comfort and solace between the two. This relationship in sharp contrast to Macy’s Jerry Lundegard and his wife, whom he willingly had kidnapped in hopes of strongarming his father in law for money.
4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. I am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.
The Coen’s have a long list of wonderful character driven films. That’s not to say that they don’t also have an eye for cinematography and engrossing story telling. Fargo is a loveable film. Probably my favorite aspect of the film is the most unlikely of protagonists: Marge Gunderson. She is everything the common mystery film heroes aren’t. The 80’s had muscle bound men with one-liners (Stallone, Norris, etc), classic noir had stoic detectives, and Fargo had a … pregnant sheriff who says things like “dontchaknow” and “hiya”. Yet that’s what great, she seems like she would be overwhelmed, but instead she proves to have a knack for detective work, even accurately recreating a crime seem at one point. She is warm hearted and can’t seem to understand how Jerry could commit such malicious acts for something as simple as money. She is content in the solace and dependable life she leads, unable to understand his greed driven motivations.
Fargo also has a wonderful score that perfectly suites every shot it accompanies. They have some wonderful shots of the lush landscape, which harkens back to some of John Ford’s past work. Macy is wonderful as the completely inept schemer; his awkwardness and insecurities are true to life. At one point he realizes he doesn’t have the kidnappers phone number, men he hired. Fargo tells a tale of our seemingly never ended bid for the almighty dollar and the lengths we would go to get it. Like the article’s author I think one line from the film sums it up best. Spoken by Marge: “There’s more to life than money. And it’s a beautiful day.”
Plagiarism Statement: Attach this to the end of every journal assignment.
CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM
1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.
4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.
8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.
Name: Benjamin F. M. Novoa Date: 4/22/2014
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