Fargo (1996)
American Classic-Fargo Coen Brothers'1996 is daring brutal, dark comedy
It's daring black comedy by one of the most consistently inventive moviemaking teams of the last few decade, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen.
“Fargo” (1996) was directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, co-written by the brothers, and set in the American upper Midwest where they grew up. It begins with the information that it is “based on a true story."
Fargo’s narrative follows a pathetic failure of a man, car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), desperate, wretched and incompetent car salesman and hapless husband, who is pathetically in debt.
In an attempt to wriggle his way out of tone of debt, Jerry hires two lumbering ex-cons, Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), to kidnap his wife.
He’ll then secure the ransom money from his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell), pay off the goons and get out of debt.
The following morning, local police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) wakes up with a triple homicide on her hands. Well into her second trimester, she pulls on her mukluks, drives to the crime scene and makes a first-class assessment of what transpired. It’s not anythinglike the typical goings-on in Paul Bunyan country.
“Fargo” (1996) was directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, co-written by the brothers, and set in the American upper Midwest where they grew up. It begins with the information that it is “based on a true story."
Fargo’s narrative follows a pathetic failure of a man, car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), desperate, wretched and incompetent car salesman and hapless husband, who is pathetically in debt.
In an attempt to wriggle his way out of tone of debt, Jerry hires two lumbering ex-cons, Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), to kidnap his wife.
He’ll then secure the ransom money from his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell), pay off the goons and get out of debt.
The Coens had working scripts for both Fargo and The Big Lebowski before they even shot The Hudsucker Proxy, so when the latter tanked they were well positioned to move on quickly. Fargo had been written with Frances McDormand in mind and for The Big Lebowski they wanted Jeff Bridges.
Fargo achieves nothing short of cinematic perfection. It never steps wrong, never misses a beat in its precise characterizations, remarkable performances by Frances McDormand and William H. Macy and the visual style that emphasizes the almost spiritual vastness of the bleak Upper Midwestern setting. Because it values small, carefully observed character based details over the mechanics of the plot it’s a rich, endlessly rewarding experience. It’s the most complete film the Coens have ever made, nothing short of a movie for the ages.
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