The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen

by Erica Rowell

In 1984 Joel and Ethan Coen burst onto the art-house film scene with their neo-noir "Blood Simple" and ever since then they have sharpened the cutting edge of independent film. Blending black humor and violence with unconventional narrative twists, their acclaimed movies evoke highly charged worlds of passion, absurdity, nightmare realms, and petty human failures, all the while revealing the filmmakers' penchant for visual jokes and bravura technical strokes. Their central characters may be blind to reality and individual flaws, but their illusions, dreams, fears, and desires map the boundaries of their worlds worlds made stunningly memorable by the Coens.In "The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen," Erica Rowell unmasks the filmmakers as prankster mythmakers exploiting and subverting universal storytelling modes to further what seems to be their artistic agenda: to elicit laughs. Often employing satire and allegory, the Coens' movies hold a mirror up to American society, allowing viewers to both chuckle and gasp at its absurdities, hypocrisies, and foibles. From business partnerships ("Blood Simple," "The Ladykillers") to marriage ("Intolerable Cruelty") to friendship and ethics ("Miller's Crossing"), the breakdowns of relationships are a steady focus in their work. Often the Coens' satires put broken social institutions in their cinematic crosshairs, exposing cracks in ineffective penal systems ("Raising Arizona"; "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"), unjust justice systems ("The Man Who Wasn't There"), a crooked corporate America ("The Hudsucker Proxy"), unnecessary wars ("The Big Lebowski"), a tyrannical Hollywood ("Barton Fink"), and the unbridled, fatuous pursuit of the American Dream ("Fargo"). While audiences may be excused for missing the duo's social commentary, the depth and breadth of the brothers' films bespeak an intelligence and cultural acuity that is rich, highly topical, and hard to pigeonhole."The Brothers Grim" examines t

Genres: Nonfiction

392 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, far I've only read the Introduction and the chapter on "The Big Lebowski". Rowell makes many insightful connections between TBL and its potential as a subversive agent to American consumer-based society. However, as a hardcore Big L fan I was stunned by her misquote of Brandt. Plus, in the Ralph's scene the Dude isn't wearing boxers (as she suggests). The Dude is rocking bermuda shorts under that ratty robe. These mistakes lead me to believe Rowell may be an amateur. And that, my friends, I cannot abide.

[Ahimsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like the Coens and have some interest in media literacy, it's a fun read. Many of the connections made seem tenuous, however, and the tantalizing promise of the title--that the Coens have created a series of modern folklore tales--is alluded to but sadly not established.