Barton Fink & Miller's Crossing

by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

The award winning Barton Fink is a dark psychological thriller set in Hollywood in the 1940s. It concerns an aspiring writer who gradually becomes sucked into a grisly world of violence and terror. Miller's Crossing reinvents the 1930s gangster film in a complex story of love, friendship, and betrayal.

Also in this edition is an introduction by Coen brothers' sometime editor Roderick Jaynes, who offers a rare insight into their world.

Genres: Film, Media Tie In, Crime

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are four-time Academy Award winning American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy) to film noir (Miller's Crossing, Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, No Country for Old Men), to movies where genres blur together (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Barton Fink). The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly, although until recently Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing. They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing film credits for editor under the alias Roderick Jaynes. They are known in the film business as "the two-headed director", as they share such a similar vision of what their films are to be that actors say that they can approach either brother with a question and get the same answer.

Reviews

[J Allan Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful pair of screenplays in one book. Many know the story but for those who don't, the Coens got writer's block about midway through 'Miller's Crossing' and wrote 'Barton Fink' (which is, among other things, about writers block) in order to clear their minds. They then returned to 'Miller's Crossing' and funished it up. When both scripts were completed, they made the films back to back and released them less than a year apart. While they bear some loose similarities, the two films are incredibly different from each other. 'Barton Fink,' the more puzzling of the two, swept festivals internationally, picking up numerous awards and nonimations; critics loved it, hated it, people talk talk talked about. 'Miller's Crossing,' the more restrained and straight forward film, went by quietly and without much buzz. Coen fans can get sucked down a rabbit hole of debate in regards to which is the better film. Both scripts are moving and powerful in there own way; 'Barton Fink' for it's confounding narritive, psychological horror, surrealism and fablesque denouement; 'Miller's Crossing' for it's tightly chisled characters, dialogue, and structure. It's a story that whistles like the wind through a densly wooded forest. It is quiet and meloncholly with bursts of violence and existential humor. I loved reading both screenplays but for me, 'Miller's Crossing' was the real treat. Also, very worth reading is the introduction by Roderick Jaynes for the strange irony you will find in it. This book is a real gem.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The screenplays are beautifully rendered, and as joyful to read as the movies are to see. But the real gem is the introduction by the film editor the Coens knew from his work on Beyond Mombassa. He was very good with over-the-shoulder shots, and the Coens needed him from their movies.

[Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading, re-reading, re-re-reading. Simply brilliant!

[S D]

The story is that Joel Coen was writing Miller’s Crossing, got writer’s block, and wrote Barton Fink to work through Miller’s Crossing.

Barton Fink is by far the inferior work. A mix-match of idea upon idea, it is ultimately a meandering piece with an unlikable protagonist. I understand its cynical and mocking attitude towards art film, the story loses its charm. Mocking of pretentious art films might only be effective as short since it’s utterly obnoxious as a film. A better version of this story is Kaufman's Adaptation.

However, Barton Fink is a necessary evil considering Miller’s Crossing is nothing sort of a spectacular achievement.

As a side note, Miller’s Crossing loves hats and Barton Fink loves heads.

Finally, I feel I know when Coen went back on Miller’s crossing. It’s the scene when Tom goes to kill Bernie. My evidence? None, except for that’s when I believe that the film really starts to run, becoming something glorious.

Best Line:
Miller’s Crossing - What heart?
Barton Fink - They say I'm a madman, Barton, but I'm not mad at anyone.

[Drahcir10001 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The film Miller's Crossing is intentionally fast-talking and complicated - a tribute to the great double-crossing thriller noirs of the 40s - and the screenplay of MC stands with that of The Big Lebowski as one of pure enjoyment.

Even if you've watched the film a few times and know it by heart, the screenplay is a joy. It's one of my favourite books to have with me on a long flight. If the inflight selection disappoints I can rewatch Millers Crossing via the screenplay.

Moreover, the short introduction to these screenplays is hilarious: pitch-perfect self-mockery and a damning critique of the Coen film oeuvre. It is authored by "british" editor "Roderick Jaynes" who is of course the Coens themselves. 5 stars.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tremendous.

[Mariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The screenplays for two outstanding Coen brothers films, Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink. Not just for the nerds, the Barton Fink screenplay interested me as a study on writer's block, as written. The Coens went through their own struggles with the mental impotence as Barton does in the story. They wrote this script initially as an exercise to get past it. (Only Joel gets a writing credit, and I take that as another good reason to read the scripts too. To see that on film it was really a sharing writing thing, paper or no.) I thought that was a pretty nifty idea, myself, writing about writer's block, and the egoism of writing, and how much it sucks to put it all out there to begin with. (Paul Thomas Anderson picked a random novel, Oil! to adapt when experiencing the block for himself. What started as a practice of adapting one or two chapters turned into There Will Be Blood. I kinda collect these kinds of stories. It's inspirational to me 'cause I get stuck a lot.)

I loved it on an early '90s episode of The Simpsons when Millhouse bragged to Bart that they were sneaking into an r-rated film: "Barton Fink!" (Millhouse looks a lot like Barton. I thought it was funny, anyway.)

John Turturro played Barton Fink and Bernie in Miller's Crossing. I was already a fan after seeing Quiz Show in 1994. It wasn't until seeing in '96 his performance in Miller's Crossing that I was so impressed that I had to seek out every single thing he's ever done (sadly, his stints in The Transformers films cooled that ardor a bit. Guess I have standards, after all. I even watched that crappy Jodie Foster movie that Dennis Hopper tried to pass off as an Alan Smithee film.) The scene where he begged for his life impressed the hell out of me. The brothers let him fly free. You won't get that kinda stuff in the scripts. Some of the beauty in the Coen films is the combined wavelength brilliance. What one brother writes on paper, another knew exactly where to go on film, whether they wrote it or not as a kinda same mental click process. (The only person I'd ever be able to do that with is my twin.) I'd recommend reading the scripts to see the brains and then watch the movies for the heart. It's hard to believe they were at a loss when the films are so rich.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barton fink 5 stars. Terrific!