I mentioned in my blog about No Country for Old Men that it was my favorite Coen movie. And that I had seen it 6 times in the theater and several times at home on DVD. Well that is only a drop in the bucket compared to how often I have seen The Big Lebowski. I would wager I have seen it in it's completion between 100-150 times. With several incomplete viewings mixed in as well. No Country is a true piece of art. It is masters at the peak of their craft. Lebowski is something different. It is light and fun and endlessly quotable. It is vulgar, but there is a sense of tenderness at it's core. There are no bad guys, no villians. Everyone is just getting by.
Lebowski is a nod to noir classics within the genre bending style we have come to expect from the Coens. I will try to briefly explain the sidewinder of a plot. The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is a stoner / bowler who is a victim of mistaken identity. His beloved rug (it really tied the room together) was soiled in the process. In attempts to get reimbursed for his rug he get caught up in a possible kidnapping. He then gets involved in brokering a hand off with the kidnappers who happen to be nihilists. He also crosses paths with a modern artist, a pornographer, the sheriff of Malibu, his buddy Walter (a Vietnam vet to the 'enth degree) and amphibious rodent.
Attempting to describe this movie is pointless. It isn't really about the detective story, or the abduction, or any solid aspects. I like to tell people it is about a rug. It is an exercise in film making. The movie that runs closest to it is probably The Long Goodbye directed by Robert Altman. In which Elliot Gould plays a Phillip Marlowe that is about as far away from Bogey as it is going to get. Gould is a free spirit detective in the 70's.
Lebowski is about the joy of watching movies. I remember the first time I watched it I didn't get it at all. The story didn't make any sense. I couldn't understand who all the people were and why they are acting they way they did. I didn't believe everyone's motives. Then the second time I watched it I laughed a little bit at the ridculessness of it. Then more the third time then more and more and more. The real trick in blogging about this movie is for me not to quote this thing into the ground. If you followed my posts and have any knowledge of the movie you must be aware of this.
I don't think the Coen's set out to make a "cult film", but that is exactly what has happened. I am glad to say I am a member of that cult. The fests have been going on for around 8 years now. The home base for them is Louisville, KY. At the Lebowski Fests fan of the films show up and shout lines from the film during screenings (largely profanities), drink White Russians, bowl, and dress up in costume. The interesting thing is that The Achievers (fans of the movie refer to themselves as this based on a line in the film) don't necessarily dress only as characters from the movie. They dress in costumes that refer to single lines of dialogue, or even props or even settings from the movie. For example there is a line where Walter (played brilliantly by John Goodman) shouts "OVER THE LINE" when a competitors toe crosses the safe line on the bowling alley (a lot of the movie takes place in a bowling alley). At this years fest I saw a guy wearing a parquet floor plank as a shirt with red line across the board and his face where the hole was cut out for him to see. Imagine Rocky Horror Picture Show with a little less sexual innuendo.
All in all I really can't recommend Lebowski for the casual fan. If you like the Coen's you have to see it. If you are willing to stick with a movie with a rambling plot, that breaks the 4th wall, and has a guy in an iron lung, a bowling pederast, and a brother Shamus then I say run out and rent it. I will see you at next years fest! I give The Big Lebowski a 4.5/5 stars. It is nearly impossible to find a decent trailer for this movie. Go to YouTube and check it out yourself.
Reviews to come:
Devil
The Rolling Stones concert documentary Ladies and Gentelmen
Night Watch
Animal Kingdom
Dogville
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