In 1984 the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan) released their first feature film. Blood Simple. It is a gritty story about murder, infidelity, jealousy and extortion. It is also a modern noir masterpiece. If you are a fan of the Coen's other works (Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Barton Fink, ect.) I strongly urge you to see this film if you haven't already. From a thematic standpoint, this movie contains elements of most all of their later works. It is not difficult to see there fingerprints all over this film.
Visually this movie is a near perfect. It contains some haunting shots that will stick in my memory for a long time to come. The lighting is impeccable. There are cuts and edits that as I watched, I thought to myself "This is the best editing I have ever seen". Not since Orson Wells' Citizen Kane can I think of a directors debut film that is constructed from such a unique vision and directed with total and absolute precision. I know that sounds hyperbolic, but I am struggling to come up with a better / more fully conceived first film. I believe that Blood Simple looks exactly like what the Coen's wanted it to. That is an achievement in and of it's self. Sam Rami of Evil Dead fame was a mentor to the Coen's early on and it shows in many of their camera movements and angles. And I don't consider that to be a bad thing. The music, score, and sound in general add to the story without ever drawing attention to itself. I hate it when I am supposed to be filled with excitement or suspense during a movie and the director doesn't trust his camera so they swell the music just to make sure I'm invested.
The acting is good across the board, and in one case it shines like a super nova. M. Emmet Walsh's performance is spectacular. He plays a sleazy Texas private eye in a role that was written with him in mind. Picture Strother Martin with lazy Texas draw and a total deprivation of a moral compass. Frances McDormand is good as the scorned lover as well. The films DP (director of photography) is Barry Sonnenfeld. An accomplished DP and director.
I don't want to get into the particulars of this movie. I think it would be better as a discovery piece. This movie twists and turns the story around. We never know who the good guys are, or if there are any to begin with. One thing I love about Blood Simple is that it takes it time without feeling fatigued. There is nothing wrong with pausing that extra couple of seconds to truly solidify the mood or surrounding. Every scene and shot directly relates to the past one and pushes the next one. I can't say enough about this movie.
Tonight was only the second time I have watched Blood Simple and I can already call this marathon a success. It was good upon the first viewing, now it is quickly moving up my all time favorite list. This year Chinese director Yimou Zhang has made an Asian remake of Blood Simple called "A Woman, A Gun, and a Noodle Shop". Reviews have been mixed. I will attach a trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMGBQDpfLnc&feature=related
Tomorrow night will be The Coen's 2nd film, Raising Arizona. The slap stick child abduction story, and for my money Nick Cage's all time best performance. I know most of you will not be following along with this marathon, and that's cool, but if you get the chance Blood Simple is getting an extremely high review from me. I give it 4.5/5 stars. For more information check out the link below for a trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE07qwfKCRw
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