Review: Fargo (1996)
Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Written by: Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski, Inside Llewyn Davis, Bridge of Spies)
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Peter Stormare
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Plot: Set in the Midwest, the movie alternates between Minneapolis and North Dakota. The movie initially follows William H. Macy’s Jerry Lundegaard as he plots to have his wife kidnapped; in order to use the ransom from her family to cover for his financial irregularities at work. It then switches to the perspectives of the two men hired to kidnap the wife, and the police chief connecting the dots between the crimes left in the mens wake. The plot is simple yet effective. A plan is made to achieve a certain objective; that plan goes awry, leaving the objective either not achieved or achieved in a reckless fashion, this then leads to further consequences. The film is described as a crime drama on Wikipedia, but it’s more of a dark comedy. Some of the most screwed up scenes had me cackling.
I enjoyed the story overall, but had issues with the lack of dialogue between Lundegaard and his wife. He has a picture of her in his office, but they barely say anything to each other during the movie. Due to this, it is hard to know whether she cares for Macy’s character and vice versa, even if his actions clearly show a lack of care. Knowing why he cared so little would certainly have made the plot even more captivating.
Themes: The Coen brothers emphasized the politeness of Minnesotans, especially during the most awkward events and dialogue. However, it’s evident that they have the capacity to be vulgar when vexed, as seen at various points. The Minnesotan accent is also prominent amongst several characters within the movie, and seems to enhance the politeness at times. In terms of diversity, minorities are poorly portrayed in this movie. There are two non-white people in the entire movie, a native American and an Asian. The movie portrays the native as someone with ties to criminals, who also has previous criminal offences. The Asian is then portrayed as a clingy stalker with mental issues. One could say this was a product of the times, but it was released in 1996 not 1966. Not good enough.
The consequences of plotting using family are in full focus in this movie. Lundegaard’s irresponsible actions led to consequences for him, but even greater consequences for his family. Incredulity at the actions of man is a recurring theme in the work of the brothers — The sheriff in No Country for Old Men being the perfect example — with police chief Marge Gunderson (McDormand) seemingly confused by the shallow motive of the hired men in relation to the damage left in their wake.
The struggles of pregnant working women are superficially examined, with Marge experiencing various symptoms in the movie from morning sickness at a crime scene to various cravings at work, as well as limited mobility in the line of duty. Lastly, the film ensures gratitude for monotonous, regular life is declared. Marge and her husband chat in one of the final scenes, appreciating their steady lives. This is especially in relation to the chaos Marge encounters throughout the film.
Character Development: The main characters in the movie are fairly well rounded individuals, with personality traits evident and consistent in the movie. William H. Macy had been acting for over a decade by the time he starred in this movie, and his skill and experience as an actor are evident here. Macy is Lundegaard, and vice versa. It felt as if no one else could convey the character in such a convincing fashion, a credit to his acting. It turns out the actor knew this as well. According to Macy, he was quite insistent on getting the part. Lundegaard shows his cowardice through his actions i.e. stealing from his workplace (owned by his father-in-law), and then attempting to resolve that by kidnapping the mother of his child for more money from said father-in-law. Other scenes further buttress this, but spoilers are at a minimum. Lundegaard’s self-centered nature is emphasized by his lack of concern for his child’s welfare during the main ordeal of the movie, until someone else mentions it to him.
Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi)’s incompetence is shown at various points of the movie. Even in the first act; the individual who connected Lundegaard to the men said he only vouched for Gaer Grimsurd (Peter Stormare), the other man. Carl’s clumsy actions and inaction directly led to a lot of collateral damage for the men assigned to the aforementioned job. His lecherous nature is told more than shown, but his character is fleshed out enough so the viewer understands the kind of man he is. Grimsurd can safely be said to be a sociopath. This is illustrated by the ease at which he performs crimes and kills his victims. There is no hesitation, no conscience appealing to him, no feeling. He barely speaks, and Showalter was clearly afraid to go against him when he did speak.
There are other scenes like the one in which Grimsurd is validated and Carl not so, scenes which imply but do not declare i.e. Jerry’s poor relationship with his boss is implied, but not stated.
Marge Gunderson was written for Frances McDormand, and while she does a fantastic job, she doesn’t feel made for the role à la Macy playing Lundegaard. She is shown to be a competent police officer through quick and sharp deduction skills throughout the film. The film also shows why she is a highly ranked officer, via implied and overt illustrations of her superior intelligence and work ethic relative to her fellow (usually male) counterparts. Her bravery is demonstrated in various scenes across the movie, doing field work despite her pregnancy and putting herself in danger to resolve cases. She carries her authority well; being polite and a bit jovial, while still recognizing the time to get firm and direct with individuals. Marge and her husband are shown to have a good relationship through a lack of disagreement, surprising each other with little gifts and visits, and clearly enjoying each other’s company sans the roles they play.
Direction: I am nowhere near an expert on camera work and its technicalities, but will give a layman’s assessment. Deakins use of the ARRIFLEX 35 BL4 Camera gave the film a grainy, retro feel to it. Whatever lens was used further enhanced this (supposedly various Zeiss Standard Speed Prime Lenses). The director and cinematographer conveyed the slow pace of Midwestern United States through shots of mundane activities such as Lundegaard driving to the point where the plot commences. Frankly, there are more than a few driving scenes in this movie. This illustrates the usual mode of transportation of that area, as well as how far places are from each other. Deakins also illustrates the vast land area and distance between people’s homes in the setting with wide shots of, well, uninhabited land. The snow, I assume, serves to illustrate how gloomy and monotonous things are in the region at times. The triteness even extends to the cars, they all looked the same for the most part. However, dp and director both made sure to give us a peek at the city of Minneapolis and its skyline, something rarely seen in film. The score to Fargo has a western feel to it, and this is due to It being based on a Norwegian folk song “The Lost Sheep”. Carter Burwell created the score for the movie.
Tension was handled really well in the movie, especially before moments of action. It was slow enough to have you invested, but not too slow to the point where it drags. The acts of violence were usually quick — sometimes sudden — and effective, yet memorable due to the tension. Pacing is slow at first, but it’s worth waiting for when it picks up in the second act. Shout out to a specific scene I liked in the aforementioned act, involving Carl carrying something heavy — and illegal — by the road as a car passes by. Deakins and Coen managed to capture the reactions of Carl, Grimsurd and the random driver almost simultaneously, while cutting a few times. Suffice to say, it was hilarious due to the shock induced and carnage which ensued.
A surprisingly hysterical movie, it sometimes feels as if it shouldn’t be funny but it just is (Dark comedy in a nutshell? I’d say so). Must-watch, should be on any list out there.
A+
