Good and evil have existed since the beginning of mankind. Good defends the righteous, as evil has been bent on destruction. In today’s society, many people believe that good will always triumph over evil. The murderer will eventually be caught by the police; the carjacker will one day meet his doom; the superhero will defeat the evil villain. Simply, in some circumstances, this is not entirely true. Good does not always prevail over evil. This is exceptionally true in the movie No Country for Old Men by the Coen brothers. The dominant theme in the Coen brother’s movie is evil.
The movie No Country for Old Men is based on a book by Cormac McCarthy. According to Lan Buckwalter, “McCarthy's bloody and beautiful novel comes to life under the Coen's able touch” (1/1). The movie No Country for Old Men tells a tale of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell’s life as he tries to exonerate the country of the increasing evil in a region where his father and grandfather once served as sheriff. Bell inclined to sheriff at the age of twenty five. According to Bell, he was remarkably proud to become a sheriff (1/7). He represents a large significance of good in the Coen brother’s film. The code of law that Bell represents is honorable. He tries firmly to remain loyal to his beliefs and save people while protect his country from violence. Sheriff Bell is the only main character in No Country for Old Men that is not corrupted by human society’s influences. Sheriff Bell symbolizes the honesty and integrity that is being overcome by the corruption of other characters in the film. Bell sated, “I always knew you had to be willing to die to even do this job” (1/7). He was a man of many morals, and he was willing to put his life on the line for his country. Bell tri...
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...nd a chilly sensation of terror down one’s body. The bizarre and perplexed mind of Anton Chigurh is unreal. He murders innocent people without mercy as if he does not possess a conscience for human society. No Country for Old Men leaves behind a stunned sensation of having witnessed a ruthless application of evil.
Works Cited
Buckwalter, Lan. "Out of Frame: No Country for Old Men." DCist: Washington DC News. 9 Nov. 2007. Web. 01 Apr. 2011. .
God. Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 2001. Print.
McCarthy, Cormac. No Country for Old Men. New York: Knopf, 2005. Print.
Radcliffe, Vinnie. "No Country For Old Men: A Somewhat Complete Analysis." Full Frontal. 13 Mar. 2008. Web. 02 Apr. 2011. .
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