Twenty years after its premiere, the movie remains a quotable classic.
Laurie Ulster Mar 8, 2016
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Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her role as police chief Marge Gunderson in "Fargo." (Photo: Gramercy Pictures/Photofest)
Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her role as police chief Marge Gunderson in "Fargo." (Photo: Gramercy Pictures/Photofest)
“OK, so we got a trooper pulls someone over, we got a shooting, these folks drive by, there's a high-speed pursuit, ends here and then this execution-type deal.”
In 1996, an indie movie called Fargo took Hollywood by storm. Directed by Joel Coen, written by Joel and his brother Ethan, and produced by Ethan—like all of the Coen Brothers movies—Fargo told the story of Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a deep-in-debt car salesman, whose plan to have his wife kidnapped and then split the ransom with the kidnappers goes predictably and terribly wrong. Local police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), sporting a thick “Minnesota nice” accent and a belly full of baby, investigates three
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The snow, the cold, the emptiness of the parking lot, the blizzard outside, even the buffet, take more of the spotlight as each moment gets to breathe a little without the distraction of fearing for Marge's safety. In the thick of bleak snowy landscapes, iced-in cars, and chilling wind, the movie has a warmth that comes from Marge Gunderson and the world she lives in, where her husband gets out of bed to make her eggs and she makes a pit stop during an investigation to pick him up some night
The foils of everyday life make for surprisingly quality entertainment. This concept may appear quite counterintuitive, but it is constantly proven true in Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1996 film Fargo. Beyond the film’s oddball subject matter lies a surplus of middle class misfortunes and simpleton fodder. These seemingly extraneous components of the film are actually extremely crucial to the atmosphere the Coen brothers created. Despite having such a lack of regard for human life, the film still is extremely relatable to the common man and blue collar USA. This is exactly what Joel and Ethan Coen were aiming for with this film. They were trying to create as relatable and real of an atmosphere as possible. This persistence to creating a believable
I would like to inform everyone that the movie Tombstone began as an act of violence. At the beginning, Curly Bill and his boys shot and killed several people at a wedding, including the groom in Tombstone, Arizona. Shortly after, Wyatt, his brother, and their wives decided move to Tombstone and settle down and make money. Wyatt wanted to start a new life in Tombstone without partaking in law enforcement. Soon afterwards, Wyatt saw an old friend named Doc Holiday once he moved to Tombstone. Holiday was gambler and he developed Tuberculosis that was gradually taking over his health. Later, Wyatt was making money from gambling and he finally met with the bad boys and their leader Curly Bill. Even though Wyatt was not a part of law enforcement;
Incohesive, long, and dialogue-heavy, Inherent Vice has all the potential to flounder. Yet under the steady (or rather, wild) hands of director Paul Thomas Anderson, the film becomes a psychedelic, incredibly enjoyable ride brimming with wit and melancholy. The film follows Larry ‘Doc’ Sportello (played in routinely magnificent fashion by the now ever-reliable Joaquin Phoenix), and his exploits to help his ex-girlfriend, Shasta Fey (Katherine Waterston, also exquisite) investigate a kidnapping of notorious real-estate billionaire Mickey Wolfmann. From there, the plot descends (or ascends, depending on your perspective of the film) into sumptuous lunacy; a mystery involving the coveted and secretive
An early scene in George Roy Hill’s film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) shows illustrious bandit Butch Cassidy walking into a bank and observing a series of security upgrades (e.g. an alarm system, a safe, and several different locks). As Butch Cassidy exits the establishment, he asks the security guard, “What happened to the old bank?” The guard responds, “People kept robbing it.” Butch remarks, “Small price to pay for beauty.” Although Butch Cassidy’s disappointed assertion may have been rooted in disappointment for the loss of a heist rather than the loss of architectural merit, it leads one to question: To what extent are cultural attributes lost at the expense of new technology? I will consider this question as I examine the ways in which Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid highlights the
Defiance is a movie based on a true story of four Polish Jewish Bielski brothers that were trying to survive from Nazi Army during World War II. The movie started with Hitler ordering his army to kill Poland’s Jewish Citizen. During that time, the Polish Police worked closely with Nazis and they gave the whereabout of Bielski’s location. The Nazis successful found and murdered the parents of Bielski brothers. After this event, the two older brothers, Tuvia and Zus, took the two younger siblings, Aasel and Aron, in Belorussian forest to hide and find a shelter. While they were settling in the forest, they invited several other Jews who are escaping from Nazis and create a little community in the forest. As a result, group norms were formed
“Do you have the slightest idea what a moral or ethical principle is?” Deontology, or the adherence of one’s actions to a certain moral or ethical principle of operation, stands as an intruiging philosophy by itself. The opening sentence of this essay clearly possesses relevance to deontology. However, the quote does not originate from any philosopher, but instead from Jack Torrance of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. The film, from a superficial point of view, stands as an atmospheric horror film. However, instead of providing audiences with just a technically proficient film, Kubrick weaves the grounds for a foreboding subtext throughout his film. This essay examines The Shining by examining Robert Tonkin’s distinction between religion and
Cinema Du Parc is a reportery theatre that showcases independent films, whether it be arthouse or international cinema. It is located on Parc Avenue in Downtown Montreal, specifically inside a plaza filled with institutions such as cofee shops, grocery and clothing stores...
A genre convention of crime TV drama (depending on the general brand of that particular genre), visual and technical codes are very important to the aesthetic of the show. In the opening for Fargo season 2 episode 7, the actions are displayed in a montage, with non-diegetic rock music, from the show’s era, playing loudly over the scenes. This, along with the violence that occurs, highlights the black comedy aspect of the show, accompanied by the various cinematography techniques utilised throughout. The various close-ups used successfully display the emotions of each character, ranging from the ‘deep in thought’ Mike Milligan, to the juxtaposing shots of the various characters being assassinated in different, darkly comedic ways,
From Cowboys and Indians to the United States Cavalry. That’s right, I’m talking about western movies, these movies have it all. Out of all the famous westerns that just about everybody knows, the one that stands out has John Wayne and Montgomery Clift as the two main characters. John Wayne starred in plenty of movies during his acting career, but the best one John Wayne starred in was Red River this movie is also known as The River is Red both were released on September 17, 1948; although most people don’t think of John Wayne as the fatherly type, but reading this just might change their minds.
Sex, love, depression, guilt, trust, all are topics presented in this remarkably well written and performed drama. The Flick, a 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning drama by Annie Baker, serves to provide a social commentary which will leave the audience deep in thought well after the curtain closes. Emporia State Universities Production of this masterpiece was a masterpiece in itself, from the stunningly genuine portrayal of the characters of Avery and Rose, to the realism found within the set, every aspect of the production was superb.
Have you ever seen snow before? That white fluffy stuff that covers the ground completely. Well if you have, I am sure you have overcome an obstacle in your life and have reached something “irreplaceable and beautiful” (102). Just like Sister Zoe had said when she saw that snow falling from the sky. This story was very enlightening because the way the author brought in herself and portrayed herself through the character Yolanda was very intriguing. She brought the subject to life in many ways. However, the author of “Snow” uses two specific elements, its symbolism and its character to prove how overtime one individual will be able to overcome obstacles. Not only does theses elements point this out but the narrator also makes an impact of the reader as well.
Going to the movies is an experience that everyone can enjoy, and while most people have an idea of what genre of movie they are partial to, there are some movies that will appeal to almost any crowd. I recently took my two nieces, ages ten and thirteen, to see the 2014 musical Into the Woods, and in the audience there was a large group of teenagers, a couple families that had brought their preteen and teenage children, and even some adults that had gone to see it for their own enjoyment. There are numerous aspects of a movie that can catch a person’s attention, and the film producers of Into the Woods knew exactly how to draw in the desired crowd. In order to do this, the filmmakers used both ethos and pathos to appeal to their intended preteen, teenage, and adult audiences.
1980. Warner Bros. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Music by Wendy Carlos and Rcachel Elkind. Cinematography by John Alcott. Editing by Ray Lovejoy. With Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd.
Based on a true story, the movie ‘Lone Survivor’ features four Navy SEALs that set out on a mission to Afghanistan with orders to capture and kill Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. The Navy SEALS are detected by villagers and the mission was compromised. Ultimately, the mission had been discovered and the men found themselves surrounded by dozens of Taliban soldiers. One of the Navy SEAL soldiers managed to dispatch to base and retrieve assistance but the Taliban shoot down the helicopter. During battle, three of the Navy SEAL soldiers were killed leaving one still alive.
‘Our interest in the parallels between the adaptation inter-texts is further enhanced by consideration of their marked differences in textual form,’