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In Reply to: RE: Fargo was practically a comedy like Raising Arizona posted by Jazz Inmate on February 19, 2008 at 17:10:44
hardly are knee-slappers.
You didn't address any of the critical points I raised.
It's a nihilistic film.
I don't think anyone could see "Fargo" and think it was comedic. It was terribly brutal but it also showed some human feeling, expressed most often as humor, though the sheer number of murders and their brutality were as dark as those in any film. Hell, even Shakespeare, in a tragedy such as "Hamlet," balanced it with a few sprinkles of humor. Did those ruin the tragedy for you?
Film noir classics almost always had the bad guys get their just desserts. Showing them getting away, after a terrific shootout, rarely occurred but NEVER did they escape because of the cowardice of their pursuers.
It's an entertaining film, JI, but art shouldn't debase humanity.
Follow Ups:
No doubt there is a sardonic wit that runs through their films. Even in Miller's Crossing, when Turturro is pleading for his life, it's a very thin line between his acting there and outright farce. I didn't say the comedy ruined anything. The first time I ran through Fargo, I didn't even catch the humor. Now I can't see Buscemi's face without cracking up. As in Shakespeare, those levity devices make the tragedy easier to take and let's face it: part of the Coens' gift is their sense of humor and timing. But to really tackle a story like No Country, they needed to dispense with it, and I'm glad they did. Had they made this film in the 90s, scenes like the coin flip scene in the convenience store would have been peppered with humor. Instead, the Coens made sure the drama escalated with no hint of levity. That is a great achievement.As for debasing humanity, far from it. The protagonist and Llewelyn and his wife each faced inhumanity without giving in to it. Evil can never be defeated, but when you're no longer gung-ho to face it and fight it, it's time to step aside. That was part of the message of the film.
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"I have found that if you love life, life will love you back." -Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982)
...taking a nap in Crawford...)
Too many films and idiots are not in their right places, it seems.
Regards
BF
Some humorous moments to be sure, but not a comedy.
There's a muscle on her arm
With a red and blue tatoo
That says
Fort Worth I love you
.
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