Fargo (1996)

Fargo (1996)

Starring: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, and Steve Buscemi.

Directed By: Joel and Ethan Coen

Plot: Jerry Lundegaard is a Minneapolis car salesman who is desperate for money.  So he decides to hire two criminals to kidnap his wife, have his father-in-law pay an $80,000 ransom, and split the money with the criminals.  However, soon after the plan is put into motion, things go awry and three people end up getting killed.  This brings in Marge Gunderson, a local police chief, who investigates the triple homicide, despite being seven months pregnant.  However, as she digs deeper, she discovers that there's more to these murders than meets the eye.  Will Jerry and the criminals get away with their crimes, or will Marge be able to hunt them down?

"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."

Characters: This movie has a great cast, full of amazing actors.  Every character has unique personalities and characters tics that help them stand out from each other.  While many of them seem larger-than-life in an unrealistic way, it fits with the black comedy tone of the film.

"Ah, hon, ya' got Arby's all over me."

Jerry Lundegaard is a weak, spineless, and nervous car-salesman, who wants more money in order to prove his masculinity to his father-in-law.  His intentions for making the deal with the criminals are somewhat good, since he wants to be the one who provides for his family and get his self-esteem back.  However, when things go bad for his plan, instead of coming clean and helping the police, he continues with the plan and digs himself deeper into the mess.  William H. Macy was the perfect choice for this character, as he perfectly portrays the cowardly nature of the character while also making him sympathetic.

"Ma'am, I answered your question! I answered the darned... I'm cooperatin' here!"

Carl Showalter is a weaselly criminal who has no regard for human life, and he helps with the kidnapping and ransom of Jerry's wife.  He may talk big and show off to others, but like Jerry, has very little power outside his own little world.  His partner gets more things done than he does, and he goes along with it in order to save his hide.  However, as the film goes on and more and more things go wrong, he starts to become more aggressive and bold, which reveals that he has a pretty scary side that he probably never knew he had.  Steve Buscemi's performance fits the character excellently, giving him a sort of unique charm that blends seamlessly with his less admirable qualities.

"Just keep it still back there, lady, or we're going to have to, you know, shoot you."

Marge Gunderson is probably the only truly good person in this movie.  She works hard at her job as police chief, she loves her husband, and she seems to have her life sorted out.  Her sheer dedication to her job is admirable enough, and the fact that she's seven months pregnant makes her feats even more impressive.  One of her best moments is when she's interviewing Jerry Lundegaard about the tan Ciera that's connected to the murders.  Her relationship with her husband is very sweet to watch, but it's realistic enough to keep it from becoming saccharine.  On paper, she might seem like a bland character that doesn't go through a change, but Frances McDormand's performance adds charm, warmth, and a boatload of personality.  Her "Minnesota niceness" persona (while it does add to some of the comedy) doesn't detract from her greatness as a character, and makes her feats as a character even more pronounced.

"There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day."

Writing: This film's script is fantastic in many different ways.  The Cohen brothers do a great job at blending drama with dark comedy in every scene.  The use of the archetypal Minnesotan mannerisms add to a lot of the humor, whether people are trying to describe what Carl looks like, or when they're describing a murder.  While this may seem stereotypical and possibly offensive to people who live in that area, it is also handled respectfully in other scenes, such as when Marge interacts with her husband.  The inherent niceness of their culture makes the scenes very sweet to watch.

"Well, the little guy was kinda funny-lookin'."

But the movie is just full of jokes.  It also contains a lot of strong themes woven throughout the story.  There's the theme of perceived masculinity, which pushes Jerry to have his wife kidnapped.  He wanted to be seen as a "real man" by his peers, especially his father-in-law, and the only way he can think of achieving that is by looking like a hero and providing for his family with the ransom money.  There's also the theme of greed which pushes the criminals and Jerry, especially Carl.  By the end of the movie, he's pushed so far by the need for the ransom money, that he becomes nearly insane.  One final theme is that of the facades that people put on in order to be accepted.  This is hinted at during Marge's conversation with Mike Yanagita and is made explicitly clear with her interviews with Jerry.  This is even true with the Minnesotan location itself, as the inhabitants' friendly exteriors mask their dark secrets.  All of these themes make the film a richer experience with each viewing, and leave a lot to be analyzed.

Mike Yanagita

Production: The look of this film is very impressive, despite not being very visually exciting at first glance.  The masterful cinematography makes the mid-western winter look especially cold, with the constant use of pale colors, giving the audience an empty feeling, which contrasts against the warm personalities of many of the people who live there.  Some of the shots feel almost haunting, with the vast expanses of white snow giving no signs of life.

The entrance to Brainerd

Carter Burwell's score very beautiful and haunting, and fits the tone of the film perfectly.  It can be grand and sweeping, like in the very first scene, but it can also be very understated.  It's a great track that should be acknowledged more.

Trivia:

• William H. Macy believed that he was the best person for the role after he read the script.  When the Cohen brothers didn't contact him after he did two readings for the part, he flew to New York, where they were just about to start production, in order to convince them that he was perfect for the role.  
• In order to perfect her Minnesotan accent, Francis McDormand worked with the actress who played "Hooker #1".
• The duck paintings shown in the Gundersons' house were painted by close friends of the Cohen brothers.
• Despite the disclaimer at the beginning of the film, the movie is not based on a true story.  The Cohen brothers thought that if they put that message there, the audience would suspend their disbelief in the story.

Final Verdict: Fargo is nothing less than a cinematic masterpiece.  The cinematography is awe-inspiring, the characters are unique and memorable, and the writing is hilarious and complex.  It's definitely a must watch for anyone who has any interest in classic movies.  The only reason you shouldn't watch it is if you can't handle the sight of violence and blood in movies, since there's a fair amount of it in the movie.  Otherwise, I highly recommend it.    

Next time, we'll take a look at the final installment of the Cornetto Trilogy.

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