No Country For Old Men
I) Institutions
The thriller film I am studying is no country for old men. This is a thriller film set in the ‘old west’ of America. The directors of this film are the Coen brothers, Ethan and joel. The production company used for this film was ‘paramount vantage’ & ‘miramax’ productions. The film was released on the 18th January 2008. The film was obviously shot in the USA due to its background and actors. The box office return of the film was a staggering $25’000’000.
II) AudienceAs all the protagonists in the film are male, the film is set in the 'wild west' a naturally male environment surrounded with guns, cowboys, dynamite and a variety of other stereotypical wild west items. The main 'quest' of the film, is down to money. An assassin has been hired to hunt down the money that a local man found whilst he was hunting. As the film was rated a 15, i believe that the audience, was aimed at males, from teens to older years. As the film was full of male protagonists, bar one woman, filmed by a pair of brothers, you can see how it is that the audience is quite clearly male. This is a mixed review I found about the film:958 out of 1398 people found the following review useful: Wish I loved it (Spoilers), 12 December 2007 Author: littlegoldwoman from The Woodlands, Texas*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I have a plea out on the message boards for someone to please explain this movie to me. I love movies and I am not one of those who insist on only being hand fed obvious characters and plots. I enjoy movies that make you think and use symbolism. But I honestly did not understand this film. Im not saying its horrible but I will say I don't think it deserves the ratings it is getting. I personally rated it a 1 because I feel compelled to balance out the absurd over ratings it is getting. What I saw was two men fighting over the same two million dollars. One who is somewhat good and obviously poor and the other who is this maniac psycho killer. Im not even sure its his money, how he knows about it or why he even wants it. None of that was clarified. The good guy is running with the money the bad guy is chasing him the sheriff seems like he is supposed to be chasing them but doesn't really want to and would rather be some sort of hillbilly philosopher about the whole thing. Then the good guy suddenly dies. The bad guy escapes death by the skin of his teeth AGAIN the money disappears and the sheriff retires but not becoming so philosophical that the whole movie just ends right there at his dinner table with him rambling on about some dreams he had. Again I would love to figure out this movie. I am a 40 year old movie buff Academy Award trivia expert I own over 700 movies I've been a member here for 6 years And I have a college degree. Maybe I ate too many milk duds or something but it went right over my head. If you are looking for a Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind MUST SEE A SECOND OR THIRD TIME TO FULLY UNDERSTAND kind of movie then go for it! If you think you are going to see a Titanic, The Green Mile or Silence Of the Lambs kind of movie where the plot unfolds at a normal pace and doesn't make you search for answers and meaning then don't go see this thing. Again, not a bad movie. Great acting, cinematography, pace.... the works... just incredibly difficult to understand after the first half. In fact the first half is very good, suspenseful.. second half does not fulfill. Leaves you hanging and wanting more. OK Im done. Thanks for reading. __________________________________________________________________________________ As we can see, this review is giving a mixed review, not saying its good, or bad, but difficult to understand. This is showing us typically that this more masculine film, is typically more difficult to understand, just like a man. Here is a quite different review which i found very interesting: If this doesn't end my year in the top two films of the year then we are in for one hell of an awesome year of movies. The new film from two of the best filmmakers working today No Country For Old Men shows the talents of the Coen Brothers on top form. After a couple of disappointments (Intolerable Cruelty had flashes of Coen genius but felt more of a Coen imitation than the real thing; Ladykillers had the odd funny moment but was the blandest film the brothers ever made, and there's just no excusing Marlon Wayans!) they knock this violent western drama out of the park. More in the vein of their superb early mostly-serious efforts Blood Simple and Miller's Crossing (my personal favourite of the Coen back catalogue) No Country For Old Men is a slow-moving, character-driven masterpiece about uncompromising and uncompromised characters. It is very violent and bloody and not always for the squeamish. Shot through with moments of humor these come, as in life, from real situations and observations so don't be fooled into thinking this will be the serious film with goofy-characters Coens of Fargo. No Country For Old Men is a tough, gritty story. The unrelenting pace may take its time but you are gripped every moment. This is a thriller that genuinely thrills. Javier Bardem gives the best performance of his career. And, yes, I have seen The Sea Inside and he in superb in that but here he is simply extraordinary. It is a portrayal of unrelenting evil, of true derangement, of a human being with no shreds of humanity that ranks at the very top of studied film psychopaths. And I say film not movie because this is not a clichéd character. This is not a character whose lunacy you enjoy over popcorn. This is one of the most frightening performances ever committed to celluloid. I felt truly nervous of what was going to happen every time he walked on screen. Josh Brolin essentially carries the bulk of the movie and he is excellent in a role that challenges him. I have never seen him perform to this level and if Bardem didn't steal the film you'd be talking about Brolin all the way home. As it is this gives him a showcase for his talents that should see him get a lot more attention. Tommy Lee Jones is used sparingly but to great effect. Sounding more like Michael Parks than ever before his scenes pepper the movie with a wearied view on a world he doesn't really like or understand to great effect. I did find Stephen Root a little distracting as i have never seen him in a serious role before and he just looks amusing but he is in very little. Roger Deakins' cinematography is breathtaking as usual and the Coens' script is superbly crafted. There are moments, almost asides from the main plot, that would be superfluous in most scripts and excised in most studio films but which work perfectly in the overall context of the movie as only the Coens can achieve. One scene featuring Bardem in a gas station is up there with the best scenes i have ever seen on film. I have not gone into the plot here because I saw this film having not read Cormac McCarthy novel and knowing little other than the basic log-line - a man out hunting comes upon a scene of dead bodies, guns, drugs and money on the Mexican border and comes to the attention of both those behind the scene and a local world-wearied sheriff - and i think that's the way to see this film. Go in knowing as little as you can but knowing at least this: this is a serious, violent, slow-paced character piece from the Coens. This is not a Fargo. If you are squeamish don't see it. If you have a short-attention span don't see it. If you only love the Coens for their fantastic comedies like O Brother and Big Lebowski and the comedy/thriller Fargo don't see it. But if you want to see an intelligent, superbly acted, powerful, beautiful cinematic treat that will remind you of the true power of cinema see it, see it, see it. It's a masterpiece. Bravo Ethan and Joel. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ This review is giving the Coen brothers a wonderful review. Giving it strong feeling, of power, technology, and general brilliance. The review is constantly referring to the brilliance of the film.
I) Institutions
The thriller film I am studying is no country for old men. This is a thriller film set in the ‘old west’ of America. The directors of this film are the Coen brothers, Ethan and joel. The production company used for this film was ‘paramount vantage’ & ‘miramax’ productions. The film was released on the 18th January 2008. The film was obviously shot in the USA due to its background and actors. The box office return of the film was a staggering $25’000’000.
II) AudienceAs all the protagonists in the film are male, the film is set in the 'wild west' a naturally male environment surrounded with guns, cowboys, dynamite and a variety of other stereotypical wild west items. The main 'quest' of the film, is down to money. An assassin has been hired to hunt down the money that a local man found whilst he was hunting. As the film was rated a 15, i believe that the audience, was aimed at males, from teens to older years. As the film was full of male protagonists, bar one woman, filmed by a pair of brothers, you can see how it is that the audience is quite clearly male. This is a mixed review I found about the film:958 out of 1398 people found the following review useful: Wish I loved it (Spoilers), 12 December 2007 Author: littlegoldwoman from The Woodlands, Texas*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I have a plea out on the message boards for someone to please explain this movie to me. I love movies and I am not one of those who insist on only being hand fed obvious characters and plots. I enjoy movies that make you think and use symbolism. But I honestly did not understand this film. Im not saying its horrible but I will say I don't think it deserves the ratings it is getting. I personally rated it a 1 because I feel compelled to balance out the absurd over ratings it is getting. What I saw was two men fighting over the same two million dollars. One who is somewhat good and obviously poor and the other who is this maniac psycho killer. Im not even sure its his money, how he knows about it or why he even wants it. None of that was clarified. The good guy is running with the money the bad guy is chasing him the sheriff seems like he is supposed to be chasing them but doesn't really want to and would rather be some sort of hillbilly philosopher about the whole thing. Then the good guy suddenly dies. The bad guy escapes death by the skin of his teeth AGAIN the money disappears and the sheriff retires but not becoming so philosophical that the whole movie just ends right there at his dinner table with him rambling on about some dreams he had. Again I would love to figure out this movie. I am a 40 year old movie buff Academy Award trivia expert I own over 700 movies I've been a member here for 6 years And I have a college degree. Maybe I ate too many milk duds or something but it went right over my head. If you are looking for a Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind MUST SEE A SECOND OR THIRD TIME TO FULLY UNDERSTAND kind of movie then go for it! If you think you are going to see a Titanic, The Green Mile or Silence Of the Lambs kind of movie where the plot unfolds at a normal pace and doesn't make you search for answers and meaning then don't go see this thing. Again, not a bad movie. Great acting, cinematography, pace.... the works... just incredibly difficult to understand after the first half. In fact the first half is very good, suspenseful.. second half does not fulfill. Leaves you hanging and wanting more. OK Im done. Thanks for reading. __________________________________________________________________________________ As we can see, this review is giving a mixed review, not saying its good, or bad, but difficult to understand. This is showing us typically that this more masculine film, is typically more difficult to understand, just like a man. Here is a quite different review which i found very interesting: If this doesn't end my year in the top two films of the year then we are in for one hell of an awesome year of movies. The new film from two of the best filmmakers working today No Country For Old Men shows the talents of the Coen Brothers on top form. After a couple of disappointments (Intolerable Cruelty had flashes of Coen genius but felt more of a Coen imitation than the real thing; Ladykillers had the odd funny moment but was the blandest film the brothers ever made, and there's just no excusing Marlon Wayans!) they knock this violent western drama out of the park. More in the vein of their superb early mostly-serious efforts Blood Simple and Miller's Crossing (my personal favourite of the Coen back catalogue) No Country For Old Men is a slow-moving, character-driven masterpiece about uncompromising and uncompromised characters. It is very violent and bloody and not always for the squeamish. Shot through with moments of humor these come, as in life, from real situations and observations so don't be fooled into thinking this will be the serious film with goofy-characters Coens of Fargo. No Country For Old Men is a tough, gritty story. The unrelenting pace may take its time but you are gripped every moment. This is a thriller that genuinely thrills. Javier Bardem gives the best performance of his career. And, yes, I have seen The Sea Inside and he in superb in that but here he is simply extraordinary. It is a portrayal of unrelenting evil, of true derangement, of a human being with no shreds of humanity that ranks at the very top of studied film psychopaths. And I say film not movie because this is not a clichéd character. This is not a character whose lunacy you enjoy over popcorn. This is one of the most frightening performances ever committed to celluloid. I felt truly nervous of what was going to happen every time he walked on screen. Josh Brolin essentially carries the bulk of the movie and he is excellent in a role that challenges him. I have never seen him perform to this level and if Bardem didn't steal the film you'd be talking about Brolin all the way home. As it is this gives him a showcase for his talents that should see him get a lot more attention. Tommy Lee Jones is used sparingly but to great effect. Sounding more like Michael Parks than ever before his scenes pepper the movie with a wearied view on a world he doesn't really like or understand to great effect. I did find Stephen Root a little distracting as i have never seen him in a serious role before and he just looks amusing but he is in very little. Roger Deakins' cinematography is breathtaking as usual and the Coens' script is superbly crafted. There are moments, almost asides from the main plot, that would be superfluous in most scripts and excised in most studio films but which work perfectly in the overall context of the movie as only the Coens can achieve. One scene featuring Bardem in a gas station is up there with the best scenes i have ever seen on film. I have not gone into the plot here because I saw this film having not read Cormac McCarthy novel and knowing little other than the basic log-line - a man out hunting comes upon a scene of dead bodies, guns, drugs and money on the Mexican border and comes to the attention of both those behind the scene and a local world-wearied sheriff - and i think that's the way to see this film. Go in knowing as little as you can but knowing at least this: this is a serious, violent, slow-paced character piece from the Coens. This is not a Fargo. If you are squeamish don't see it. If you have a short-attention span don't see it. If you only love the Coens for their fantastic comedies like O Brother and Big Lebowski and the comedy/thriller Fargo don't see it. But if you want to see an intelligent, superbly acted, powerful, beautiful cinematic treat that will remind you of the true power of cinema see it, see it, see it. It's a masterpiece. Bravo Ethan and Joel. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ This review is giving the Coen brothers a wonderful review. Giving it strong feeling, of power, technology, and general brilliance. The review is constantly referring to the brilliance of the film.
III) Technology The internet, youtube & television, are now the new ways of advertising & ways to help and attract your audience into the film, and increase the chance that they will end up viewing the film. In No Country For Old Men, they use the internet as one of their main sources to advertise, increase audience knowledge and their access to the film. For this film, Warner Bros created a website for the film, for the audience, possible fans, and other people to interact with the film and what is happening, such as, releases dates, length, actors, a plot and various other critical components for the film. Here is a screen shot of the page:
Youtube is another main source of advertisement, increasing audience knowledge and their access to the film. The company used Youtube as a means of advertising, seeings as nowadays Youtube is the most viewed video and entertainment site on the internet, it is quite easy to upload movie trailers and cast interviews. These are ways which help the audience to engage with the film, this is what will draw their attention into the film to then pay to watch it at their local cinema screening. Youtube is also helpful as you can post comments about the footage you have just watched, which if positive, can also increase media attention and access to the film. Television is an older form of audience access, but still a major contributor. It helps for those people without a computer, or couch potatoes, previewing the film in trailers during ad breaks is a positive and useful resource to use to interest an audience.
IV) Codes/forms & Conventions of the thriller genre
The film is located in a desert at the start. Typical of the 'wild-west'. It is very desolate, barren and unused. The type of camera shot used is a long shot & an extreme wide-shot. This gives the viewer the effect that they are alone, but someone is watching them, from a distance, and they have noone around them. The film is unusual to the thriller genre, as the first half of the film is shot in daylight, which is not true to the thriller genre and is unusual. In the film we have typical thriller characters, we have our assassin who is also a psycho, we have our detective (sheriff) who we are briefly with and we have our victim. For this film we also have typical thriller narratives, we have death, common in most films, being watched and followed, by our assassin psycho. We encounter most thriller films during this movie, in the first scenes, we meet isolation and gain, then as it develops we begin to meet entrapment, revenge, however, all the way through the film, the main theme is gain. Iconography is common in the second half in the town, we have a shoot-out in the dark, street lamps, confined spaces in the hotel, we do meet running water once, in the hotel room, and often have an effect of bars, on the few windows shown during the film.
V) Representation The characters represented in the film as we well know are 9/10 times male, with only one recurring female character. One of our main protagonists is a typical western american, living in a caravan with very little money, has a typical cow boy hat, boots & goes hunting to earn himself a living. He speaks a typical tongue of the area, and we follow his journey of greed throughout the film. Our second protagonist is a strange man, with no friends. He is an assassin, and enjoys what he does. He is not typical of the area, his bowl haircut and somewhat strange manner, suggest he is from a rather quiet, harsh environment. Due to his attire, it lulls us into a false sense of security, which is what i believe to be part of his style. We also follow a county sheriff in brief parts following his story as the film unwinds. The purpose of the film is to engage the male audience in a thrilling chase, between 3 men. The film adheres to the genre of thriller well. The typical mise-en-scene are all visible throughout the film, e.g. shadows, lampposts, dim-light. This film is also suspenseful adding to the thriller area of the genre.
Youtube is another main source of advertisement, increasing audience knowledge and their access to the film. The company used Youtube as a means of advertising, seeings as nowadays Youtube is the most viewed video and entertainment site on the internet, it is quite easy to upload movie trailers and cast interviews. These are ways which help the audience to engage with the film, this is what will draw their attention into the film to then pay to watch it at their local cinema screening. Youtube is also helpful as you can post comments about the footage you have just watched, which if positive, can also increase media attention and access to the film. Television is an older form of audience access, but still a major contributor. It helps for those people without a computer, or couch potatoes, previewing the film in trailers during ad breaks is a positive and useful resource to use to interest an audience.
IV) Codes/forms & Conventions of the thriller genre
The film is located in a desert at the start. Typical of the 'wild-west'. It is very desolate, barren and unused. The type of camera shot used is a long shot & an extreme wide-shot. This gives the viewer the effect that they are alone, but someone is watching them, from a distance, and they have noone around them. The film is unusual to the thriller genre, as the first half of the film is shot in daylight, which is not true to the thriller genre and is unusual. In the film we have typical thriller characters, we have our assassin who is also a psycho, we have our detective (sheriff) who we are briefly with and we have our victim. For this film we also have typical thriller narratives, we have death, common in most films, being watched and followed, by our assassin psycho. We encounter most thriller films during this movie, in the first scenes, we meet isolation and gain, then as it develops we begin to meet entrapment, revenge, however, all the way through the film, the main theme is gain. Iconography is common in the second half in the town, we have a shoot-out in the dark, street lamps, confined spaces in the hotel, we do meet running water once, in the hotel room, and often have an effect of bars, on the few windows shown during the film.
V) Representation The characters represented in the film as we well know are 9/10 times male, with only one recurring female character. One of our main protagonists is a typical western american, living in a caravan with very little money, has a typical cow boy hat, boots & goes hunting to earn himself a living. He speaks a typical tongue of the area, and we follow his journey of greed throughout the film. Our second protagonist is a strange man, with no friends. He is an assassin, and enjoys what he does. He is not typical of the area, his bowl haircut and somewhat strange manner, suggest he is from a rather quiet, harsh environment. Due to his attire, it lulls us into a false sense of security, which is what i believe to be part of his style. We also follow a county sheriff in brief parts following his story as the film unwinds. The purpose of the film is to engage the male audience in a thrilling chase, between 3 men. The film adheres to the genre of thriller well. The typical mise-en-scene are all visible throughout the film, e.g. shadows, lampposts, dim-light. This film is also suspenseful adding to the thriller area of the genre.
No comments:
Post a Comment