Blood Simple (1985)
Blood Simple (1985)
Joel and Ethan Coen deserve a huge round of applause for the way they stormed the cinematic world with their debut Blood Simple. The Coen Brothers are currently a Hollywood wonder, but their debut back in 1984 was simply unforgettable. They proved themselves master storytellers with their complicated plot. They also proved that they can effectively use visuals to tell they story they want to tell. Yes, this story is bloody, gory, twisty, and incredibly fun.
I love the story how the Coen Brothers got their film made. They made a trailer themselves. It was a short trailer about a man dragging a shovel on a road to a man he was going to kill. It was brief and to the point. These unknown men went door-to-door looking for financing so they can make their movie. They succeeded. They were able to raise the million or so dollars needed to make their film. The film then was made in a short time and premiered at the 1984 Sundance Festival where it was well-received and actually won the Grand Jury prize. The film was released to American audiences in 1985 to modest box office success, although it was a major critical success.
The Coen’s usually co-direct their films as well as write the screenplays together. Most of their films are original works starting with this film, of course. Joel did receive the directing credit here. Regardless of who received credit, the film is well-directed. The Coen’s set this film at a deliberate pace to allow things to unfold the way they do and to make the audience think. It is not a simple murder story as it appears on the outside. The duo’s films are also known for black humor regardless of plot. Despite the grisly proceedings on the screen, they managed to interject them with humor.
The plot is very twisty, so I will be very careful describing the plot. Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) is a Texas bar owner and is considered a mean person. He thinks that his wife, Abby (Frances McDormand) is cheating on him with one of the bartenders, Ray (John Getz). He hires shady private detective Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh) to confirm. Once so, he rehires him to take the pair out of the picture. That is all I shall say plot-wise. The plot decides to move on a twisty route from there on out, so buckle up!
The performances are excellent. M. Emmet Walsh is a well-known character actor who never received his dues. He finally gets to shine in a lead performance. His character is slimy and not considered a great man himself and Walsh absolutely sells his character. Frances McDormand, who would eventually grow into one of Hollywood’s darlings, knocks it out of the park in her film debut. These two actors elevate their roles into something else!
The film is incredibly detailed. The plot makes sense from an outsider point-of-view, but as you move deeper, you begin to untangle a bloody web of lies and deceit and the plot does not make much sense anymore. The Coen Brothers did an excellent job in creating this feeling because they pay much attention to detail. So does their cinematographer, Barry Sonnenfeld. His shots make sure to capture all the necessary detail needed to advance the plot. The music is haunting thanks to the talent of Carter Burwell. This is Burwell’s first film score and would eventually pair up with the Coen Brothers 16 more times.
Blood Simple is about as a good as a film debut you would get. The plot is complicated but is supported by memorable, bloody images, macabre humor, and excellent performances from its cast mostly from M. Emmet Walsh. For a film that had a very low budget, it was incredibly detailed. It did not look cheap at all. The Coen’s were so proud of their movie and they should rightfully feel that way, especially with the career they had.
My Grade: A-
Joel and Ethan Coen deserve a huge round of applause for the way they stormed the cinematic world with their debut Blood Simple. The Coen Brothers are currently a Hollywood wonder, but their debut back in 1984 was simply unforgettable. They proved themselves master storytellers with their complicated plot. They also proved that they can effectively use visuals to tell they story they want to tell. Yes, this story is bloody, gory, twisty, and incredibly fun.
I love the story how the Coen Brothers got their film made. They made a trailer themselves. It was a short trailer about a man dragging a shovel on a road to a man he was going to kill. It was brief and to the point. These unknown men went door-to-door looking for financing so they can make their movie. They succeeded. They were able to raise the million or so dollars needed to make their film. The film then was made in a short time and premiered at the 1984 Sundance Festival where it was well-received and actually won the Grand Jury prize. The film was released to American audiences in 1985 to modest box office success, although it was a major critical success.
The Coen’s usually co-direct their films as well as write the screenplays together. Most of their films are original works starting with this film, of course. Joel did receive the directing credit here. Regardless of who received credit, the film is well-directed. The Coen’s set this film at a deliberate pace to allow things to unfold the way they do and to make the audience think. It is not a simple murder story as it appears on the outside. The duo’s films are also known for black humor regardless of plot. Despite the grisly proceedings on the screen, they managed to interject them with humor.
The plot is very twisty, so I will be very careful describing the plot. Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) is a Texas bar owner and is considered a mean person. He thinks that his wife, Abby (Frances McDormand) is cheating on him with one of the bartenders, Ray (John Getz). He hires shady private detective Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh) to confirm. Once so, he rehires him to take the pair out of the picture. That is all I shall say plot-wise. The plot decides to move on a twisty route from there on out, so buckle up!
The performances are excellent. M. Emmet Walsh is a well-known character actor who never received his dues. He finally gets to shine in a lead performance. His character is slimy and not considered a great man himself and Walsh absolutely sells his character. Frances McDormand, who would eventually grow into one of Hollywood’s darlings, knocks it out of the park in her film debut. These two actors elevate their roles into something else!
The film is incredibly detailed. The plot makes sense from an outsider point-of-view, but as you move deeper, you begin to untangle a bloody web of lies and deceit and the plot does not make much sense anymore. The Coen Brothers did an excellent job in creating this feeling because they pay much attention to detail. So does their cinematographer, Barry Sonnenfeld. His shots make sure to capture all the necessary detail needed to advance the plot. The music is haunting thanks to the talent of Carter Burwell. This is Burwell’s first film score and would eventually pair up with the Coen Brothers 16 more times.
Blood Simple is about as a good as a film debut you would get. The plot is complicated but is supported by memorable, bloody images, macabre humor, and excellent performances from its cast mostly from M. Emmet Walsh. For a film that had a very low budget, it was incredibly detailed. It did not look cheap at all. The Coen’s were so proud of their movie and they should rightfully feel that way, especially with the career they had.
My Grade: A-
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