O Brother Where Art Thou?

View Date: January 13th, 2001

Cast :

Writer: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen (screenplay)
              Homer (I) (original story)  

Director: Joel Coen

In my 8^th grade English class, I wrote a comparison paper on classic literature pieces like Dante’s Inferno, Plato’s Republic and The Odyssey, stating that the plots of these stories were very similar to the plots of current, at the time, sitcoms and movies.  Stories are stories, and at their core is a general message or idea, all that changes is the background and the names.  Apparently, the Coen brothers, they of the eclectic examinations of human nature, are fans of the stories of history too.  In their newest effort, O Brother Where Art Thou, these visionary siblings loosely adapt  Homer’s Odyssey about a man on a journey in search of fame, fortune, love and himself.  They set the movie in the relaxed Old South, and the pace of the movie reflects that, sometimes bogging down and meandering, but it’s strong conclusion, beautiful vision, and invigorating sound and spirit bring everything together in a manner that the makes the overall experience a pleasure, not inspiring, but still will leave you smiling.

The title comes from the Preston Sturges movie Sullivan’s Travels.  The title was a serious movie that the main character wanted to make. This time around, three inmates who have escaped from a Mississippi prison are taking the journey.  Their self-appointed leader is Ulysses Everett McGill (Clooney), a fast-talking articulate with an obsession for the maintenance of his locks.  The other two do not, on the surface, appear as intelligent, both backwoods simple men who have gone afoul of the law.  They follow McGill on a quest for a supposed treasure, the loot from an armored car heist, and encounter a host of curious denizens on the route to their destination.  It has been several years since I read the Odyssey, so it’s a bit difficult for me to effectively compare the adaptation, but from what I remember, it stays fairly true.  There is the blind soothsayer, the Sirens, the Cyclops (Goodman) and several quotes, which spout very comfortably from Clooney’s mouth at the oddest times.  But then again, it wouldn’t be a Coen brothers film if there were not an odd touch to it.

Part of their charm is the ability to add something into films, which seemingly has no relevance or purpose in story progression, but doesn’t seem out of place since it comes across as an example of how things happen in life that don’t necessarily make sense, but are more just a result of the natural progression in life.  Joel and Ethan seem to revel in saying, life happens; sometimes it makes sense sometimes it doesn’t.  They also tip their hats and wink at us, with some historical insertions that reward those with background knowledge, but don’t isolate those who don’t.  The guitarist picked up along the way and the ride with a notorious gangster, serve the purpose of story progression but also have deeper meanings in the annals of paying a cultural tribute. 

Sometimes, O Brother’s story meanders, like the lost souls in the story, but then, magically, it all comes together in a conclusion that ties together the visual style, bluegrass music and the relaxed nature of the era.  Sometimes a story can get lost on its way, but if it all comes to a certain point, it almost makes the wandering forgivable.  Here, the brothers keep the story going by enhancing the background colors, and infusing them with an inspirational mix of folksy bluegrass music.  Listen for the title song, A Man of Constant Sorrow, along with a remake of Big Rock Candy Mountain and a rousing rendition of In the Jailhouse, which may create a new dance craze based on Turturro and Clooney’s steps.  The nature of the characters is always at ease, even under the most adverse conditions.  As is the Coen brothers natural ability to effectively exploit and examine the human condition under other than normal conditions, be they good or bad. 

Normally, their movies require multiple viewings in order to digest their true power, and sometimes even that isn’t enough (Hudsucker, Big Lebowski and Barton Fink never really did anything for me no matter how many times I saw them, while Fargo and Raising Arizona grew on me with each viewing) This time around, one viewing was enough to gain a respect for the artist’s vision, and rewarding my patience with story which almost made the rest of the movie’s action bearable.  No one of their movies is alike, some are dark, others are light, but at the center are always the characters, with the story as their framework and path to follow.  However it does contain that Coen brothers trademark of making the audience, at least once during the film, sit in aghast at what they are watching (dare I mention wood chippers or coffee can burials?) This time, it’s a stunning Busby Berkeleyesque choreography of a lynch mob.  The characters reactions echo the sentiment and facial expression of the majority of the audience during this scene.  There are also several suspensions of disbelief required, including historical inaccuracies with Babyface Nelson, and the song You Are My Sunshine, but again, this is a story, not based on fact.  It is meant to entertain, and like most epic fables and stories, to tell a lesson or message.

Another synonymous Coen trait is casting, the ability to plug the right actor into the right role, and get the best out of them.  My disdain for Clooney is waning, now that he is tackling more challenging roles with more acclaimed directors.  Having worked with Steven Soderbergh and Spike Jonze previously, Clooney is slowly making waves towards becoming a legitimate movie star, and not just “that cute Dr from ER, with “the look”” This time around, his slicked back, figuratively and literally, performance is consistent, never overwhelming, but fits the persona of the movie.  Nelson is the right degree of innocent, clueless and impressionable towards the revelations and events during the journey, while Coen veteran Turturro adds another notch to his resume as one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood.  He has proven that he can play a tough guy, a wimp, a genius, or an idiot, and make the audience believe them all.  Supporting these three are the usual suspects, Goodman, deliciously devious as a Cyclopsian bible sales that can’t be quiet, and Hunter as Clooney’s put-upon wife and Durning as a blowhard gubernatorial candidate.  They are all the right level of what they have to be, though some scenes are unnecessary to the stories overall theme.  Tapering things back a bit could have made this experience a memorable one like Fargo and Blood Simple, but at least the performers make it an enjoyable ride.