No Country for Old Men

Right up until the abrupt conclusion, the new Coen Brothers film is a melange of suspense genres, built around some of the cinematic elements that link the diverse offerings of the talented pair. On the basis of the first viewing, it shares some of the nihilism of Fargo – with chance and greed driving the bloodshed. Like, The Big Lebowski and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, much of the drama derives from over-the-top characters, though the theme seems to reside with the more demure ones who serve as their foils. Saying little of consequence throughout the film, Kelly Macdonald is nonetheless subtly captivating.

The film is imbued with a wonderful sense of place: showing the combined spirit underlying empty prairie and sleek Houston oil high-rises: the swagger and determination of the cowboy genre. It certainly gives a person an appreciation for the vastness of the American Southwest, and the way in which it is an inescapably rifles and pickups kind of place.

While additional viewings would probably improve one’s appreciation for the clever touches, it seems unlikely that anything but one’s first exposure will carry the full force of this film. That’s not because anything terribly surprising happens – this is not 24 – but rather because it is stark enough to stand for itself, appearing as a plain to be appreciated at a glance, rather than a dense wood with many paths to follow.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. Between 2005 and 2007 I completed an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. I worked for five years for the Canadian federal government, including completing the Accelerated Economist Training Program, and then completed a PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto in 2023. View all posts by Milan