Funny how you can see just about every single career interest here like they thought they might not get another stab at it. The dark, fatalistic sense of humor, the sweaty, southern existential neo-noir/western vibe, the cruel combating forces of self-interest and stupidity, the frequently mundane ambient hum of our existence, and people trapped in farcically brutal contraptions of their own making where a minor miscommunication or impulse escalates into bloody death.Full discussion on ep 210 of my podcast SLEAZOIDS.
The story of a bar owner, his wife, her lover the bartender, and the private investigator. Joel and Ethan Coen are just like Mario and Luigi, they're super. With a debut film like Blood Simple, the Coen Brothers do it all and then some. The editing. There's a ceiling fan shot that changes over to a scene In a bed, a finger press of an answering machine turning into a finger in the back seat of a car, and a newspaper that hits the door like a ton of bricks when dark news is delivered. Can you say, fucktastic editing?The music. What a mix. One part is early 80's piano pop. I guess it's a piano. You hear the theme over and over. I can't quite place the music, but every time it's played, I kept waiting for Richard Marx to start signing. The other part of the score sounded a lot like Tangerine Dream. It's not, but it damn well could be. Oh yeah, and how could I forget the Jukebox Jams? I guess it really is the same old song playing over and over again.The attention to detail. There's a shot of a Zippo lighter that screams "look at me!" The way a certain shovel drags on the ground. The rad Converse sneakers a fly bartender wears. The lingering bug on M. Emmet Walsh's head. The sweat on our characters' faces you would expect in a dirty grimy slimy neo-noir. The way blood finds its way into so many scenes, and let's not forget a very simple drop of water. The effort given, is fully noticed and appreciated.The acting. Our leads ain't the brightest or sharpest tools in the shed. Dumb people doing even dumber things. Why would you ever trust the devil? Don't you know he's only gonna make you burn? The actor I wanna give props to is Mr. M Emmet Walsh. I'm team Emmet. He's the man. He's the glue. He owns the movie. To me, Blood Simple is a movie where you can't help but cheer for the bad guy. Everyone else plays their part, but it's not quite 5 star acting like Mr Walsh brings.The way it's shot. Holy camera fucksation! From close ups, to zoom ins, to endless tracking, to camera peek-a-boo, to the extended scene in a certain field, and to the way the Coen Brothers kill a motherfucker; What more can you say? When you watch most movies, you might get lucky to see one "magic" moment. With Blood Simple, it's like the Coen Brothers wrote the book on how to direct with their debut film. So, you want to be a filmmaker? Make Blood Simple your moviemaking bible.
