A REVIEW OF "BARTON FINK"
A RETRO REVIEW, 1991
by Ryan Ellis
give me a buzz on the ol' e-lines, iluvmick@hotmail.com
Captivated fans of the Oscar-winning "Fargo" would be remiss if they didn't rent a 1991 beauty called "Barton Fink". Directed by Joel Coen, produced by his brother Ethan, and written by both of them, this '91 gem epitomizes the fresh, original style and substance that movies can showcase.
Taking a delicious stab at the Hollywood film industry, the Coens seem to be parodying vintage Hollywood or even Billy Wilder's masterpiece, "Sunset Blvd."! Featuring superior set design, fantastic cinematography, meticulous detail, and great acting, this picture (set in 1941) sets a high standard of intelligence and manages to keep the two-hour story at that level throughout. Some critics might sniff at the bizarre plot-turns--and they certainly are weird--but those twists add flavour, not blandness.
John Turturro (a Coen regular) plays Barton Fink, a New York playwright hired by Capital Pictures to pen a wrestling script. Moving to a seedy hotel in Los Angeles, Fink sets out to write the story. He receives both beratings and praises from the producer (Michael Lerner in a Oscar-nominated supporting performance) while trying to find that all-important 'inspiration'. It seems that he has a rough case of writer's block and whenever he seems ready to put something on paper, he's interrupted by his neighbour Charlie Meadows (John Goodman). However, don't believe what you see because this film is full of metaphors. Let's just say that Goodman is well-cast as a buffoonish travelling salesman.
In his travails, Fink also "meets" a revered writer, W.P. Mayhew, (John Mahoney) and his wife, Audrey (Judy Davis). Mayhew has become a pathetic souse and Audrey is the true author of many of her husband's creations. Fink invites Audrey to his dilapidated hotel room to work on his "failing" script. From this point on, things take that weird turn I mentioned above. If there is a weakness to this movie, it would have to be that things become a little crazy. Meadows is revealed as serial killer "Madman Muntz" and takes the script to strange new places. I'm going to stop giving away the story though. This is one of those, "make of it what you will" sort of films, where not everything is as it seems.
Contained within are some of the niftiest twists, smartest jokes, and juiciest plot lines shown in this decade. A technical delight, "Barton Fink" has every sort of efficient use of lighting, camera angles, editing, and the trademark Coen attention to detail. In the climax, the film combines special effects, long camera lenses, and great dialogue. A fine subtlety was the highway-length hotel hallway with faint wind sounds creeping below. No fancy explosions or computer graphics need apply here. "Barton Fink" proves that a good script can still be written in Tinseltown.
After the first viewing, some of the material whooshed over my head, but the gist of the tale brilliantly parodies film-making, angst-ridden (Woody Allen-ish) writers, and the strange decade of the '40s. With solid, sometimes snickeringly sensational supporting performances by Steve Buscemi, Jon Polito, Richard Portnow, and Christopher Murney, this is a dead-on lampoon. Portnow and Murney portray detectives with the utmost of silliness in their parody of the '40s film noir/cop movie genre. Of course, Michael Lerner is the scene-stealer and he was nominated for an Academy Award for his fine work.
The Coen brothers have done two great films in their careers--"Fargo" and the vastly underrated "Miller's Crossing". "Barton Fink" is a shade below that level, but only a shade. This is the kind of film that doesn't sit well with the Godzilla-loving movie-going public in the late '90s, but REAL movie fans will discover a gem in this piece of work. Rent this film soon and enter Barton's living hell.
USELESS TRIVIA--John Turturro appeared in a small, hilarious role in 1998's "The Big Lebowski" as Jesus the flamboyant bowler. The Coen brothers use Turturro, Goodman, Buscemi, and others quite regularly--a rare sort of loyalty in Hollywood today.
This film gets a 9/10. It also ranks #89 on My 100 Favourite Films list.
THE RYAN RATING SYSTEM SAYS... 10/10--absolutely outstanding 9/10--excellent 8/10--pretty darn good 7/10--sure, go on and give it a peek 6/10--so-so; ye ol' recommendation point 5/10--not quite worth the dollars 4/10--only if you have a free pass 3/10--don't go, PLEASE don't go 2/10--avoid even if you DO have a free pass 1/10--"Showgirls" territory; truly crappy 0/10--bang your head off a wall instead
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