FARGO
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1996 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule: This is a real winner of a crime film
from the Coen Brothers. It has some violence, a
little comedy, and a fair amount of realism in this
story of the ever-widening chaos that results from
a mock kidnapping. The story is structured a lot
like an episode of "Columbo" with Frances McDormand
as a pregnant police chief whose kindergarten
teacher mannerisms and attitudes conceal a razor-
sharp mind. Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4)
Joel and Ethan Coen have gone slightly eccentric in their last two films. With the exception of some work with Sam Raimi, they initially came to the public's attention with BLOOD SIMPLE in 1984. Since then they made RAISING ARIZONA, MILLER'S CROSSING, BARTON FINK, and THE HUDSUCKER PROXY. One after another was both a popular and critical success. But THE HUDSUCKER PROXY was just a little too weird, like a surreal, cartoonish imitation of Frank Capra films, and it was their first critical failure. To prove that they still have what it takes they have returned with a film similar in style to BLOOD SIMPLE with the same realistic approach but with more style. FARGO is likely to be a real winner for the Coen Brothers.
Our story takes place in Minnesota and North Dakota. Jerry Lundegaard (played by William H. Macy) is an unsavory wheeler-dealer who cheats on every human transaction he can manage, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. As the film opens he is arranging to have his wife Jean (Kristin Rudrud) kidnapped so his wealthy father-in-law will pay the ransom. Lundegaard expects to split the ransom with the kidnappers and have the money for a land deal. Hired for the job are two thugs, the irascible Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and the quiet but violent Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare). Once the kidnapping has taken place things get out of hand. Police chief Marge Gunderson (Francis McDormand) gets involved investigating.
In a film of interesting characterizations, McDormand's Gunderson stands out. It is strange to see a pregnant woman as a police chief. It is even stranger to find a police chief with cloying over- enthusiastic mannerisms as if she is teaching Ding-Dong School. She is the sort of woman who answers a simple how- are-you? with "I'm doing REALLY SUPER!" But put her at the scene of a crime and that is just what she does, super. In moments she has a sophisticated forensic analysis. Her straight-arrow approach is in stark contrast to the habitually scamming character played by William H. Macy, everybody's worst nightmare of a car salesman. Somewhat more familiar is Buscemi's irascible and nasty smalltime hood getting a shot at bigger things. But the Coen Brothers have a talent for creating memorable characters even from people in small walk-on parts. A cashier with an odd smile and a rubber-faced prostitute each make unexpectedly interesting camera studies.
And not just the characters are interesting. Even a lunch pulled from a buffet adds texture to the film. Joel Coen gambles he can make interesting some unconventional subjects of shots and more often than not he is right. The Coen Brothers seem to have wanted to make a real document of life in a deep, cold Minnesota winter. It is as if the two Texas-born filmmakers wanted to get it all on film once so they would never have to return. It is hard to blame them. The cold of the snowy environment pervades the whole film. People are walking through snow, constantly tripping, trying to get to their cars and scrape windshields. People talk to each other from inside cave-like fur hoods.
Carter Burwell's score works, but seems strangely unconventional. The main theme sounds more appropriate for some sort of historical epic, though perhaps it could also fit the epic struggle of against the elements in the cold Northern winter. This is a film with some heavy violence and some good humor. (One of the best laughs is in the closing credits. Be warned, early risers.) Also notice that there seems to be a little study of how different people use and react to profanity. This is an audience-pleaser that rates a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
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