Review of Barton Fink (1991) by Panos Y — 08 Dec 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

There is something about films exploring about the passions of an artist, placing in situations that would challenge them and hopefully show their true potential. Barton Fink achieves similarly to what David Lynch has brought for Mulholland Drive; we are treated to a dedicated and brilliant artist to a world that is first unknown to them, and as their stay in sunny Los Angeles lengthens, they start to see sides of not just the environment but also of themselves that was never shown before. In Barton Fink, directed by the Coen Brothers, it is much more tamed and focused as compared to Lynch's, but throughout it remains surreal and terrifying.

Hollywood has been attacked by many filmmakers, as the heart of artistic destruction. They say this is the place where it lures the hopeful minds of the outside world and once they entice you close enough; they would devour everything that you once stood for and eventually become an empty vessel to meet their corporate desires. What I just said is no doubt an exaggeration of the real thing, but it is nevertheless real; there is this sense of restriction when watching the product of a Hollywood film as compared to someone who produced it outside the major studios, as creative control is always present in regards to the latter. Barton Fink's journey is definitely an interesting one and the way the Coen brothers depict this man's internal struggle for wanting to create something profound but also to meet the demands of his employers is terrifyingly real, and it does so without resorting to melodrama, but instead uses a hint of dark humour to create the exaggerations in its plot. The scenes that sticks on my mind when recalling the film, are the ones that involve Barton sitting across from his employer as these moments are the ones that represent the show business so well; the feeling of manipulation and artificial sincerity is filled during these scenes and through that I was able to really engage with the film.

My core issue with the film is with the dire twist that pops up in the middle of the film, as though it drove the plot forward and elevated its pacing, I did however find it to be too exaggerated and at the moment thematically confusing. I wasn't able to pick on the intentions behind it and the complete change in perspective towards one of the characters in the film, did throw me off with the film's flow. It is far from being completely ridiculous or abysmal, as one can feel the Coen brothers trying to speak something intellectually penetrating but one does need all the pieces, which I was unable to completely grasp onto during the initial experience, in order to fully appreciate it.

John Turturro's performance in this film was the best I have seen from the actor, and has completely changed my view of him. I used to only connect his acting work with the low-brow films of the Transformers franchise and Don't Mess With The Zohan, but after seeing him in films like Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink, it shows that even some of the most sell-out or worst of actors in the mainstream Hollywood business have films that showed a sense of integrity towards their craft. John Goodman has yet to disappoint me in any films he has worked on, and my adoration for him could be traced back to the lesser-known animation films he has done like The Emperor's New Groove. Goodman brings that presence in the room, and I say not just in regards to his physical stature, there is also emotional depth to his performance that could be felt throughout the film. The Coen brothers does not create obvious shots that would shape its characters, a lot of the time the camera is quite distant, especially the scenes between Turturro and Goodman, and through those there is subtle tension growing and at times we don't notice it because we are concerned with the words being spoken to create understanding rather than on what we see.

Barton Fink on paper seems like a straight forward drama, but under the direction of the Coen brothers, it becomes much more; there is a sense of passion to its characters, subjects, and ideas, and told so in a way that is surreal and profound; pushing the boundaries of the audience's expectations. I hope the next film I see from the brothers would be as great as what I have just experienced.