Review of Barton Fink (1991) by Byron B — 15 Aug 2010

The book Cinematic Storytelling by Jennifer Van Sijll uses several examples from this movie to illustrate film making techniques. I have to agree that the Coen brothers are superb at their craft. I respect them for their craft and I am loving working my way through their works. The foley artist is highlighted in this story. So many small things like a mosquito buzzing around, a creaking bed, and gooey peeling wallpaper distract Barton Fink (Turturro) from completing his writing assignment in Hollywood. Ultimately the movie is about a guy who DOESN'T LISTEN though.

Look up the definition of the word "fink." The definition fits Turturro's character like a glove. He plays it excellently. I was really looking forward to this movie because of the time period and because I knew it dealt with a writer transitioning from New York theatre to Hollywood moving pictures. The character of Barton Fink was not exactly what I expected. The disreputable hotel in L.A. is sharper satire than I expected. There are some really strange happenings in this story including a mystery about a serial killer. Goodman as another Coens regular is disarming. Lerner and Shalhoub (standing out in his few scenes) are loud, fast talking movie producers. Davis and Mahoney, who both draw attention to their smaller roles with well developed performances, are the experienced couple who help show Barton the way things are in the picture business. There are very few other speaking parts. I was not surprised when the murderer was revealed. Partially the writing sets up pretty plainly what the twist will be. Maybe partially it is the cinematic techniques that are used, which lead anyone paying attention to recognize the characters' relationships and other things hidden just under the surface. And partially it is simply because of the minimal cast that we don't have too many options for who the murderer could be. I wish the mystery had been harder to figure out and that some of the things going on in Barton Fink's head were explained more, however the characters and locations that the Coen brothers craft can't be beat for a bit of escape.