Review of Barton Fink (1991) by Stuart K — 07 Nov 2008

The Coen Brothers had a bout of Writer's Block whilst they wrote Miller's Crossing, so they wrote a film based on that experience of being blocked creatively, and this is the result. Set in 1941, it has playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) making a successful debut on Broadway with his play Bare Ruined Choirs.

He is given an offer to go to Hollywood to write for Hollywood mogul Jack Lipnick (Michael Lerner) of Capitol Pictures. Lipnick wants Fink to write a Wallace Beery B-movie wrestling film. However, he is staying at the eerie and decrepit Hotel Earle, and he becomes friends with his next door neighbour Charlie Meadows (John Goodman).

However, Barton can't seem to get started on this seemingly simple idea of a film, he feels closed in by his surroundings and nothing is what it seems. This is one of the Coen's weirder offerings, but it is a horror film disguised as a satire on the Hollywood system of old.

It's mostly metaphorical, the Hotel Earle is really hell, Barton has sold his soul to the devil, he's gone to hell, but he won't accept that, because he doesn't listen to anyone else. Oh, and the peeling wallpaper is as weird as they come.

But, it's an exceptional piece which captures it's era well, and the Coen's capture that "Barton Fink feeling" perfectly, whatever it is. :P.