Review of Blood Simple (1985) by Mac R — 01 Jun 2014

Man, the term "blood simple", from Dashiell Hammett's "Red Harvest", sure is popular, maybe even more so than the novel it comes from itself, and that's understandable, because it sure is cool, decidedly more so than the forms of entertainment which took it for a title. Yeah, this film is obviously not to be mistaken for the much, much more recent alternative groove metal band of the same name, - only without spaces - because, well, the band is a little more exciting than this film. Now, that's not to say that the band Bloodsimple is of the quality or even taste of this film, - which should tell you how much I don't like the band Bloodsimple - but it is to say that after a while of the burial scene in this film, I was just about ready to scream like the ironically boringly named Tim Williams. Well, I don't reckon this film is that dull, but it is the Coen brothers, and even their comedies are pretty slow, and make no mistake, this is no comedy. This is that good ol' Texas noir, with big hats and attitude, so I guess these dorks from Minnesota always knew where to go for grit, because, people who may now toss their aforementioned big hats into the air, this is the Coen brothers' first film! Yeah, I'd be a little more excited myself if, again, the film was more exciting, and didn't still have the nerve to have one of those classic Coen cop-out endings. Well, I don't know if the film is that much more satisfying before that cop-out ending, although that isn't to say that you can't commend certain tastes of the Coens' future, such as stylistic ones.

While a little dated, and not the most fleshed-out showcase of then-newcomer Barry Sonnenfeld's cinematography, visual style is among the sharpest aspects of this drama, with that classic noir emphasis on grit and shadow that is not simply rugged, but about as immersive for this intimate thriller as the performances, or at least most of them. In all honesty, with his overwrought faux Texas growl and refusal to ever stray too far away from a cold gaze that feels more stoic than intense, - even at his most emotive moments - John Getz falls flat, and that's a major issue, considering that he is such a major member of a cast that is actually able to compensate pretty well for a mediocre head, with M. Emmet Walsh stealing the show at times in his well-layered portrayal of a corrupt detective who alternates between delightfully over-the-top and intensely intimidating, while Frances McDormand convinces as a woman who comes to fear for her life because of some questionable decisions, and Dan Hedaya grips in his biting portrayal of a wronged man seeking what he considers brutal justice. This minimalist dramatic thriller ought to thrive on its characterization, but ultimately falls flat when it comes to crafting endearing characters who are sold about as much as they can be by a talent cast, - save Getz - thus making it a little easier to see the value in this drama's subject matter. While refreshing attributes in storytelling distinguish this important note in the early days of the major independent film movement, this noir subject matter regarding a seeking of vengeance for betrayal that only leads to more betrayal is hardly new, and yet, it's still intriguing, and Joel and Ethan Coen make it more so, on occasion, that is, with sharp highlights in scripting and, of course, direction. Now, the Coens' direction of pacing is so misguided that it, all but alone, proves to be enough to ruin the final product, but it's not consistently misguided, as there are times in which the Coens utilize the subtly intense visual style, in addition to Carter Burwell subtly intense score, in the context of thoughtful momentum in just effective enough of a manner to chill. On the whole, the film falls flat, I'm not going to lie, and I really can't see the hype, but neither can I deny the highlights in style, acting, writing and direction that might have stood a chance of saving this film. As things stand, however, the heights can't quite surpass the lows, of which there enough for the Coens to land a mediocre debut that doesn't even do justice to the filmmakers as innovators.

Now, I certainly have a fair degree of admiration for this film's playing a well-regarded role in popularizing independent filmmaking, but beyond that, this project isn't really anything new, not even in its storytelling, carrying a certain awkward film school feel to the Coens' direction behind a predictable neo-noir narrative that isn't exactly juicy enough for you to get past the familiarity. On top of being familiar, this story concept is a little too minimal in scale to be as intriguing as the Coens want it to be, and try and make it through a number of melodramatic aspects that range from reasonable to amateur, while keeping consistent in desperately working to overcome natural shortcomings, and might be a little easier to embrace if the histrionics were more fleshed out. Being an intimate character piece, this film can't hope to avoid some exposition, but if it can, boy, does it ever, more-or-less discarding immediate character development, and thinning gradual exposition down to a nub, until you can't help but feel totally distanced from characters who were always to be a little disconcerting. If the characters are defined, it's largely with sleazy traits, the motivations for which feel too lacking to be accepted in the context of this grimy character drama, until a sense of humanity that might compensate for unlikable characters is lost, leaving the film to fall flat even as a character study. There is at least hope that the film might achieve decency as a thriller, and alas, it is lost, because even though the film, no matter which version, never departs from a 90-something-minute runtime, considering that material is so lacking, filler and excess make up the general structure of the final product about as much as anything, found within exhaustingly overdrawn meditations and monotonous set pieces which bore, even on paper. When it comes to the interpretation of an already limp script, the tedium is exacerbated, for although the Coen brothers' trademark thoughtful atmosphere works when material really comes into play, it's too underdeveloped to handle the many, many, many lapses in material, thus, the film falls into cold spell, after cold spell, making every overdrawn beat painfully palpable with a dullness that, while not consistently grating, very rarely abates, and ultimately really secures the mediocrity of the final product. The film is boring, and that is truly "blood simple", if you'll pardon the cheesy play on words, and no matter how much respect I have for the highlights in this debut for two of the more respectable filmmakers in the industry, I find this to be a misfire debut that, for all its strengths, falls flat.

Bottom line, cinematography is about as effective as certain strong performances, and highlights in clever scripting and biting direction are truly what bring the final product to the brink of decency, ultimately lost, thanks to a generic, thin and histrionic narrative's going hopelessly underdeveloped and tediously overdrawn, with a directorial interpretation whose punishingly overt coldness finalizes "Blood Simple" as a boring and ultimately flat thriller with little in the way of thrills.

2.25/5 - Mediocre.