Review of Blood Simple (1985) by Daniel K — 06 Oct 2011

3: The problem is I watched Zhang Yimou's "A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop" prior to seeing "Blood Simple." I can't tell for sure whether I just enjoy that film more or if the story just seemed better the first time around.

I'm leaning towards the notion that I really did enjoy the remake that much more, despite the fact that most critics seem to disagree. The story was so elaborate and detailed in Yimou's film, whereas this original version simply seems to have the bare bones intact.

Yimou's picture was a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that was stupendous when the conclusion was finally revealed, whereas the Coen Brothers version is more like a 100 piece puzzle. They of course came up with the idea in the first place though; and it is a rather remarkable and original concept.

I wouldn't call it a modern noir classic, but it is certainly one of the better noirs I've seen from the past quarter decade. I do definitely get the feeling that both versions of the story are best on their initial viewing.

I suspect some of the novelty will wear off after additional viewings. Very entertaining.