Review of Blood Simple (1985) by Amanda C — 30 May 2011

Blood Simple is an apt title, fore fronting what the Coen's do best: taking the simple, everyday and mundane and injecting in that streak of violence. This is one of those films that by the end you're so tense that the smallest noise can make you jump.

The direction here is what makes it work. Shot almost exclusively in close ups you become intimately familiar with the characters and are also denied a look at the surroundings. The long shots are few and far between and add to the uneasiness because they are so rare and unexpected, placing you off balance before the bang comes, making the bang that much more effective.