Review of Fargo (1952) by Frank F — 19 Jun 2013

I really don't know what from the film the Coen brothers claim is true or could be juxtaposed with actual happenings or actual people, but to comprehend that really does not take away from Fargo being a great movie, whether how true or fictitious it is. When a financially troubled car salesman hires and makes a deal with two people to kidnap his wife as a ruse to get his wealthy father-in-law to cough up money, you can already predict that something could go wrong, especially when these two people aren't the most professional.

While the movie can be oddly humorous, it really adds a strange dynamic effect when coupled with its winter setting, in that it gives a sense of desolation that is reflected in Jerry Lundegaard's life and really adds a lot more weight to the morbidity that carries on and escalates throughout the beginning of the film to the end. Fargo feels like a very morbid movie to me, but to add in some of the most quirky humor really makes the movie feel very idiosyncratic in that it seems incomparable to other films, with all of its distinct characters and its very strange, cold and sterile atmosphere. While Pulp Fiction does do a good job of combining humor and morbidity, I think I have come to favor Fargo a lot more.

What I love about Fargo is how distinct every major character is in the movie. The writing that went into him, coupled with each actor being able to breathe life into their character and giving them their own unique quirks was one of the things that kept me glued to the screen. From the mild mannered behaviors to the Minnesota accents, the characters come off very authentic in presenting a very regional film. If I would have to give a nod to any one performance in the film, it would have to be Frances McDormand. From her mild mannerisms to her unintentional humor, Marge was the foundation of the story and McDormand further accentuated that with her superb acting in that she makes her portrayal feel so authentic to its region, believable and at the utmost, human. To witness all the events in the film and to react the way she did is commendable, to say the least and I think that Marge Gunderson has got to be one of the coolest female characters on film that I have witnessed and I cannot praise the Coen brothers enough for writing such a great non-stereotypical female character.

Fargo may be a simple story, but I think that it's simplicity is what I really love about this film. I watched enough films from the Coen brothers to deem them as very unique in their style of telling stories that feels so different from other directors. Fargo basically sealed the deal for me. With its unique characteristics, it feels very surreal in a morbid sense. I have never described a film that way and I think that shows how special this film is. If you want to watch a film that has character, then watch 'Fargo,' because it definitely has a whole bunch of that.