Review of The Big Lebowski (1998) by Bradley O — 01 Aug 2015

"The Dude Abides".

The Big Lebowski is a classic from the Coen Brothers. It has everything you'd expect from the two film geniuses, including beautiful cinematography, a bizarre plotline, and characters that exist, not as individuals, but as whole movements of people groups. What makes The Big Lebowski so great is that it is so much more than it appears to be. This isn't a stoner comedy or anything else it has been labeled, but a brilliant piece of filmmaking that sums America- post Vietnam.

The Dude is brought into a strange situation when he is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski. When the Big Lebowski's young trophy wife is kidnapped; the Dude is hired to make a money drop. Then he is soon brought into a much larger game as he is contacted by strange artists, nihilists, and porn producers.

Great performances from Jeff Bridges and John Goodman and superb writing and direction make this movie a timeless classic. The Coen's have done a lot of great work, from Miller's Crossing to O Brother Where Art Thou to Fargo to The Big Lebowski. It's very hard to choose favorites when it comes to their films because all of them leave you with the same impression, which is that their films are great pieces of art. The Big Lebowski is no different. It's a masterpiece of film and truly a great piece of art.