Review of The Big Lebowski (1998) by Miroslav G — 30 Jan 2015

If I had to choose my favourite Coen Brothers' film, it would be Fargo. However, if I had to pick the one which most embodied everything Coen, it would be The Big Lebowski, the story of a guy, "The Dude" (played perfectly, as always, by Jeff Bridges) whose world starts going a little haywire, and only gets worse from there, with a collection of equally Coen characters (including a female artist who seems obsessed with vaginas, a wheelchair bound millionaire with a prejudice against bums and a Vietnam vet who seems to think that he can manufacture the war into any argument, from drinking coffee to buying an urn) who seem to try to make The Dude's life difficult. .

If you're not a Coen brother's fan then I don't know if you should even attempt watching this. And if you only sort of liked Fargo, don't take that as a recommenation to watch this. The inane plotlines, the awkward pauses, the baffling, out-of-nowhere instances, all of them will leave you dazed and confused, even if you're paying attention, so if you're not up for a second viewing, you might as well not watch it in the first place. However, if all that happens in the mind of the Coens (the Coenverse) makes sense to you (not likely), or you enjoy it, then this is definitely for you. .

We pick up the story with the Dude, with one of the best character introductions ever, as he comes home to be beaten up and have his rug peed on. This, along with some encouragement from his good friend Walter (John Goodman having the time of his life), inspires him to find the real Jeffery Lebowski and ask him for compensation. Even though he turns him down, Jeffery decides to ask the Dude for his help in delivering a ransom to his wife's kidnappers. Then the ridiculousness begins in earnest, as Walter cinvinces the Dude to do more and more crazy stuff in order to keep hold of the million dollars. The story then gets a little bit more difficult, which I won't go into because of spoilers. Suffice to say that their are Germans, porn videos and a man named Jackie Treehorn involved. .

This movie, however, is about four people, Bridges, Goodman and the Coens. You almost feel as if Joel and Ethan are sitting behind you sniggering as you get more and more confused with each scene. They put a camera in a bowling ball and roll it for goodness sake! Their script, too is confusing, with the most hilarious moments often being the most serious (e.g. Walter and the ear or the scattering of the ashes). .

If you can sit through it the first time without breaking something, give it a month, then watch it again. That's the standard opperating procedure with most Coen films, and this, as I said before, is the best one of all. .

Defining Scene: .

MARK IT ZERO! The perfect blend of shock, frustration and hilarity in one scene.