Tom Jolliffe looks back at the Coen Brothers classic Fargo which turns 25…
By 1995, the Coen Brothers had become known as creators of quirky cinema, which had an acquired taste. An auspicious low budget debut with Blood Simple was followed with cult favourite, Raising Arizona. Popular gangster film, Miller’s Crossing was well received critically (though not commercially at first), but nothing like Goodfellas as an example, which defied the expectations of a genre in seeming decline. Barton Fink was a head scratcher that not too many saw, but those who loved it, really loved it. The Hudsucker Proxy piled on perhaps too much quirk and remains something of a forgotten entry in Coen canon, not least because it’s sandwiched between the increasingly more widely appreciated Fink, and what would come in 1996; Fargo.
Now 25 years old, Fargo marked a step forward for the Coens as far as wider appeal. Given the indie nature of their films and the fact they picked up audiences (albeit in cases like Millers Crossing and Barton Fink, more on subsequent home releases), they tended to make enough money to continue making the films they wanted (whether they magnetized a wider, or more niche audience). Raising Arizona had been the most mainstream event up to that point, but Fargo would not only represent their biggest box office success (around 60 million dollars on a 7 million budget), but it also became the first recognition from the Academy. The film would win a best screenplay Oscar, as well as best Actress for Frances McDormand (it picked up further nominations for Best picture, director, editing, supporting actor and cinematography). This was a big success and like a lot of Oscar baited films that aren’t the powerhouse vehicles, it subsequently picked up a lot of viewers on home release.
Step forward 25 years and it remains widely considered as the Coens’ best work. They’ve continued to maintain a wider appeal and a little more box office magnetism on the big screen. Films like No Country For Old Men and The Big Lebowski also have legions of admirers. Additionally, it ended up providing the basis for a hugely popular miniseries of the same name. Fargo the series wouldn’t particularly follow the film more than being placed around the same parts of the States, and featuring similar tales of misguided schemes going spectacularly wrong. So why did Fargo change the landscape that was laid out before the Coens? Why is it still so exceptional?
There is something of a forte from the Coens when it comes to telling the story of nefarious acts spiralling out of control. A huge number of their films are based around the concept, as a protagonist (not always of criminal persuasion_ can’t stop their plans falling disastrously apart. Fargo sees William H. Macy, who has made financial blunders, finding himself needing big money quickly, in order to invest in a sure thing. Despite being something of a bumbling, put upon everyman lacking much gumption, he tries to orchestrate a criminal plan that he believes will be simple. What he doesn’t count on is the parties involved, be they his wife (who he plans to have kidnapped and collect the ransom), his father-in-law, or the criminals he enlists to help. Everything that could go wrong, does go wrong and people end up dead along the way, which is where McDormand’s heavily pregnant policewoman, Marge Gunderson comes in.
A thriller laced with quirky characters and black comedy had every Coen hallmark imaginable in a package which was more mainstream. It works brilliantly and is structured impeccably and compactly in a lithe 98 minutes. Furthermore, the trademark visual style was on full display. The Coens had a distinct visual eye, and always tied themselves up with a master cinematographer. In this case it’s cinematographic deity himself, Roger Deakins (his third film with them at that point). Add in great music from Coen stalwart, Carter Burwell and Fargo struck gold in every department.
As big a strength as any, is the cast. The Coen approach is to write engagingly quirky characters with distinct idiosyncrasies and then allow their cast the ability to express themselves. You rarely find an actor not on top form when stood before the cameras on a Coen film and Fargo is a particularly fine example. McDormand is exceptional, well worthy of her Oscar win as the affably determined and competent cop (in laid back small town America, where competence might be deemed a luxury). As Jerry Lundegaard, William H. Macy is also superb as he finds himself unable to stop the snowball effect. Elsewhere there’s a great double act with the haphazard crooks, played by Peter Stormare and Steve Buscemi. The development between them and the pay off is brilliant.
Timeless and essential, Fargo remains one of the most enjoyable and well crafted crime thrillers of the last few decades. It’s now iconic, inspiring the gripping TV series of the same name (which followed the same patterns with new sets of characters each time). It would set a high bar for the brothers, which they’ve consistently managed to hit, or get close too as well, marking a fine example of just why they’re masters of the craft.
SEE ALSO: The Coen Brothers and Roger Deakins: From Barton Fink to Hail, Caesar!
What are your thoughts on Fargo? Let us know on our social channels @flickeringmyth….
Tom Jolliffe is an award winning screenwriter and passionate cinephile. He has a number of films out on DVD/VOD around the world and several releases due out in 2021/2022, including, Renegades (Lee Majors, Danny Trejo, Michael Pare, Tiny Lister, Patsy Kensit, Ian Ogilvy and Billy Murray), Crackdown, When Darkness Falls and War of The Worlds: The Attack (Vincent Regan). Find more info at the best personal site you’ll ever see here.
