Of the many striking scenes in Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo, two are especially memorable. One is the opening sequence, where the credits roll over a landscape of utter blankness – a snow-covered highway in rural North Dakota – interrupted by a single car, towing another vehicle. It’s reminiscent of the first scene of Scorsese's Taxi Driver, and equally disturbing; it suggests both purity and terrifying isolation. The other occurs about 15 minutes later: a housewife is sitting in her living room, watching a perky local morning show, when two men wearing black ski masks show up at her back door. The incongruity is almost comical... until one of the men pulls out a crowbar and starts smashing the door glass. Read more [...]