An American Thug in the Far North
Arts & Entertainment Blood Simple, Brainerd, brothers Coen, Buscemi, Coen brothers, Coens, David Mamet, Ethan Coen, Far North, Fargo, Farmer's Daughter, Grimsrud, Harve Presnell, homespun murder mystery, Jerry Lundegaard, Joel Coen, Lake Wobegon, Marge Gunderson, McDormand, Minneapolis, North Dakota, Oleanna, Scandinavian pioneers, Stormare, William H. Macy
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 [...]