The Coen Brothers Oeuvre

1
(No Transcript)
2
The Coen Brothers Oeuvre

• Postmodernist Filmmaking
• Mixing high and low cultural sources
• Blurring genres like noir and comedy
• Use of pastiche and anti-realism
• Commercial/independent films

3
The Maguffin (McGuffin)

• We have a name in the studio, and we call it
  the 'Maguffin.' It is the mechanical element that
  usually crops up in any story. In crook stories
  it is most always the necklace and in spy stories
  it is most always the papers. Alfred
  Hitchcock, 1939 lecture at Columbia University.
• It might be a Scottish name, taken from a story
  about two men in a train. One man says, 'What's
  that package up there in the baggage rack?' And
  the other answers, 'Oh that's a McGuffin.' The
  first one asks 'What's a McGuffin?' 'Well' the
  other man says, 'It's an apparatus for trapping
  lions in the Scottish Highlands.' The first man
  says, 'But there are no lions in the Scottish
  Highlands,' and the other one answers 'Well, then
  that's no McGuffin!' So you see, a McGuffin is
  nothing at all. Alfred Hitchcock, 1966
  interview with Francois Truffaut.
• What is the Maguffin in the classic film noir
  pictures we watched? What is the Maguffin in The
  Big Lebowski?

Janet Leigh and Alfred Hitchcock on the set of
Psycho (1960).
4
The Setting City of the Angels

• Why is Los Angeles the ideal setting for film
  noir crime/detective pictures? Isolated, ideal
  place with an unreal view of the world.
• How are American values represented in The Big
  Lebowski?
• Dude average, apathetic, tumbling along with
  the tumbling tumbleweeds, attempts to become
  engaged are thwarted by the system and the
  powerful
• Big Lebowski success, arrogance, upper class
  conservatism
• Walter religion, arrogance, average citizen,
  war, rules, law, working-class conservatism
• Stranger western-cowboy, wisdom, big brother to
  the world
• Jackie Treehorn morality, excess
• Donnie naïve, innocent, follower
• Bunny young, dreamer, femme fatale
• Maude mature, cynical, vaginal, radical,
  postmodern, feminist artist
• Brant effeminate, loyal valet

5
America War Unchecked Aggression

• President George H.W. Bush This aggression will
  not stand.
• Dude Woo peed on the rug (a symbol of world
  hubris toward American complacence). The Dude
  replaces the rug with one that appears to be of
  Middle-Eastern origin. He's later seen practicing
  Tai Chi on the new rug.
• Walter Were talking about unchecked aggression
  here.... Im talking about drawing a line in the
  sand, Dude. Across this line you do not
• The Big Lebowski I didnt blame anyone for the
  loss of my legs. Some Chinaman in Korea took them
  from me.
• Walter pulling his gun on a Smokey "This is not
  Nam, this is bowling. There are rules. Smokey, my
  friend. You're entering a world of pain."
• Dude Walter, you cant do that. These guys are
  like me, theyre pacifists. Smokey was a
  conscientious objector. Walter You know Dude,
  I myself dabbled with pacifism at one point. Not
  in Nam, or course. Dude And you know Smokey
  has emotional problems! Walter You meanbeyond
  pacifism?
• Walter And let me point outpacifism is
  notlook at our current situation with that
  camelfucker in Iraq--pacifism is not something to
  hide behind.
• Walter Sure youll see some tank battles. But
  fighting in desert is very different from
  fighting in canopy jungle. I mean Nam was a
  foot-soldiers war whereas, uh, this thing should
  be a fucking cakewalk. I mean I had an M16,
  Jacko, not an Abrams fucking tank. Just me and
  Charlie, man, eyeball to eyeball. Thats fuckin
  combat. The man in the black pajamas, Dude.
  Worthy fuckin adversary. Not a bunch of
  fig-eaters with towels on their heads tryin' to
  find reverse on a Soviet tank. This is not a
  worthy, uh
• Walter Those rich fucksthis whole fucking
  thingI did not watch my buddies die face down in
  the muck so that this fucking whorethis
  strumpet..." Dude I dont see any connection to
  Vietnam, Walter. Walter Well, there isnt a
  literal connection.
• Walter Look, Larry... Have you ever heard of
  Vietnam? Youre entering a world of pain.
• Dude to the Malibu Police Chief Ow! Fucking
  fascist!

The Dudes prophetic Ralphs check dated 9/11.
6
Motif American Exceptionalism

• The Big Lebowski on rugged individualism Your
  revolution is over, Mr. Lebowski! Condolences!
  The bums lost! My advice is, do what your parents
  did! Get a job sir! The bums will always lose.
  I've accomplished more than most men, without the
  use of my legs. What, what makes a man? Is it
  being prepared to do the right thing, whatever
  the cost?
• The Big Lebowski on foreigners Do you speak
  English? Parla usted Inglese?.... I didnt blame
  anyone for the loss of my legs. Some Chinaman in
  Korea took them from me.
• Walter on foreigners The Chinaman is not the
  issue!... Uh and also, Dude, Chinaman is not the
  preferred nomenclature, uh, Asian-American.
  Please.. Fucking Germans! Fucking Nazis!"
  Donnie "They were Nazis dude?" Walter "Oh c'mon
  Donnie. They were threatening castration. Are we
  gonna split hairs here?"
• Walter, on the Nihilists (who believe in
  nothing) "Say what you will about the tenets of
  national socialism, at least it's an ethos."
• The Dude drinks White Russians and Caucasians.
• Dude "Is that some kind of eastern thing?" The
  Cowboy "Far from it."
• The Dude listens to Credence, and is followed by
  VW (a German car).
• A distraught Dude says, I hate the fuckin
  Eagles, man (arguably the most representative
  band of mainstream, majority American culture)
  and is kicked out of a cab by the type of person
  you NEVER see at an Eagles concert.
• Walter, the representation of the US armed
  forces, throws the unprotected cripple onto the
  floor, while shouting "Achtung, baby!".

7
Motif Law Rules

• American Exceptionalism is largely predicated on
  its unique law/rule-based culture which of
  course is just a smokescreen for arrogance,
  intolerance, and selfishness.
• If you do not obey/follow the law/rules, there
  are consequences.
• Both the aggression of Saddams invasion of
  Kuwait and the Dudes rug being soiled will not
  stand.
• The phrase you see what happens is repeated by
  characters (Treehorns blonde goon and Walter)
  who are teaching the lesson of consequences.
• Little Larrys punishment for fucking a stranger
  in the ass is that his new Corvette will be
  smashed up.
• Walter on the rules and the law Over the line!
  This is not Nam. This is bowling. There are
  rules. Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the
  only one here who gives a shit about the rules?
  Mark it Zero!
• Later, Walter revisits the law The Supreme
  Court has roundly rejected prior restraint.
  These are our basic freedoms!
• Again, Walter Keeping wildlife, an amphibious
  rodent, for uh, domestic, you know, within the
  citythat isnt legal either.

8
Detective Films

• How does this film relate to the classic
  film-noir, hard-boiled detective films?
• Is The Dude a detective?
• DaFino Im a brother shamus! Let me tell ya
  something - I dig your work. Playing one side
  against the other, in bed with everybody - just
  fabulous stuff.
• Dude My thinking about this case has become
  very uptight, man.
• How is law enforcement portrayed and how does
  this relate to their portrayal in classic film
  noir?

Jon Polito as Private Investigator DaFino. The
Big Lebowski (1998)
9
Motif Religion

• The Big Lebowski can be seen as a commentary on
  American religiosity and its relationship to the
  world and war. Hence, the backdrop of the Gulf
  War (1990-1991).
• Walter converts to Judaism when he marries
  Cynthia yet continues to practice despite his
  divorce Im shomer shabbos!
• Though a convicted sex offender, the best bowler
  in the league is named Jesus and nobody fucks
  with the Jesus.
• Walter likens the nihilists to Nazis, perplexing
  The Dude. Later, Walter bites off the ear of one
  of the nihilists while calling him an
  anti-Semite They were threatening castration.

John Turturro as Jesus Quintana.
10
The Detective as Morally Ambiguous Hero

• How does the Dude compare with the classic film
  noir detective?
• How does he compare with Philip Marlowe?
• Could Marlowe have solved this case?
• Do we root for the drug-taking, sexually
  promiscuous, irresponsible, slacker? Why?
• When Lebowski requests to be referred to as The
  Dude, he is demanding non-confrontational yet
  equal social status with other males, including
  the elitist Big Lebowski.
• One Lebowski explains to the other Im not Mr.
  Lebowski youre Mr. Lebowski. Im the Dude. So
  thats what you call me. That, or Duder. His
  Dudeness. Or El Duderino, if, you know, youre
  not into the whole brevity thing. The
  repetition of the term Dude is important to the
  hegemonic male code because of its equalizing
  intent dude is expressed from one peer to
  another, therefore neither male is considered to
  have power over the other, eliminating the need
  for conflict or competition. The term is
  primarily used in male/male interactions to
  establish cool solidarity, strict
  heterosexuality, and nonconformity.
• The Dude constantly orders White Russians - a
  cocktail he refers to as a Caucasian. The White
  Russian is a drink named after the losing army in
  Russias October Revolution, therefore The Dudes
  beverage of choice is the drink of social
  failures, a subtle reference to The Dudes
  passive acceptance of his social shortcomings.

Jeff Bridges as the Dude All the Dude wanted
was his rug back.
11
Turning Motifs on Their Head Sleuthing

• At Jackie Treehorns Malibu beach house, the Dude
  observes Jackie writing down an address on a pad
  of paper. Like the rest of us, the Dude has seen
  classic film noir detective films and therefore
  goes to the pad to check the imprint to see what
  Jackie has written. Instead of an address,
  however, we find a pornographic sketch! The
  sketch is later found by the Malibu police chief
  who roughs him up. Moral when the Dude attempts
  to use real sleuthing techniques, he is thwarted
  but when he descends into an endless sea of White
  Russians and marijuana he is successful.

12
Turning Motifs on Their Head Good Cop, Bad Cop

• The private detective always has a complex,
  two-sided relationship with the police. They are
  at once friendly and friends while also angry and
  enemies.
• Marlowes relationship with Chief Inspector
  Bernie Ohls.
• The Dudes interactions with Dafino, the LAPD,
  and the Malibu Sherriff illustrate this.
• The LAPD send one good cop and one bad cop to
  the Dudes house to report his stolen car.
• The Auto Circus Cop is initially helpful in
  discussing the Dudes car but then turns when the
  Dude pushes too far Leads? Yeah. Ill just
  check with the boys down at the Crime Lab.
  Theyve assigned four more detectives to the
  case, got us working in shifts.
• Malibu Police Chief who the Dude later calls a
  real reactionary Mr. Treehorn draws a lot of
  water in this town, Lebowski. You dont draw
  shit. We got a nice quiet beach community here I
  dont like you sucking around bothering our
  citizens Lebowski. I dont like your jerk-off
  name, I dont like your jerk-off face, I dont
  like your jerk-off behavior, and I dont like
  you, jerk-off. Stay out of Malibu, Lebowski!
  Stay out of Malibu, deadbeat! Keep your ugly
  fucking goldbricking ass out of my beach
  community.

13
Donny I am the Walrus

• Donny mistakes Vladimir Lenins for John Lennon.
• Donny doesnt know was a pederast is.
• Donny wants to know what tied the room together
  and then says, His name is Lebowski, thats
  youre name, Dude!
• When Walter explains that Little Larry Sellers
  lives in North Hollywood near the In-N-Out
  Burger, Donny again misses the point Those are
  good burgers, Walter and then wants to make sure
  they stop there.
• Donny is always two steps behind,
  misunderstanding and misinterpreting events. Why?
  What does his character represent?
• Donny is a metaphor for the vast majority of the
  American people most of whom may have a pure
  heart but due to their ignorance do not vote, do
  not follow current events, and are not engaged in
  public life in any way, thereby allowing others
  to shape events. As long as they have meaningless
  pursuits such as surfing and bowling, feel-good
  music such as the Eagles, and good cheap food at
  the In-N-Out, they are happy to be in a constant
  state of blissful ignorance. And the city of the
  Angels feeds the escapist lifestyle in a way that
  no other place can.
• What does Donnys death symbolize?
• Life is fragile, fleeting, and pointless. And
  though the simple-minded, escapists may get
  crushed, at least they will reach some sort of
  transcendence due to their basic goodness. As
  where the cynical and arrogant must remain in
  this world to live with a hellish reality.

14
Portrayal of Women

• How do female characters in Lebowski compare with
  female characters in The Big Sleep?

Irene Olga Lopez Pilar
Asia Carrera Sherry in Logjammin
Lu Elrod Waitress
Robin Jones (L) played the laconic, stoned
Ralphs Checker. Here she attends a 2006
Lebowskifest in costume with her twin sister.
Rock star Aimee Mann as a Nihilist She gafe up
her toe. She sought wed be getting million
dollars! Iss not fair!
Tara Reid as Bunny Lebowski.
15
Feminism and the Emasculated Bowling Team

• In a post-feminist world, women simply do not
  need men in the way that they once did for
  financial and other support. Therefore
  traditional men who operate in this world must
  either adapt to be able to offer these women
  something other than the traditional provider
  role. If they do not, they
• The Dude and his bowling team are completely
  dominated by women the Dude by Maude, Walter by
  his ex-wife Cynthia, and Donny who of course is
  asexual.
• Maude is only interested in the Dude for his
  sperm Look, Jeffrey, I dont want a partner. 
  In fact I dont want the father to be someone I
  have to see socially, or wholl have any interest
  in rearing the child himself.
• Indeed, Bunnys sexually promiscuous,
  social-climbing life demonstrates her ability to
  dominate the Big Lebowski a person whos
  authoritarian ways would suggest that he could
  never be dominated by a little girl.
• The Big Lebowski is further dominated in how he
  achieved his social status. We learn from Maude
  that has no real money of his own and lives on an
  allowance from his late wifes wealth and
  administering the charities under his
  daughter. She states, We did let Father run one
  of the companies, briefly, but he didnt do very
  well at it.  Therefore his wall of plaques and
  honors were made possible by his late wifes
  success as the family provider.
• And while we dont know much about Walters
  ex-wife Cynthia, we observe that she too
  dominates a seemingly authoritative male even
  after their divorce! The fucking dog has fucking
  paper. You cant bored it. Its hair falls out.
• Hence the films focus on male genitals is meant
  to make the point about emasculated males in a
  post-feminist landscape. The nihilists want to
  cut off your Johnson. Donny wants to know
  What do you need that for, Dude? Jackie
  Treehorn draws a large penis while talking on the
  phone. And as The Dude and Walter confront The
  Big Lebowski on his false masculine pretenses, he
  screams through his tears, Stay away from
  me! You bullies! You and these women! You wont
  leave a man his fucking balls!

16
Obscenity and Film

• How does The Big Lebowski compare with films from
  the classic film noir era in terms of obscenity?
• Language
• Violence
• Drug use
• Sex/nudity
• What does this tell us about standards of
  morality and freedom of expression over time? And
  what Hollywood can and cannot do in terms of
  implicit or explicit content.

The Busby Berkeley-styled dream sequence.
Blow on them.

• Watch the two-minute fucking short version of
  The Big Lebowski by clicking on the image above.
• The answer is yep, 281 times!

17
The Villains
Jerry Haleva as Saddam. Why does he hand
out bowling shoes?
John Turturro as Jesus Quintana. Donnie Whats
a Pederast, Walter?
The Nihlists (L-R) Flea (Kieffer), Torsten Voges
(Franz), Peter Stormare (Karl Hungus) and their
ferret.
James G. Hoosier Liam OBrien

• Who are the villains?
• How do Lebowskis villains compare
• with those in classic film noir pictures?
• Can women be villains?

The Malibu Mafia (L-R) Mark Pellegrino (Blonde
Thug), Ben Bazzara (Jackie Treehorn), and Philip
Moon (Woo). Why do the thugs switch clothes?
18
Big Comparisons

• General Sternwood and the Big Lebowski military,
  disabled, rich, mansion, his difficulty starts
  the intrigue
• Vivian Sternwood Rutledge and Maude Lebowski
  highly pragmatic, protective of family
• Carmen Sternwood and Bunny Lebowski
  irresponsible, nymphomaniac, involved in
  pornography
• Eddie Mars and Jackie Treehorn big-time
  racketeer, gambler, pornographer with police
  protection
• Triad of grifters and Nihilists Joe Brody,
  Agnes, and Harry Jones
• Norris the Butler and Brant the Assistant
  Unyielding service to the family
• Philip Marlowe and the Dude both are the men for
  their time and placethey fit right in there And
  why not? Thats what film noir is a mirror of
  reality, a mirror of society.
• Both films deliberately de-emphasize plot in
  order to portray a series of journeys across the
  mythical but mundane southland landscape of
  sloth, ignorance, and greed. Moral postmodern
  life is nothing more than a series of meaningless
  encounters between one character after the next
  with the city of the angels as the haven for
  nothingness. So enjoy the ride

19
Big Comparisons Narrative Movement Locations
Each of these locations is linked to the next
by a character who is chasing or following the
protagonist in some way

• Detectives home Dudes and Marlowes.
• Mansion Big Lebowskis and Sternwoods.
• Two other domiciles Maudes apartment and the
  Sellers home Brodys apartment and Caninos
  hideaway.
• Detectives office the bowling alley and
  Marlowes office
• Dwelling of the racketeer/pornographer Jackie
  Treehorns Malibu compound and Eddie Mars club
  at Las Olindas.

Jesse Flanagan Little Larry Sellers
Elisha Cook, Jr. Harry Jones
Julianne Moore Maude Lebowski
Louis Jean Heydt Joe Brody
20
Big Comparison The Rug

• The rug and the body Bogart finds Geiger
  murdered at his house but when he returns the
  body is gone. The rug however is soiled with
  Geigers blood and is an important clue in the
  case. The Dudes rug is soiled as well but
  instead of being killed like Geiger, the Dude
  lives to watch Woo urinate on it. Geiger cannot
  replace his soiled rug so it is not his journey
  that we are concerned about. The Dude, however,
  sets out to get a new rug and it is that journey
  that we are interested in. When the Dude gets
  one, he is not killed on it like Geiger but is
  instead knocked out by Maudes goons.

Arthur Gwynn Geigers murder creates blood
stains on the rug.
The Dude gets knocked out on his rug while
listening to Dylan and bowling tapes. He also
practices Tai-Chi on the rug.
21
Conclusion

• The Big Lebowski, like all of the Coen brothers
  films, deals with the twin impossibilities of
  human experience
• Coming to any meaningful understanding of others
• Mastering a brute reality ruled by the principle
  of seemingly diabolical mischance.
• These noirish themes are realized either in a
  somewhat positive or, most often, in a rather
  negative fashion. Thus the typical Coenian
  narrative focuses either on pathetic losers whose
  attempts to make a big score of some kind
  spectacularly misfire or on those of more virtue
  or purer heart who in their cunning or simplicity
  persevere to transcendence of some kind.
• Ultimately, as the Stranger says at the end of
  the film, life is a human comedy and all we can
  do is laugh and take er eazy through the
  absurdity of it all.

22
Credits

• Clute, Shannon and Richard Edwards, Out of the
  Past Investigating Film NoirEpisode 11 The Big
  Sleep and The Big Lebowski. November 15, 2005.
  70 minutes. Podcast from www.noircast.net.
• Palmer, R. Barton, Joel and Ethan Coen (Urban and
  Chicago, IL University of Illinois Press).