Fargo: Points to Consider

1
Fargo Points to Consider
Ethan and Joel Coen the Coen Brothers
2
True Stories
This is a True Story The events depicted in this
film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the
request of the survivors, the names have been
changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest
has been told exactly as it occurred.
3
Classicism vs Formalism
Classicism or Hollywood Realism the normative
style of Hollywood studio film production and,
therefore, the dominant style of filmmaking
internationally, with emphasis on realistic
representation of characters in action over
sequential time, all to achieve the willing
suspension of disbelief by the audience.
4
Classical Cutting

• An unobtrusive editing style which does not draw
  attention to itself but rather invites the viewer
  to remained focused on characters in action.
• Classical cutting is used during several
  sequences during this film
• Car chase alternating from Gaears profile and
  upper torso in a tightly framed medium shot to
  scenes of the road ahead (POV shots)

5
Is Fargo a Classic Hollywood film?
We need to be careful with this perception. This
film does carry formalist traditions with
it Formalism a critical approach to
filmmaking which stresses form over content
premised on the assumption that meaning has to do
with how the content is presented rather than the
content in-and-of itself (e.g., Louis Bunuel's Un
Chien Andalou (1928) and David Linch's Blue
Velvet(1986))
6
Fargo and Realism

• Fargo attempts to disarm the viewer with a
  realistic portrayal of the murders and
  plotline.
• The opening text is the first instance of this
  attempt to disarm.
• What makes this film realistic?
• portrayal of characters
• scene locations
• banal or mundane conversations between characters

7
Fargo and Genre

• Fargo continues to disarm us by drawing on
  several established conventions and genres that
  may be familiar to us
• Classical cutting (as in the car chase scene)
• True Crime genre (or even COPS - the final
  scene with Jerry)
• Comedy genre (funny lookin) and
  tongue-in-cheek delivery
• Horror genre (after all, there are murders)
• The Post-Modern colour noir (from the film noir
  tradition)

8
The Post-Modern Fargo

• What do we mean by Post-Modern?
• For our purposes with Fargo, Post-Modernism
  points to the self-conscious way the film uses
  all of these elements, conventions and genres.
• Fargo is a parody of these styles and genres,
  and as a parody it uses exaggeration and
  gratuitous violence to get its point across.
• use of regional accents
• selection of character names (Lundegaard,
  Gustafson, Gunderson, Proudfoot)
• careful ordering of transitions and editing

9
Editing and Parody

• Consider the following as it applies to Parody
  and genre
• Cutting the axe scene at the cut point
• Norm and Marge chewing at the smorgasbord
  cutting to the face of Stan Grossman chewing
• Carl banging on the TV (Plug me into the Ozone
  baby!) and cutting to the mating habits of the
  beetle on the Gundersons television
• The Kidnappers in bed with the prostitutes
  cutting to the Gundersons in bed at home

10
Fargo and Formalism

• Because of its use of parody, and its clever use
  of editing, mise-en-scene (think of Marges first
  interview with Jerry) and even sparing use of
  music (opening and closing sequence), Fargo
  establishes itself with Formalism
• The self-conscious Post-modern style draws
  attention to itself.
• Hollywood Classicism insists on an invisible
  style and the voluntary suspension of disbelief

11
What is Fargo trying to say to us? (What are the
Themes?)

• An indictment of the American gun mentality.
• Points out the existential failure of characters
  who lie to others as well as themselves about the
  repercussion of their actions (ie. car salesmen),
  and those who value money above all else (And
  its a beautiful day).
• Supports the notion that there is real strength
  in women (even pregnant women) and that men and
  women can support role reversals (film noir)
  note the use of the split screen during the
  breakfast scene at the Gundersons.

12
Fargo and Theme

• Violence and evil cannot be discovered as
  quickly as promised in True Crime or mystery
  genres it exists beneath the surface of banality
  and rote pleasantries
• similarities between Marge and Gaear
  (emotionless)
• Jerry and his breakdowns (parking lot scene,
  final sequence)
• Paul Bunyan statue (low angle, high contrast
  lighting)
• Mike Yanagita scene (disturbing at best)

13
Fargo and Motif

• Motif
• the systematic repetition of a theme, object or
  technique
• television
• insects
• eating and appetite
• mythological characters (Bunyan, Marlboro Man)

14
Academy Awards

• Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her role as
  Police Chief Gunderson.
• Her acceptance speech focused on Fargo as
  offering a decent role for women, a role that
  emphasizes womens resourcefulness and inner
  strength over the typical subordinate, sexual
  images that the majority of films pander.