Blood Simple

Forty years ago, the Coen Brothers’ debut hit theaters. Since then, the dynamic duo has written, directed, and produced many features. But in light of their fairly successful career, including films that are widely regarded as some of the most iconic and greatest ever made, their first is interesting to see. Some of their works–most famously The Big Lebowski–were not initially well-received but went on to achieve a cult following. 2007’s No Country for Old Men was not only critically acclaimed but won Best Picture. Their 2010 remake of True Grit is considered by many to be superior to the original.

Their trademark combination of quirky individuals, screwball scenarios, mistaken identities, and dark humor, with elements of crime and even horror in the mix, is surprisingly effective. Not every film has been as good as the last, but I love these filmmakers because their work never really fit into a specific genre. They have made comedies, crime thrillers, dramas, and Westerns–but there are almost always elements that usually overlap (Burn After Reading is a great example of a comedy that is also a crime caper).

What does this have to do with Blood Simple? Looking back on this indie foray into their darkly comedic career, so much of the DNA of their later work is present here. It might not be as polished as their best efforts, but it lays the foundations very well. The direction by Joel, with a script co-written by Ethan (who also has producing credits), is fantastic. Barry Sonnenfeld’s cinematography is wonderful, and it’s interesting to see one of the few times that the great Roger Deakins did not collaborate with them. The neo-noir style has many scenes of characters hiding in shadows, and the neon lights of the bar serve as stark contrast. The Texas locales are captured very well. Composer Carter Burtwell’s score is effectively haunting. The runtime is breezy, as the film clocks in at just over ninety minutes. It also marks star Frances McDormand’s debut role, and she has had great success over the years with them.

Here I must note that if you have not seen it, I will tread lightly when it comes to the plot; it’s best to go in blind. Dan Hedaya plays her husband, the owner of a sleazy backwoods dive bar. He hires a slimy private eye (M. Emmet Walsh) to kill his wife who is currently locked in a forbidden affair with another man (John Getz). He assures that he will pay handsomely for the job. The private eye takes the money and then double-crosses him. From here on out, things get even more complicated–and, as you would expect from the Coens–increasingly out of control.

In fact, this crime thriller descends into horror territory multiple times, including a truly chilling and tense sequence of someone being buried alive. Another scene of a man desperately cleaning up blood is perhaps deliberately evocative of “Macbeth”. But it all works surprisingly well because the filmmakers are experts at building suspense, remembering Hitchcock’s rule of three. We are shown a gun at least three times, so we know exactly how many bullets are in the chamber. The final showdown is memorably nail-biting, and you realize that the fates of certain characters have been foreshadowed much earlier. Constantly, I was reminded of the cat-and-mouse between Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men.

Roger Ebert summed up Blood Simple quite well: “Is the movie fun? Well, that depends on you. It is violent, unrelenting, absurd, and fiendishly clever. There is a cliché I never use: “Not for the squeamish.” But let me put it this way. “Blood Simple” may make you squeam.” I can put it to no finer point than that.

Rated R

1 hour, 36 minutes