Angel Dust on 8/2/2008 at 11:58
Saw this film last week and I've been thinking about ever since. 99% of it is an A++ thriller, suberbly shot, directed, acted, scripted and paced. It is pretty much perfect but the ending left me thinking.
[spoiler]
What is the meaning of Tommy Lee Jones character's dream? My initial thought was it was some kind of metaphor for journey of life. The part were he talks about feeling OK even though the road is harsh because he knows his Dad is at the end with a nice warm fire etc seems to me to be a metaphor for heaven or some type of afterlife. At first I thought this was a rather odd note to end the film on but later on as I thought back over it I remembered the very last thing he says before the film cuts to black.
"And then I woke up."
Of course that means he woke up from the dream but does it also mean he woke up to what he now sees as the reality, that there is no god, afterlife, or indeed any meaning to life at all? I think it would fit with the rather existential bent of the film but any other thoughts?
[/spoiler]
On a side note I know that Javier Bardem has been earning well deserved praise for his role as Anton Chigurh but I'd like to give some kudos for the rest of the cast in particular Woody Harrelson. The scene where he has his last conversation with Anton is phenominal. I always though Woody was a good actor but I never knew he had this is him.
Scots Taffer on 8/2/2008 at 13:55
I think the dream is a very simple metaphor, that hope is always something to cling to even in the darkest and coldest of times. It makes the most sense because everything else has deserted Bell, he has no faith in God and no faith in humanity, but he can hold onto hope.
And yes, it is an amazing movie, its beauty is in its simplicity and the acting from Bardem, Brolin, Jones and Harrelson is nothing short of brilliant.
Angel Dust on 8/2/2008 at 14:30
Yeah that is what I thought initially it was just the whole "And then I woke up" (especially with the despairing way that Tommy Lee Jones delivered it) and then the cut to black really struck me as a denial of that hope. I'm probably just reading too much into it because of the all of the other negative things that happen.
But yes it is a very good film but personally I would still rate 'Fargo' and 'Millers Crossing' higher in the Coen filmography. Although those films have the benefit of multiple viewings.
Well I've now seen Sweeney Todd, Juno and NCFOM only There Will Be Blood, Rescue Dawn, 3:10 to Yuma, Michael Clayton and The Darjeeling Limited to go. This time of year is always pretty ruthless on my wallet! :thumb:
henke on 8/2/2008 at 17:47
Well I heard, from a guy on the internet, that Bell and Chigurh are actually THE SAME PERSON :eek:
Hier on 8/2/2008 at 19:14
Quote Posted by henke
Well I heard, from a guy on the internet, that
Bell and Chigurh are actually THE SAME PERSON :eek:
Huh? That would make no sense at all.
The Alchemist on 8/2/2008 at 19:19
Oh yes, this was the best movie of the year for me.
Sypha Nadon on 8/2/2008 at 19:25
"The Hudsucker Proxy" was better.
the_grip on 9/2/2008 at 01:51
Quote Posted by Sypha Nadon
"The Hudsucker Proxy" was better.
Was there a remake of that? That's an old flick (but good).
NCfOM was incredible - one of the best movies i've seen in a while.
Personally, i do agree with the post re:hope. Chigurh represents fate in the movie, and Bell represents free will (or limited free will) in the face of fate (at least as i interpreted it). Chigurh's actor was amazing... just looking at that guy gives me chills.
This actually might be my favorite Coen film (although Raising Arizona always hold a place dear in my heart).
Fafhrd on 9/2/2008 at 02:48
The dream is the final explanation of both the title, and why Sheriff Bell decided to retire. His father represents the model lawman that Bell was trying to be, riding ahead, bringing light into a world of darkness. And then he woke up. The sort of but not quite confrontation with Chigurh was the final straw that showed Bell that the world had changed too much, and the darkness was too overwhelming, and he could no longer face it.
Scots Taffer on 9/2/2008 at 02:53
Quote Posted by henke
Well I heard, from a guy on the internet, that
Bell and Chigurh are actually THE SAME PERSON :eek:
Heh, obviously that's someone with no imagination explaining what happened with
Bell and Chigurh at the motel room after Llewelyn died. In my opinion, it is either a representation of Bell's fear of the new world or an artistic play on time periods, as we know Chigurh was there at some point (vent and coin) and we know that Bell is definitely there too. It's hard to say if Bell sees Chigurh in the lockspace or Chigurh sees Bell, one could argue that they're looking into themselves and seeing the other, some sort of metaphor for the duality of their nature, just like flip sides of the coin. More importantly I don't think Bell's life was ever in danger though, as he didn't "get there like the coin did".
Quote Posted by Fafhrd
The dream is the final explanation of both the title,
and why Sheriff Bell decided to retire. His father represents the model lawman that Bell was trying to be, riding ahead, bringing light into a world of darkness. And then he woke up. The sort of but not quite confrontation with Chigurh was the final straw that showed Bell that the world had changed too much, and the darkness was too overwhelming, and he could no longer face it.Possibly, but that seems tautological of his meeting with Ellis. Ultimately I believe that Bell feels there is no greater meaning to life and that he doesn't quite understand it, especially this country he lives in (the description of the news article is a good example), but there's still a part of Bell that holds onto the ideal, of the lawman, of making a difference, that vanity that Ellis called it, which could otherwise be expressed as hope.
