No Country of Old Men vs. Fargo

No Country for Old Men an old fashioned thriller with fascinating story telling. It only makes sense that this film comes from Joel and Ethan Coen, the filmmakers who brought Fargo twelve years ago before. No Country For Old Men is not only an adaptation of Fargo, but also a remake. 

The characters in both films are almost exactly the same. In Fargo, Gaear and Carl are two criminals and in No Country for Old Men Anton Chirgurh is also a criminal (a hitman). The plots are very similar too, in Fargo, Jerry Lundegaard tries to find a way to pay off his debt and in No Country for Old Men Llewelyn Moss steals a satchel full of money. The protagonists are also similar, both Marge Gunderson from Fargo and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell from No Country for Old Men are both work in law enforcement. Through the crimes they investigate they both realize how society is not only immoral, but there also is a downfall of civilization. 

I also noticed that in both movies there is a character who exhibits a sociopathic nature. In Fargo it is the one guy who never talks and in No Country for Old Men it is the serial killer.

After watching No Country for Old Men and Fargo, there were many similarities that the two films have shown to be very interesting. Both films were filmed in rural lands where, in Fargo, there was the snowy plains of Minnesota and, in No Country for Old Men, the desolate desert in Texas. It was interesting to see the Coen brothers take part in the two films because they were able to make the scenes seem so folksy.

The films were also made to include violent within the two films which came out of nowhere and also where they stem from unresolved issues. The two films were also similar by including a similar protagonist which included Sheriff Ed Tom Bell and Police Chief Marge Gunderson. It included that both the sheriff and the police chief observing the heinous crimes that were happening in their towns. The two protagonists are also similar because of they like to talk about society and the morals that people have; they both finish the crimes that happen and realize that this happens way too often.

In my opinion, I thought that No Country for Old Men was a little bit more interesting than Fargo, it seemed like No Country for Old Men was a remake of Fargo because it had much more detail in the plot and also more action than what happened in Fargo including some of the innocent killings. 

The Coen Brothers

To me Fargo and No Country For Old Men are the same film because the stories and backgrounds for the characters of the movies are every similar to each other.  In both No Country for Old Men The sheriff says that he feels outmatched by criminals and that he doesn’t stand much of a chance against them, you get that same feel in Fargo because the Sherriff is a very pregnant lady and by looking at her it seems that she is outmatched by the criminals. Also the motives behind each film was because of money and Moss found 2 million dollars that didn’t belong to him and he tried to take it from the bad guys also Jerry Lundegaard motive for having his wife kidnapped was to gain movie so he could pay people off.  These movies both by the Coen brothers seemed so similar that I wouldn’t be surprised if No country for old men was also based off of Fargo.

In Over Their Head - Common Themes Within Fargo and NCFOM

One thing that stood out to me while watching Fargo and No Country For Old Men was the Coen brothers' consistent incorporation of characters that seem to be in over their heads. In No Country For Old Men, these characters are Llewelyn Moss and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. Moss is constantly pursued by ruthless assassin Anton Chigurh throughout the film, and eventually is killed because he cannot match Chigurh's strength, cunning, and overall "ultimate badass"-ery. At the same time, Bell feels overmatched and out of his element while trying to bring Chigurh to justice. He struggles to comprehend the motivations of both Llewelyn and Moss, which ultimately leads to his retirement by the end of the movie. In addition, in Fargo both Jerry Lundergaard and policewoman Marge Gunderson seem in over their heads throughout the film. Jerry is a seemingly nice man who is forced to turn to crime because of an outstanding debt, and is generally inept in his criminal endeavors. As a result, he is eventually captured and brought to justice. Marge Gunderson, in similar fashion to Ed Tom Bell, struggles to understand how someone could turn to such evil in the name of money. This use of characters who seem to be in over their heads suggests that the Coen brothers believe that criminals generally operate on a higher level than ordinary people, and when ordinary people attempt to get involved in crime, they fail miserably.

The Coen Brothers

While Fargo and No Country for Old Men are wildly different films, they do have many things in common.  The main characters (well, if you consider Jerry Lundegaard the main character in Fargo) are under quite similar circumstances, despite being rather different people.  They both have made a poor money-related decision and are trapped in some way because of it.  For Jerry, his scheme to have his wife kidnapped for money has backfired on him, and he is neither able to resolve the situation nor avoid being caught, so he is pretty much stuck.  For Llewelyn Moss, he has decided to take a case filled with 2 million dollars in cash from the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong.  But Anton Chigurh will not rest until he hunts Llewelyn down, and so Llewelyn is trapped in that way.  Fargo and No Country for Old Men are both movies about the older generation unable to adapt to the younger, and folksiness, but I think they are also about greed and karma, as well as the absence of the concept of "good" and "bad."  Jerry and Llewelyn are driven by greed, and are punished for it; neither of them gets away with what they have done.  After all, Anton Chigurh is like the personification of karma; he follows the "sinner" practically to the ends of the earth to punish him for his greed.  He symbolizes malevolent, chaotic karma, while Marge seems to symbolize benevolent karma.  

Coen Brothers Similarities

After watching No Country For Old Men and Fargo, we were able to see the similarities that the Coen Brothers showed during the two films. You can see the similarities mainly in the characters and their actions and the simple plot. Both films took place in deserted, open land; one in North Dakota and the other in the deserts of Texas. Both these places were small towns filled with locals who knew most things about each other. Violence erupts in both of the movies from one simple plan and almost out of the blue.

The main thing I also realized was the two main characters, who were both the protagonists of each story. Sherrif Tom Bell and Detective Marge Gunderson both play the same roles in both movies. They both go to work everyday and witness theses horrible crime scenes that take place in these small towns. During the examination process they both like to talk about why society is like this and the morals people have. They both seem upset at first; however, by the end of the movie, we notice that they both finish the crimes and realize they see this too often. This shows us that they accepted the fact that society has corrupted in such a way.

Although No Country for Old Men is much more powerfully irresistible, I found Fargo to be a tiny bit more exciting to watch. The main reason for this, I believe is the comic relief the old fold town accents the characters portrayed.

Folksiness

The Cohen Brothers have created two great movies with “Fargo” and “No Country for Old Men.” One thing that the brothers keep common between the two films is the folksiness and that the folksy people are not really prepared for the times that are changing. In both films the folksy town people are truly unprepared to interact with the non-folksy people. The townsfolk get swindled, murdered, and outplayed by the outside people. The folksy people are at a mismatch. The times are changing and it seems that they are not going to be part of it. “No Country for Old Men”’s title literally says it. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell also shows this in his progressive weariness as he tries to track down Luellen Moss and Anton Chigurh. And at the end Sheriff Bell comes to the realization that he is outmatched and no longer part of the times and he retires. In “Fargo” Sheriff Marge Gunderson also slowly comes to this realization as well. She does very good detective work but she always seems to be one step behind the pair of killers. And then at the end she is left there saying, “I don’t understand why anyone would do something like that for just a bit of money. I just can’t understand it.” Both these movies have the theme that the folksiness is just a bit behind the times and cannot keep up.

Coen Brothers: No Country for Old Men & Fargo

Coen Brothers: No Country for Old Men & Fargo.

These two films produced by Coen Brothers share similar overall themes. First of all, the obvious connection is that each film involves a sheriff who has a couple of screws loose, for the lack of a better phrase. In some way, shape, or form, the sheriff is just a little “off.” For instance, Marge is a female and pregnant sheriff handling a gun trying to track down kidnapping murderers. It is these types of obscurities that make the Coen Brothers’ work both effective and popular. Additionally, I wanted to focus on the fact that the themes of fate and conscience overlap in the two films. I conducted some research to see if this theme was apparent in any of the other work of the Coen Brothers, and I found that some of their earlier work (i.e. Raising Arizona) was centered around the motif of what they call “fate and circumstance.” No Country for Old Men opens with an audio of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, whose narration is as emotional as it is vocally accurate, precisely reflecting the novel written by Cormac McCarthy. This opening was critically acclaimed in the world of cinematography. Although there were no images on the screen, the audience was fully captivated through the diction and tone of voice that Tommy Lee Jones uses. Fargo similarly uses such dialogue in order to captivate the audience, particularly when Marge talks on the phone. The audience is made unaware of what the other speaker on the other line is saying, so we rely entirely on the speech to see what she is saying. Overall, we see that the Coen Brothers used similar motifs and cinematic styles in their two different, but successful films.

Fargo and No Country for Old Men

Evidently, both Fargo and No Country for Old Men, were placed is very different settings and unfolded different messages. Both involving sheriffs and both being on the "murder bandwagon" (one after another), their roles and actions played out differently.  No Country for Old Men, being placed in West Texas, and Fargo, being placed in Minnesota, ultimately the ways of life are contrasting.
We see a need for money in No Country for Old men and in Fargo. Both felt the need to murder many individuals in the process while keeping everything on the DL.
However, the power Marge had in Fargo is what stood out to me the most. As a women, in these kind of films, you don't see that often. The power she withheld throughout was evident. People relied on her, and she had the ability and the courage to do what she needed to do. Most men play that role, like the sheriffs in No Country for Old Men. Coen made a distinct contrast between the two films by adding Marge into the mix. Marge, towards the end of the film, went into the woods in search of the man and she found him. Most girls I know would be petrified to do that. She stood strong and her strength shined throughout.

Coen Brothers Folksy and at Home With Fargo

 The Coen brothers are on of a kind as there movies of no end to the blood lust and killing seen in Movies such as No Country for Old Men, and Fargo. Personally I believe a great aspect of there works is there ability to capture the "Folksy" feeling produced in these two films. In the Movie Fargo Marge Gunderson, played by non other then Frances McDonald, is a pregnant women sheriff in the town of Fargo North Dakota. She speaks in a heavy accent and seems to be as folksy as can be. In the movie it seems as if she has absolutely no business hunting down the two hardened kidnapping criminals who the Coen's grant the blood lust portrayal. But much to her credit she does in fact shoot and capture the last criminal. You can't help but laugh a bit though at her effort to look professional. Here you have this pregnant folksy women playing man hunt with these two professional criminals. Perhaps one reason the Coen's make Marge so "folksy" is to make her more of a hero. Cause I'm sure the "not so intelligent audience" would prefer to root for this kind of "folksy" hero.  She is lovable and I'm sure thats what the Coen's were going for. 

The Cohen Brothers

The Cohen Brothers are some of the most unique film directors in the industry. Their creativity and originality can be seen in No Country for Old Men and Fargo. Both are hit films that continue to entertain and fascinate people today. However, there are two aspects of them that are most notable for me. The Cohen Brothers use of a desolate setting is one of the things that stood out to me the most. Both movies take place for the most part in a pretty isolated place, far away from any urban center. This allows them to have much more freedom in scripting the movie, as characters in an open and desolate place can get away with more than if they are surround by people. It also contributes to the overall eerie effect that both films have. The Cohen Brother's, through their use of setting, have the ability to make viewers get that sick feeling in the pit of their stomach because they know that something bad can happen at any time. However, the frightening factor in their films is different than the horror movie feeling people get, namely because the Cohen Brothers are very realistic with their plot and make the viewer feel like this could all actually be a true story. The second aspect that I found notable in their films is the raw inhumanness they use to portray the antagonist, and with that the unforgiving scenes of violence that they chose to include. In No Country for Old Men they have Chigurh, and in Fargo there is Gaear Grismrud. Their acts are almost unrealistically violent, but because of how realistic the Cohen Brothers make their films, it seems like it could actually happen.

Coen

The Coen brother’s two films No Country for Old Men and Fargo, both convey similar messages of the world that is changing in front of people eyes. Both revolve around 2 older sheriffs who are not conforming to the conforming world. However, in Fargo it is not until the end when Marge “doesn’t understand” why all of the killings happened. She is one step ahead of absolutely everyone, including the bad guys. She seems to understand what has happened and how it has happened, but it is not until the end where she breaks and doesn’t understand why everything has happened. It is the only thing that she can not figure out. In the other movie, Sheriff Bell can’t figure it out at all. He doesn’t understand why everything is happening the way it is and why it is happening. The best quote that sums it up is “I was sheriff of this county when I was twenty-five years old. Hard to believe. My grandfather was a lawman; father too. Me and him was sheriffs at the same time; him up in Plano and me out here. I think he's pretty proud of that. I know I was. Some of the old time sheriffs never even wore a gun. A lotta folks find that hard to believe. Jim Scarborough'd never carried one; that's the younger Jim. Gaston Boykins wouldn't wear one up in Comanche County. I always liked to hear about the oldtimers. Never missed a chance to do so. You can't help but compare yourself against the oldtimers. Can't help but wonder how they would have operated these times. There was this boy I sent to the 'lectric chair at Huntsville Hill here a while back. My arrest and my testimony. He killt a fourteen-year-old girl. Papers said it was a crime of passion but he told me there wasn't any passion to it. Told me that he'd been planning to kill somebody for about as long as he could remember. Said that if they turned him out he'd do it again. Said he knew he was going to hell. "Be there in about fifteen minutes". I don't know what to make of that. I sure don't. The crime you see now, it's hard to even take its measure. It's not that I'm afraid of it. I always knew you had to be willing to die to even do this job. But, I don't want to push my chips forward and go out and meet something I don't understand. A man would have to put his soul at hazard. He'd have to say, "O.K., I'll be part of this world."

The Cohen Brothers

The Cohen brothers two movies, No Country for Old Men and Fargo, both share commons themes. They both take place in country – like places with very clueless people. The settings of both movies play a huge role throughout. If the settings were changed, the whole movie would change. The people, the plot, everything. Yes, that sounds very obvious because every setting has an input on the movie, but these movies were especially dependent on the setting. For both movies, with a different setting, this plot would never take place. There’s an oblivion in both towns and in other locations, the plot would be put to rest right away. What makes both movies so great is that the solution to the problem is literally right underneath the characters noses the whole time. It is great yet extremely frustrating at the same time. And, what this class has taught me is that those are the best kind of movies.  There is something that drags you into a movie that you hate, but love at the same time. Which, is another theme throughout both movies. An anxious feeling of knowing that something bad is going to happen at any moment of the movies. For example, you know that Moss will at some point in No Country for Old Men die. But, you don't know when, where or how. So, the whole movie you are just anticipating the downward fall. I really enjoyed both of these movies and I loved how different the towns and settings were compared to Westport and what we know.