087 No Country For Old Men (2007)

“OKAY. I’ll BE PART OF THIS WORLD.“

Hello everyone! It’s been a minute but we are back with another episode selected by vote from out discord community! We will be talking about one of the greatest films of the 21st century (according to a New York Times polll,) No Country For Old Men, directed by the Joel and Ethan Coen, also known as the Coen Brothers. It is the first film we have covered from the acclaimed duo, and to make this episode extra special, we have a guest that is a big Coen Brothers fan!

Not only did the film win 4 Oscars during the 80th Academy Awards ceremony, more importantly, the film left a resounding impression on audiences at the time, particularly the three of us on this episode. We talk about how the use of violence, lack of score, and the motivated cinematography courtesy of the great Roger Deakins elevated what we could expect from a movie. Also, who can forget the chilling performance from Javier Bardem, creating the iconic hitman, Anton Chigurh, doing to bob cuts what Jaws did to sharks.

We talk about the differences between the novel by Cormac McCarthy and the film, and how the camera work, performances, and costume design elevates the words from the novel into the visual language of film. We get into how the Coen Brothers work together, and talk about why they are no longer making films together. We talk about their style and what makes them some of the greatest film makers in modern cinema. Also, speaking of cinema, our guest Aaron is a professional cinematographer! He provides insight on the craft and its use in the film, and what makes it one of his favorites. As casual movie goers sometimes it is easy to forget the actual work it takes to make a film look the way it does. We don’t think about why a particular shot is used for a particular line of dialogue, or how are the lights placed to create that shot, or why any of it matters. Yet, we can always feel it, because it is a part of every movie we ever watch. On this episode we get a chance to talk to someone who can tell us a little of how that movie magic works.

We hope you enjoy this one!
You can listen to this episode on:

Spotify: HERE

Apple Podcast: HERE