Abstract This essay discusses the aesthetic choices the Coen Brothers made throughout their career. It studies the films "Raising Arizona" for creative lens use in a farce, "Miller's Crossing" for camera angles in a gangster film, "Fargo" for long takes in a police thriller and "The Man Who Wasn't There" for lighting in a film noir. The paper argues that through the use of aesthetics the Coens shape each genre they try with their own signature auteur style.
From the Paper "In a world where big-budget studios control most of what is seen in theatres, the Coen Brothers have managed to make independent features that they write, produce and direct as a team, and have had some moderate success. Their scripts often focus on unlikely heroes; they choose completely average people and places to become the focus of their quirky dialogue and situational comedy. Their charismatic "normal" characters have attracted a number of top actors and actresses to their projects, such as Holly Hunter, Nicholas Cage, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, and Francis McDormand. In fact, with a reputation for making quality films, although often commercial failures, some of Hollywood's most respected actors have lowered their usual salaries to appear in Coen films. Tim Robbins appeared with Paul Newman in The Hudsucker Proxy, between projects of his own in the early nineties, Jeff Bridges took the leading role in The Big Lebowski with Julianne Moore in a supporting part, George Clooney followed up his success on ER with the main role in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, and the Coens recruited Billy Bob Thorton and James Gandolfini for The Man Who Wasn?t There. These stars have helped the brothers propel their own names into stardom, despite the only moderate success of their feature films, and have made their pictures well-known cult classics."
A discussion of the similarities and differences between Ulysses Everett McGill, the main character of the Coen Brothers' film "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and Charlie Wales, the main character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited".
Abstract This essay compares and contrasts the main characters of the film 'O Brother Where Art Thou?' written and directed by the Coen brothers and the short story 'Babylon Revisited' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, also made into a film. What seems at first an unlikely comparison turns out to be revealing. Ulysses Everett McGill and Charlie Wales are from vastly different backgrounds and social strata yet face similar dilemmas. Wales the wealthy socialite would seem more likely to succeed in his case to retrieve his daughter and get his life together. However, it is the escaped convict McGill, whose Ulysses-like Odyssey is discussed in depth, who succeeds in his quest, while the "recovering" alcoholic Wales is frustrated and delayed.
From the Paper "Ulysses Everett McGill, the central character in the film, O Brother Where Art Thou? produced in 2000, and Charlie Wales, the main character in the F. Scott Fizgerald story, ?Babylon Revisited,? published in 1931, and made into a movie in 1954, may at first glance appear to be vastly different, but turn out to share similarities. Ulysses Everett McGill and Charlie Wales are from vastly different classes and backgrounds, yet both live in approximately the same time period, the 1920s/30s, the time of the Great Depression and both are men deprived of wife and family. Neither one is exactly the ordinary man surviving under the duress of the depression. McGill is a crude and lowly escaped convict fleeing through the Bible belt, while the sophisticated Wales, who still seems to have plenty of money and social status despite the crash, is visiting Paris. Both want to get their lives back into some semblance of togetherness. Each seems to be continually sabotaged in his quest. As we watch both men we wonder if the destructive energy comes from outside or is inner generated. The resemblances are many, but the differences are greater, especially when it comes to the end results of their attempts to get it together."
This paper compares Odysseus from the epic poem, "The Odyssey" by Homer, and Ulysses Everett McGill from the film, "O Brother Where Art Thou?" by the Coen brothers.
Abstract This paper explains that Odysseus and Ulysses Everett McGill seem to be two heroes who have little in common at first glance; but, in reality, they are quite a bit alike. The author stresses that the Coen brothers took much of their inspiration directly from Homer; however, they kicked Homer "up a notch" with their modern look at an age-old story of triumph over evil and love conquering all in the end. The paper concludes that Odysseus, for all his strengths, seems a bit outdated and pass", while McGill seems to be the type of hero that could make it in just about any century.
From the Paper "Throughout the poem, the reader sees Odysseus grow and mature. It is clear he is a sound and great leader, but he also learns to use his wits along with his authority, overcome temptation, and reach his goals by defeating incredible difficulties. The same can be said for Ulysses Everett McGill, the hero of "O Brother Where Art Thou?" McGill also must overcome incredible difficulties to get what he really wants at the end of the movie ? his wife and children back. McGill is a quick learner, like Odysseus he is a great leader, he manages to get his friends a pardon from the governor, and all ends happily, just as it does in "The Odyssey.""
A comparison between Homer's epic novel the 'Odyssey' and the adapted screenplay version of the epic film,"O Brother Where Art Thou?", directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen .
Abstract The following paper draws parallels between Homer's "Odyssey" and the Coen Brother's "O Brother Where Art Thou?". In the year 2000, the inventive and provocative filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen reworked the Odyssey in a liberal way, changing scenes, settings and characters. The writer compares the original epic and the original screenplay and discusses dozens of small but meaningful comparisons. For instance, Odysseus and his men descend into Hades where they encounter several ghosts from Odysseus's past; in the film the boys meet a fellow inmate who they thought was dead. Odysseus from the original epic and Ulysses from the film (played by George Clooney) both have to prove to their wives that they are true: Ulysses must bring Penny the ring to redeem himself. In the Odyssey, Book 23, Penelope declares that ?there are tokens with which we two alone are acquainted,? (Butler trans.). Although it was written millennia ago in ancient Greece, the parables of the Odyssey remain extant for a reason: Its themes are universal and accessible and adaptable for all time. The Coen brothers' movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" exemplifies Homer's timelessness, as well as their own versatility.
From the Paper "Homer's Odyssey is more than an epic tale of a man ?who wandered far and wide,? across the sea; it is an archetypal journey with universal and enduring import. It is not difficult to find parallels between Odysseus's adventures and modern ones, for ultimately the Odyssey transcends its details. Homer erected a narrative structure that lends itself to adaptation and reconstruction. Most notable to modern reinterpretations of Homer's Odyssey is James Joyce's Ulysses, which focuses on and develops the relationship between father (Odysseus/Leopold Bloom) and son (Telemachus/Stephen Dedalus). In the year 2000, the inventive and provocative filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen reworked the Odyssey in an equally liberal way, changing scenes, settings, and characters. But whereas Joyce's version of the Odyssey is microcosmic, its journey more psychological than physical, the Coen brothers? O Brother Where Art Thou? rambles through a decidedly physical and farcical tale. At first glance the film resembles Homer's epic little: only certain elements are obvious like George Clooney's character's name (Ulysses) and the three sirens by the river. A deeper investigation of the film and the original text reveals numerous, if more subtle, references."
Abstract This paper discusses that, in their film, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", the Coen brothers built in ironic commentary that underscores the understanding of the story of Odysseus. The author classifies the film as a "road picture". The author states that like Homer the always-inventive Coen brothers have taken recognizable allusions to other movies and the surprise of new ones and blended them into a remarkable film.
From the Paper "Into this, they weave some very obscure allusions: Waldrop is the surname of Penny's suitor and of Howard Waldrop who wrote a novel called A Dozen Tough Jobs, in which the central character is a modernized version of Hercules. The title of the movie comes from a 1941 play by Preston Sturgis, called Sullivan's Travels, in which the protagonist must choose whether to obey the studios and create a facile, feel-good comedy or portray the real sufferings of exploited man."
Abstract This paper relates that the plot of the film "O' Brother, Where Art Thou?" evolves around the protagonist Everett and his friends, escaping from a Mississippi gang and going in search of 1.4 million dollars, which Everett claims to have hidden in a valley flooded by the lake, and continues with some very bizarre incidents, characteristic of the Coen brother's work. The author points out that, although the Coen brothers did not directly base their film on Homer's "Odyssey", there are many references to it, such as the three friends stumbling across a blind prophet who predicts their future as the Homer's sirens did. The paper explains another reference: The hero of the film is trying to get back to Ithaca in Mississippi; whereas, in the classic, Odysseus is trying to get back to Ithaca in Greece.
From the Paper "Like in the epic, the movie starts of with reference to the rural Mississippi. This, too, is just a fantasy place and not reality like most of the rest of the movie. In the movie, the three heroes on a journey home, come across a political campaign and are shoved into a radio station and are mistaken for radio stars. They also stumble upon a Klan Meeting and are on the way to Everett's wife who is going to marry another guy who does not get himself thrown into jail all the time, and fortunately, (or rather unfortunately), they happen to have seven daughters who she plans to pack off. This makes you wonder how illusionary and fable-like the film sounds."
Abstract This paper will compare and contrast the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" and compare the events of the movie with the Homeric epic "The Odyssey", which it is said to be modeled after. By understanding how they made this movie from the ancient Greek fable, we can learn the nature of the direction it takes and how closely it resembles it. It also shows how the modern twist the movie takes can give us an idea of how it is different in this scope.
Abstract This paper presents a film review of Joel Coen's spoof on Homer's classic, "The Odyssey". The film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" is summarized, and the characters and their roles are compared to the traditional notion of heroes and heroic actions as seen in "The Odyssey". The paper also points out the underlying social themes of the film and comments on the artistic use of music as an integral part of the film's success.
From the Paper "Based loosely on Homer's Odyssey, including a hero with the same name, O Brother Where Art Thou is a tall tale of three convicts escaping from a chain gang in the Depression-era South. The hero, Ulysses Everett McGill (played by George Clooney), in keeping with the intended spoofiness and hilarity of the film, is the anti-thesis of the traditional hero. There is hardly anything noble about him. Yet, he fancies himself as a man of reason. Staunch allies usually support all heroes and O Brother stays with that tradition. However, the film is faithful to its mission of taking a hilarious look at heroes and adventures and so, McGill's two partners, Pete (John Turturro) is an argumentative con while Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) is a sweet numbskull. Hardly, the epitome of men out on a serious mission!"
