How to Analyze the Films of the Coen Brothers

How to Analyze the Films of the Coen Brothers

Author: Susan E. Hamen

Publisher: ABDO

Published: 2012-08-01

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 161478955X

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This title explores the creative works of famous directors Ethan and Joel Coen. Films analyzed include O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and True Grit. Clear, comprehensive text gives background biographical information of the Coen brothers. The "You Critique It" feature invites readers to analyze other creative works on their own. A table of contents, timeline, list of works, resources, source notes, glossary, and an index are also included. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.


Book Synopsis How to Analyze the Films of the Coen Brothers by : Susan E. Hamen

Download or read book How to Analyze the Films of the Coen Brothers written by Susan E. Hamen and published by ABDO. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title explores the creative works of famous directors Ethan and Joel Coen. Films analyzed include O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and True Grit. Clear, comprehensive text gives background biographical information of the Coen brothers. The "You Critique It" feature invites readers to analyze other creative works on their own. A table of contents, timeline, list of works, resources, source notes, glossary, and an index are also included. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.


The Coen Brothers

The Coen Brothers

Author: Joel Coen

Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9781578068890

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Collected interviews with the quirky and distinctive writer/director team of such films as Raising Arizona, Intolerable Cruelty, and Barton Fink


Book Synopsis The Coen Brothers by : Joel Coen

Download or read book The Coen Brothers written by Joel Coen and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2006 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collected interviews with the quirky and distinctive writer/director team of such films as Raising Arizona, Intolerable Cruelty, and Barton Fink


The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers

The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers

Author: Mark T. Conard

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2008-12-12

Total Pages: 467

ISBN-13: 0813138698

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“Written for both fans of the Coen brothers and the philosophically curious, without the technical language . . . educational and entertaining.” —Library Journal Joel and Ethan Coen have made films that redefined the gangster movie, the screwball comedy, the fable, and the film noir, but no matter what genre they’re playing with, they consistently focus on the struggles of complex characters to understand themselves and their places in the strange worlds they inhabit. To borrow a phrase from Barton Fink, all Coen films explore “the life of the mind” and show that the human condition can often be simultaneously comic and tragic, profound and absurd. The essays in this book explore the challenging moral and philosophical terrain of the Coen repertoire. Several address how Coen films often share film noir’s essential philosophical assumptions: power corrupts, evil is real, and human control of fate is an illusion. In Fargo, not even Minnesota’s blankets of snow can hide Jerry Lundegaard’s crimes or brighten his long, dark night of the soul. The tale of love, marriage, betrayal, and divorce in Intolerable Cruelty transcends the plight of the characters to illuminate competing theories of justice. Even in lighter fare, such as Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski, the comedy emerges from characters’ journeys to the brink of an amoral abyss. However, the Coens often knowingly and gleefully subvert conventions and occasionally offer symbolic rebirths and other hopeful outcomes. At the end of The Big Lebowski, for example, the Dude abides, his laziness has become a virtue, and the human comedy is perpetuating itself with the promised arrival of a newborn Lebowski. The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers sheds new light on the work of these cinematic visionaries. From Blood Simple to No Country for Old Men, the Coens’ characters look for answers—though in some cases, their quest for answers leads, at best, only to more questions.


Book Synopsis The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers by : Mark T. Conard

Download or read book The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers written by Mark T. Conard and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2008-12-12 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Written for both fans of the Coen brothers and the philosophically curious, without the technical language . . . educational and entertaining.” —Library Journal Joel and Ethan Coen have made films that redefined the gangster movie, the screwball comedy, the fable, and the film noir, but no matter what genre they’re playing with, they consistently focus on the struggles of complex characters to understand themselves and their places in the strange worlds they inhabit. To borrow a phrase from Barton Fink, all Coen films explore “the life of the mind” and show that the human condition can often be simultaneously comic and tragic, profound and absurd. The essays in this book explore the challenging moral and philosophical terrain of the Coen repertoire. Several address how Coen films often share film noir’s essential philosophical assumptions: power corrupts, evil is real, and human control of fate is an illusion. In Fargo, not even Minnesota’s blankets of snow can hide Jerry Lundegaard’s crimes or brighten his long, dark night of the soul. The tale of love, marriage, betrayal, and divorce in Intolerable Cruelty transcends the plight of the characters to illuminate competing theories of justice. Even in lighter fare, such as Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski, the comedy emerges from characters’ journeys to the brink of an amoral abyss. However, the Coens often knowingly and gleefully subvert conventions and occasionally offer symbolic rebirths and other hopeful outcomes. At the end of The Big Lebowski, for example, the Dude abides, his laziness has become a virtue, and the human comedy is perpetuating itself with the promised arrival of a newborn Lebowski. The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers sheds new light on the work of these cinematic visionaries. From Blood Simple to No Country for Old Men, the Coens’ characters look for answers—though in some cases, their quest for answers leads, at best, only to more questions.


The Cinema of the Coen Brothers

The Cinema of the Coen Brothers

Author: Jeffrey Adams

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2015-07-14

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 0231850816

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The films of the Coen brothers have become a contemporary cultural phenomenon. Highly acclaimed and commercially successful, over the years their movies have attracted increasingly larger audiences and spawned a subculture of dedicated fans. Shunning fame and celebrity, Ethan and Joel Coen remain maverick filmmakers, producing and directing independent films outside the Hollywood mainstream in a unique style combining classic genres like film noir with black comedy to tell off-beat stories about America and the American Dream. This study surveys Oscar-winning films, such as Fargo (1996) and No Country for Old Men (2007), as well as cult favorites, including O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and The Big Lebowski (1998). Beginning with Blood Simple (1984), it examines major themes and generic constructs and offers diverse approaches to the Coens' enigmatic films. Pointing to the pulp fiction of Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, and Raymond Chandler, the study appreciates the postmodern aesthetics of the Coens' intertextual creativity.


Book Synopsis The Cinema of the Coen Brothers by : Jeffrey Adams

Download or read book The Cinema of the Coen Brothers written by Jeffrey Adams and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2015-07-14 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The films of the Coen brothers have become a contemporary cultural phenomenon. Highly acclaimed and commercially successful, over the years their movies have attracted increasingly larger audiences and spawned a subculture of dedicated fans. Shunning fame and celebrity, Ethan and Joel Coen remain maverick filmmakers, producing and directing independent films outside the Hollywood mainstream in a unique style combining classic genres like film noir with black comedy to tell off-beat stories about America and the American Dream. This study surveys Oscar-winning films, such as Fargo (1996) and No Country for Old Men (2007), as well as cult favorites, including O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and The Big Lebowski (1998). Beginning with Blood Simple (1984), it examines major themes and generic constructs and offers diverse approaches to the Coens' enigmatic films. Pointing to the pulp fiction of Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, and Raymond Chandler, the study appreciates the postmodern aesthetics of the Coens' intertextual creativity.


The Coen Brothers

The Coen Brothers

Author: James Mottram

Publisher: Potomac Books

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13:

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"The Coen Brothers: The Life of the Mind takes the reader through every one of their eight films, including O Brother Where Art Thou? A chapter on each film provides an analysis and detailed profiles of the brothers' chief collaborators and players, as well as a full synopsis and credits. The author also examines projects that the Coens have been involved in, including Sam Raimi's Crimewave. A must-read for the Coen aficionado and newcomer alike, this is the most up-to-date and in-depth study of their body of work yet published."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Book Synopsis The Coen Brothers by : James Mottram

Download or read book The Coen Brothers written by James Mottram and published by Potomac Books. This book was released on 2000 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Coen Brothers: The Life of the Mind takes the reader through every one of their eight films, including O Brother Where Art Thou? A chapter on each film provides an analysis and detailed profiles of the brothers' chief collaborators and players, as well as a full synopsis and credits. The author also examines projects that the Coens have been involved in, including Sam Raimi's Crimewave. A must-read for the Coen aficionado and newcomer alike, this is the most up-to-date and in-depth study of their body of work yet published."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved


The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers

The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers

Author: Mark T. Conard

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2009-01-01

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 081312526X

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Many critics agree that Joel and Ethan Coen are one of the most visionary and idiosyncratic filmmaking teams of the last three decades. Combining thoughtful eccentricity, wry humor, irony, and often brutal violence, the Coen brothers have crafted a style of filmmaking that pays tribute to classic American movie genres yet maintains a distinctly postmodern feel. Since arriving on the film scene, the Coens have amassed an impressive body of work that has garnered them critical acclaim and a devoted cult following. From Raising Arizona and Fargo to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and No Country for Old Men, the Coens have left an unmistakable imprint on Hollywood. The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers investigates philosophical themes in the works of these master filmmakers and also uses their movies as vehicles to explore fundamental concepts of philosophy. The contributing authors discuss concepts such as justice, the problem of interpretation, existential role-playing, the philosophy of comedy, the uncertainty principle, and the coldness of modernity. The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers is not just for die-hard Lebowski Fest attendees, but for anyone who enjoys big ideas on the big screen.


Book Synopsis The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers by : Mark T. Conard

Download or read book The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers written by Mark T. Conard and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many critics agree that Joel and Ethan Coen are one of the most visionary and idiosyncratic filmmaking teams of the last three decades. Combining thoughtful eccentricity, wry humor, irony, and often brutal violence, the Coen brothers have crafted a style of filmmaking that pays tribute to classic American movie genres yet maintains a distinctly postmodern feel. Since arriving on the film scene, the Coens have amassed an impressive body of work that has garnered them critical acclaim and a devoted cult following. From Raising Arizona and Fargo to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and No Country for Old Men, the Coens have left an unmistakable imprint on Hollywood. The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers investigates philosophical themes in the works of these master filmmakers and also uses their movies as vehicles to explore fundamental concepts of philosophy. The contributing authors discuss concepts such as justice, the problem of interpretation, existential role-playing, the philosophy of comedy, the uncertainty principle, and the coldness of modernity. The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers is not just for die-hard Lebowski Fest attendees, but for anyone who enjoys big ideas on the big screen.


Joel & Ethan Coen

Joel & Ethan Coen

Author: Peter Körte

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 9781840230970

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For the first time, this book gives an in-depth, film-by-film analysis of all the Coen brothers' work from Blood Simple to The Big Lebowski. The complex production process behind every Coen brothers film to date, including Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy and Fargo, is set out from script to finished film, and the themes and ideas behind their creative work assessed. hundreds of b/w photographs and storyboards, the book also features an exclusive interview with the Coens and complete credits listings for all of their films


Book Synopsis Joel & Ethan Coen by : Peter Körte

Download or read book Joel & Ethan Coen written by Peter Körte and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first time, this book gives an in-depth, film-by-film analysis of all the Coen brothers' work from Blood Simple to The Big Lebowski. The complex production process behind every Coen brothers film to date, including Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy and Fargo, is set out from script to finished film, and the themes and ideas behind their creative work assessed. hundreds of b/w photographs and storyboards, the book also features an exclusive interview with the Coens and complete credits listings for all of their films


The Coen Brothers

The Coen Brothers

Author: Adam Nayman

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Published: 2018-09-11

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781419727405

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From such cult hits as Raising Arizona (1987) and The Big Lebowski (1998) to major critical darlings Fargo (1996), No Country for Old Men (2007), and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Ethan and Joel Coen have cultivated a bleakly comical, instantly recognizable voice in modern American cinema. In The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together, film critic Adam Nayman carefully sifts through their complex cinematic universe in an effort to plot, as he puts it, "some Grand Unified Theory of Coen-ness." The book combines critical text--biography, close film analysis, and enlightening interviews with key Coen collaborators--with a visual aesthetic that honors the Coens' singular mix of darkness and levity. Featuring film stills, beautiful and evocative illustrations, punchy infographics, and hard insight, this book will be the definitive exploration of the Coen brothers' oeuvre.


Book Synopsis The Coen Brothers by : Adam Nayman

Download or read book The Coen Brothers written by Adam Nayman and published by Harry N. Abrams. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From such cult hits as Raising Arizona (1987) and The Big Lebowski (1998) to major critical darlings Fargo (1996), No Country for Old Men (2007), and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Ethan and Joel Coen have cultivated a bleakly comical, instantly recognizable voice in modern American cinema. In The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together, film critic Adam Nayman carefully sifts through their complex cinematic universe in an effort to plot, as he puts it, "some Grand Unified Theory of Coen-ness." The book combines critical text--biography, close film analysis, and enlightening interviews with key Coen collaborators--with a visual aesthetic that honors the Coens' singular mix of darkness and levity. Featuring film stills, beautiful and evocative illustrations, punchy infographics, and hard insight, this book will be the definitive exploration of the Coen brothers' oeuvre.


The Coen Brothers and the Comedy of Democracy

The Coen Brothers and the Comedy of Democracy

Author: Sara MacDonald

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2018-12-31

Total Pages: 133

ISBN-13: 1498555179

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Both critically and commercially successful filmmakers, the Coen brothers have written, produced, and directed numerous acclaimed films over the past three decades. Sara MacDonald and Barry Craig demonstrate that their comedies, in particular, which are often dismissed as mere entertainments, actually present substantial philosophic and political arguments. They examine five of the Coen brothers’ comedies: Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou, and Hail Caesar!. In those works, they discover insightful engagements with such ideas as questions of human freedom, the relationship of reason to religion, and the nature of liberal democracy in the American regime. They demonstrate how sometimes explicitly, but generally implicitly, the Coens draw on thinkers such as Homer, Plato, Dante, and Hegel, while simultaneously presenting popular entertainment.


Book Synopsis The Coen Brothers and the Comedy of Democracy by : Sara MacDonald

Download or read book The Coen Brothers and the Comedy of Democracy written by Sara MacDonald and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-12-31 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Both critically and commercially successful filmmakers, the Coen brothers have written, produced, and directed numerous acclaimed films over the past three decades. Sara MacDonald and Barry Craig demonstrate that their comedies, in particular, which are often dismissed as mere entertainments, actually present substantial philosophic and political arguments. They examine five of the Coen brothers’ comedies: Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou, and Hail Caesar!. In those works, they discover insightful engagements with such ideas as questions of human freedom, the relationship of reason to religion, and the nature of liberal democracy in the American regime. They demonstrate how sometimes explicitly, but generally implicitly, the Coens draw on thinkers such as Homer, Plato, Dante, and Hegel, while simultaneously presenting popular entertainment.


Joel and Ethan Coen

Joel and Ethan Coen

Author: R. Barton Palmer

Publisher:

Published: 2004-06-18

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13:

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With landmark films such as Fargo, O Brother Where art Thou?, Blood Simple, and Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers have achieved both critical and commercial success. Proving the existence of a viable market for "small" films that are also intellectually rewarding, their work has exploded generic conventions amid rich webs of transtextual references. R. Barton Palmer argues that the Coen oeuvre forms a central element in what might be called postmodernist filmmaking. Mixing high and low cultural sources and blurring genres like noir and comedy, the use of pastiche and anti-realist elements in films such as The Hudsucker Proxy and Barton Fink clearly fit the postmodernist paradigm. Palmer argues that for a full understanding of the Coen brothers' unique position within film culture, it is important to see how they have developed a new type of text within general postmodernist practice that Palmer terms commercial/independent. Analyzing their substantial body of work from this "generic" framework is the central focus of this book.


Book Synopsis Joel and Ethan Coen by : R. Barton Palmer

Download or read book Joel and Ethan Coen written by R. Barton Palmer and published by . This book was released on 2004-06-18 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With landmark films such as Fargo, O Brother Where art Thou?, Blood Simple, and Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers have achieved both critical and commercial success. Proving the existence of a viable market for "small" films that are also intellectually rewarding, their work has exploded generic conventions amid rich webs of transtextual references. R. Barton Palmer argues that the Coen oeuvre forms a central element in what might be called postmodernist filmmaking. Mixing high and low cultural sources and blurring genres like noir and comedy, the use of pastiche and anti-realist elements in films such as The Hudsucker Proxy and Barton Fink clearly fit the postmodernist paradigm. Palmer argues that for a full understanding of the Coen brothers' unique position within film culture, it is important to see how they have developed a new type of text within general postmodernist practice that Palmer terms commercial/independent. Analyzing their substantial body of work from this "generic" framework is the central focus of this book.