Director Blog - In Dude I Trust

Forgive me, Father Klobs, for I have sinned.
Until now, I had never actually seen The Big Lebowski in its entirety.

Ahem.

My brothers and sisters in the church of film. It is with a repentant heart that I come before you today, in this temple of internet bloggery, to speak openly of my sin, in the hope that I may lead other lost souls back into the fold.

As I began the spiritual process known amongst believers as the "fourth quarter director blog post", I studied the Assignment Sheet. In my meditations, I came across a passage in the book of Film Suggestions, the first chapter. As I read, I paused over a verse that, unknown to me, would change my life forever. The specific verse, in its original language, is:

The Big Lebowski (1998)

A rough English translation of this is:

The Big Lebowski (1998)

I made a note of it in my mind, but nothing more. As the days wore on, I began to feel a growing sense of urgency. The only explanation for my tension was this: I was being compelled by the Holy GradeQuick. Yes! Yes! It sounds impossible, even blasphemous, but I am confidant that only a command from above could have caused me such vexation.

At a moment of paralyzing anxiety, the holy verse came back to me. I pursued the origins of the text, tracing its history through at the Wikipedian Library, in the province Wikipeda. Once I felt familiar with the historical context of the verse, I sought out a copy of the video lecture referenced in the verse. Having obtained one, I proceeded with the traditional rituals: popping of corn, preparation of sugary libations. Upon the completion of the process, I began the lecture, partaking in the popped corn and consuming the droughts in honor of our Lord, Ar-Tof 'ilm.

As I watched,
I was overcome by awe.
My heart was opened,
And the Dude walked in.

Once again, the Prophets Coen had delivered truth and justice to the world, doing so with the holy tools given them by the film reel in the sky.

The Prophets used techniques relied upon in their previous ordeals as a source of humor. The Coen brothers employed whimsical slapstick and fantastical music for scenes such as the Bowling Vision, in which the Dude's frightening subconscious is played before our eyes, preserved here. This technique had been wielded in several other verses, such as the dream sequences in Raising Arizona, preserved here. The humorous aspects of this verse are in line with previous proclamations. The dry wit and uncompromising characters can be seen in O Brother Where Art Thou, The Ladykillers, Raising Arizona, and Fargo.

Therefore, the wit and humor shown in the Dude's verse are kin to that of the Prophets' other teachings.

The setting, too, has also been important to the brothers in years gone past. Fargo, Raising Arizona, The Ladykillers, and No Country for Old Men had significant settings, with the location playing as much a role in the plot as the characters. This, too, is shown in The Big Lebowski, as Los Angeles was portrayed as a nest for lazy, burnt-out bums. The choice of location was deliberate, as told by the Prophets themselves here.

The last telling sign of the Brothers' holy touch is the care put into each scene. Even when the characters are meant to be incapacitated by impure drink and incense, the frame is deliberate, the lighting controlled, and the pace impeccable. The tell-tale sign of the Coens involvement is the absolute lack of any irritant in the shot.

Peace.
Amen.

Super Coen Bros

The Coen brothers are perhaps the most art-devoted directors on the planet. I'm not referring to a style, method, or theme in their work. I mean to say that they seem to view their films as art, more so than any director I can think of.

I barely know what I'm trying to get across. Instead of saying what they are or aren't, I'll give you examples of people they are similar to. Remember the writer in The Player, who trumpeted the raw "reality" of his script? The Coen brothers are like that, but without the cliches, starving artist martyrdom, and the willingness to sell out for success. I don't think they ever needed to compromise their vision at all. You know the snobby elitists, whether in music, art, or film? Same thing again. They seem a little less arrogant, though they might just be more secure in their superiority.

Alright, that was getting nowhere and doing it slowly. I'll try to spit it out.
The Coen brothers are talented writer/directors with nearly prefect technical skills. They plan every aspect of their movies, part of their obsession with perfection. Every scene is storyboarded. They learn and experiment, as shown in their progression from Fargo to No Country for Old Men, two movies with similar themes but very different technical quality.

They are very, very good.

Their only panned movies were The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty. The Ladykillers was a remake of a 1955 version. I saw it in theaters years ago, and enjoyed it. I was at most 14, but I considered it a decent movie. From reading reviews of it, the general opinion was that the Coen brothers had been too faithful to the original, which restricted their ability to put their mark on it. Intolerable Cruelty I have also seen, and was neither impressed nor outraged. It is on par with most romantic comedies. As a genre so foreign to the Coen brothers previous work, I can't really fault them. If anything, I'd give them a little credit for taking on these two movies. The first restricted their choices but set the bar high. The second forced them to play an entirely different kind of game than they'd been used to, putting them in unfamiliar territory. Not long ago, I was critical of Altman for never taking chances or expanding his repertoire. The Coen brothers are doing the opposite, attempting unfamiliar projects and films with little chance of success.

The Coen brothers are undeniably talented and successful, but they have also shown interest and ability in a wider range of genres than most directors dare to experiment with.

Adding to the interest is their fairly hush hush approach to their films. They make a film, release it, and move on. In my mind, I see them wrap up production, send off the film, and sit down to work on the next script. A few weeks later, maybe the TV is on as they lounge around, tossing ideas back and forth. A film critic comes on, and the brothers pause for a minute. At the end of the review, in which the critic was unsure of the message or theme the film was driving at, the brothers grin and return to their thoughts.

When asked about the underlying meaning of a film, the Coen brothers have been notoriously closed mouthed. Perhaps they don't answer because the audience's ability to discover the message isn't very important to the film's creators. Judging from their large number and wide spread of films, it could be that they make the films for themselves, because they are film creators and they enjoy it. The hidden art or truth in the films is a little secret, put their for the sake of creating art.

That is what I was trying to get across the first time. The Coen brothers could be called true artists, creating their art for themselves and for the sake of the art. We are truly an audience, bearing witness to their without ever understanding it. Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll throw us a bone.

Either way, if we keep getting work on par with their performance so far, I'm happy just watching.