No Country For Old Men - Discussion with SPOILERS!!!

[Nathon Detroit]

OK so I finally got around to seeing No Country For Old Men. We watched on Blu-Ray last night. Have you seen it? If so... what did you think of it?

Here is the preview...

No Country For Old Men

This movie was incredibly intense and extremely well made. It is NOT for the squeamish as this movie has some of the most gory scenes you will ever see.

Before I comment about what I thought of the movie I am curious do get your thoughts.

 

[Granite]

Loved the book, thought the film was brilliant. A brutal, harrowing tale. McCarthy's amazing.

 

[Servo]

Watching the trailer, is that the same money bag that Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) buried in that other Coen brothers movie Fargo?

 

[Poly]

I thought the acting was brilliant. Brolin did such a great job and Bardem's character was absolutely bonechilling and perfectly portrayed a man so evil by the mere solemn look he always kept and the determination to get what he wanted no matter what. The way he considered the taking of a life as nothing more than looking at a bug and deciding if you're in the mood to step on it. It wasn't as if he had compassion at times. He just wasn't in the mood.

Many have said that the ending was bad such as leaving you wondering if he ended up shooting the wife but I didn't see it as such a bad thing (my thought is "duh, of course he did") but that's the Coen's style for ya. But I think the ending with Tommy Lee Jones explaining the dream was purposely done in an abrupt way in order for you to interpret why it actually isn't a "country for old men."

I think his dreams came about because he really wanted to hope for either something better, something more, or some kind of purpose. Maybe trying not to give up on the idea that the world isn't actually a place so shocking by all the horrific stuff he sees which is only getting worse. I think he finally came to grips with accepting that this really is the case and gave up on looking for anything better. I think his closure of this was summed up with the last line, "and then I woke up."




:think:



On second thought I think they all became friends and lived happily ever after.

 

[Granite]

The idea of "carrying the fire," which Bell mentioned in his dream, is a central theme in McCarthy's next novel, The Road. Persisting in a world of brutal, evil men with the goodness in your heart and your loved ones (if you have any) is possible only if you don't stoop to the same level of those you oppose. That's why Moss was arguably damned from the start, when he became a thief, and why Wells wound up dead as well; he was a murderer just like Chigurh.

 

[elohiym]

The movie really sucked me in (at first). Brilliant acting and directing. I thought it was great at first, but by the end I felt let down. I was expecting a hero, but there was none, and I felt led astray by the writer and director.

 

[Poly]

The movie really sucked me in (at first). Brilliant acting and directing. I thought it was great at first, but by the end I felt let down. I was expecting a hero, but there was none, and I felt led astray by the writer and director.

I kind of know what you mean in that a movie like that is typical of having some kind of hero in the end. But I think it was clear in the beginning that there was a possibility of none of the main characters being the hero type. Just a villian and a "lesser", unsuspecting villian? :idunno:

 

[kmoney]

I really, really liked it as well. I second Knight's comment about it being intense. It felt like the entire movie was suspenseful. Great acting. Great use of music, and lack of music at certain times. The ending did sort of throw me for a loop but it didn't take away from my enjoyment.

:thumb:

 

[Nathon Detroit]

The movie really sucked me in (at first). Brilliant acting and directing. I thought it was great at first, but by the end I felt let down. I was expecting a hero, but there was none, and I felt led astray by the writer and director.

I can certainly understand that opinion. I also am not sure how to feel about the end of the movie.

But the end did force me to really think about the movie and ask myself "what did it all mean"?

It made the movie the non-typical action movie instead of the typical movie where everything gets resolved in the end. The movie left me feeling that the age of "innocence" was over.... for good.

Even still, I understand your criticism. But for me I can't help but be further intrigued by such a bizarre way to end the movie.

I loved it. I think it might be one of my favorite movies of all time and I am having a hard time not thinking about it.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

I really, really liked it as well. I second Knight's comment about it being intense. It felt like the entire movie was suspenseful. Great acting. Great use of music, and lack of music at certain times. The ending did sort of throw me for a loop but it didn't take away from my enjoyment.

:thumb:

Yeah... there was almost no music whatsoever. I have heard there were only 16 minutes of soundtrack and that was almost entirely in the credits.

It's little things like that which made the movie very unique.

And it was incredible on Blu-Ray.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

The idea of "carrying the fire," which Bell mentioned in his dream, is a central theme in McCarthy's next novel, The Road. Persisting in a world of brutal, evil men with the goodness in your heart and your loved ones (if you have any) is possible only if you don't stoop to the same level of those you oppose. That's why Moss was arguably damned from the start, when he became a thief, and why Wells wound up dead as well; he was a murderer just like Chigurh.

That's a great analysis.

I think you have captured one of the major theme's of the movie. :up:

 

[elohiym]

I can certainly understand that opinion. I also am not sure how to feel about the end of the movie.

Just as it was about to end I thought, "this can't be the ending." Then when it ended, it felt flat. I thought the Sheriff would do something in the end that would resolve the unresolved feeling I had.

But the end did force me to really think about the movie and ask myself "what did it all mean"?

Me, too, for about three minutes, then I felt cheated a bit. Maybe I was supposed to feel that way, especial how every character in the film was cheated in some way. :idunno:

I loved it. I think it might be one of my favorite movies of all time and I am having a hard time not thinking about it.

That's a pretty strong endorsement.

Film is art, especially films like this, so like people love or hate different painters, the same is true for films like this. I might check it out again, especially since I respect your taste in films (e.g. Pans Labyrinth). Maybe I just didn't appreciate it the first time.

 

[Count Iblis]

The movie was okay up until the ending. Or rather, the lack of ending. I thought maybe the projectionist forgot to put on the second reel. The black screen ending ruined the whole movie. Go buy a fiction book, tear out the last 1/3 of the pages and read what's left. That's what this movie is like.

 

[Stripe]

Well made film, but a film with no expression of hope.










TRIVIA TIME: Name another film where the lead characters never met each other.