No Country for Old Men

Seriously, how did this win the Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Director of 2007? Maybe there were subliminal messages embedded in the theatrical or screener version that I missed watching on DVD. The only other reasons I can think of are along the lines of technical excellence, the combination of cast and source material or just that this year was the Coen brothers’ turn. Oscars and movie critics, go figure.

I expect most readers are aware that No Country for Old Men is a period piece (although 1980 is a fairly recent period) about what happens to a West Texas welder (Josh Brolin) after he finds a half dozen dead drug dealers whose merchandise and cash was somehow left behind and leaves the powder but takes off with the $2 million in $100 bills.

On Llewelyn Moss’s trail are sociopath mob muscle Anton Chigurt (Javier Bardem with the modified Dorothy Hamill wedge, won Best Supporting Actor) and nihilistic sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones, who is at last growing into his wrinkles). Moss has no illusions, as soon as he gets back to their rundown trailer home he sends his pretty little wife (Kelly Macdonald) off to her momma and lights out himself. The mob soon realizes Chigurt is not coming back with their cash, should he get to it first, and dispatch several other hunters to find Moss, including a very mellow hitter played by Woody Harrelson.

Frankly, and the Big Guy, who watched with me, seems to agree, this is a strange and bad cinematic expression of Existentialism. Despite the extreme action that occurs none of the characters–at least none of the male characters–feel the need to change expression or body language much.

My take is that the weight of the world lay so heavy on these men that non-essential movement cost too much. Events, good or bad, happen and life goes on and, well, one day you die; sooner, later, everything is of a sameness and none matter.

Of course that raises the question of why any of these men bother. Whether the things that happen to us and around us matter after today or not is a question of import but not really why I watch movies. Exploring big questions is fine–The Wire and, judging from the first two episodes, the new John Adams miniseries do it–but I still expect to be entertained or elevated and Joel and Ethan Coen simply didn’t get close to making that happen.

not recommended