Certification. 12
Running Time. 1 hour 47 mins
Director. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen.
Cast. George Clooney, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, Chris Thomas King, Tim Blake Nelson, John Turturro.
Rating. 77%
Review.
If ever there was a film that celebrated the idea that the journey is far more important than the destination, then it must surely be O Brother, Where Art Thou?
In O Brother, Where Art Thou? the Coen Brothers take inspiration from the enigmatic American playwright, screenwriter and director of such whimsical tales as The Great McGinty, Sullivan's Travels and Hail The Conquering Hero, and the fanciful and fabulist short story writer, Howard Waldrop. In his 1989 novel, A Dozen Tough Jobs, Waldrop retells the story of The [12] Labours of Hercules but sets the tale in the Deep South of the 1920s. In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen Brothers use the Waldropian approach by translocating the story of Ulysses' long journey home from the Trojan Wars to Ithaca (in Homer's Odyssey) to Mississippi amidst The Great Depression of the 1930s.
The film centres on three escaped convicts - Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Pete Hogwallop (John Turturro) and Delmar O'Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson) - on a quest for hidden treasure. The affable adventurers pass themselves off as a bluegrass trio, and their recording of I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow somehow becomes a smash hit across the State.
Visually, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a sun-burnished thing of beauty, with Roger Deakins' accomplished cinematography summoning comparisons with Haskell Wexler's memorable work on Hal Ashby's Bound For Glory. The film has an amazingly authentic look to it as Ulysses, Pete and Delmar travel through period-perfect small towns, beautiful bayous, and lush, green, verdant forests.
The loose interpretation of Homer's Odyssey leaves room for a whole host of different opinions, but once you know this film is based on Homer's epic poem, it is difficult not to see all the tendril-like connections to the ancient source material - the blind soothsayer, Tiresias in the Underworld (the blind railroad man with an initial prophecy), the Cyclops (Big Dan Teague played by a garrulous John Goodman), and the Sirens (washing laundry by the water). Indeed, the Siren scene is a masterpiece. The combination of the haunting music, the hypnotic sensual choreography and the devastatingly beautiful women (particularly the ravishing Musetta Vander) is intoxicating. The soothing sound of the river, which was once the trio's salvation, is potentially now portrayed as their downfall.
T Bone Burnett curated the film's soundtrack and the bluegrass, folk, country gospel and southern blues add so much character to the film. The music is clearly intended to be an integral part of the storytelling and is unbelievably infectious. The O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack actually won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002 ahead of the likes of Bob Dylan, U2 and OutKast.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen Brothers eighth feature-length film is exactly what you would expect from Joel and Ethan Coen. Remarkably well-crafted, well-written and confidently cinematic. The film is made with the same impressive stylistic technique as other Coen Brothers films, yet possesses a distinct and unique look and feel.
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