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Barton Fink (Coen Bros; 1991)

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Lono:
The Coen Bros, in Surrealoscope!

I watched this movie as part of a Coen-a-thon I've been attempting for the last few months.  I say "attempting" because in the town I live in, in Australia, we don't get much of a selection as regards movies/music/etc.  Not to complain, though.

It really is a wonderful movie, the strangest thing I've seen the Coens do.  The plot, set in the 40s before WWII, concerns a playwright from New York, a real intellectual who is attempting to bring culture and the arts to the "common man" (he goes on many socialist tinged rants in this movie).  After a successful play he's tapped by Hollywood to write a B-movie wrestling picture, and puts himself up in a hotel.  After writing one line of the script: boom, writer's block.  I won't spoil the whole story, but it's slightly reminscient of The Shining and similar in tone to David Lynch's Lost Highway. 

It's still got the Coens humour, though.

Any fans?

TheFuriousWombat:
This movie is completely outstanding. John Turturro is stunningly good, John Goodman really is spectacular, the script is amazing (again, it is the Coen's who wrote it so I'm no surprised), photography is great. The movie is dark, funny and bizarre. Try to know as little about it as possible when you see it (not "if you see it." you have to see it so it's "when"). Not that the thing is full of twists and turns but everything about it has this darkly magical quality to it that is susceptible to ruin if you find out too much about the movie beforehand. I also love the ending. A lot. Some people bitch and moan about it not being very emotionally satisfying (a common complain with the Coen's, in fact) but I never agree. A truly remarkable movie, the only film in the history of the Canne Film Festival to win the much sought Palme d'OR (best film of the entire festival), best director and best actor. And I'll be damned if all three didn't deserve it.

thepugs:
A wonderful film.  Goodman in particular was lots of fun.  I also loved the ending, though I can understand people's complaints.  I should go watch it again...

lprkn:
I guess I might be bucking the trend here, but I could've gone my whole life without seeing this one, and I would've died happy.

Goodman was cool and all, but man, nothing happened. And not in a good way, in my opinion.

Lono:
I suppose that's fair enough.  Different strokes, and all.  Not everybody has to like something.

It appealed to me to begin with due to my own wish of being a published writer and an intellectual, and I can very much identify with Fink's crumbling ideals and his frustration at not being able to write.  I guess.

Ending was awesome.  Are you in pictures?  Don't be silly.

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