Since their debut feature Blood Simple rocked the indie film circuit in 1985, Joel and Ethan Coen have been a regular favourite of cinephiles. Their output over the past three decades may seem eclectic, from the cartoonish comedy of Raising Arizona and The Hudsucker Proxy to the grim Western-infused True Grit and No Country For Old Men, but one thing that connects each film is that every time you watch them, you’ll find something new to talk about.
In this hefty new hardcover, film critic Adam Nayman aims to talk about as much of it as he can. The book is structured across the chronology of the brothers’ movies, with about 14 pages dedicated to each; in between each group of three or four movies, Nayman gives us an overview of that stage of the Coens’ career.
Though publisher Abrams are known for their ‘Art Of’ books, don’t be fooled into thinking this is a superficial coffee table tome to dip into when you have five minutes. Rather, Nayman’s essays are both entertaining and academic, analysing themes and motifs from each film, identifying recurring links between them, and tying them into cinema history – and once you start reading, it’s easy to get hooked. Even the most obsessive Coen fans will come out of this appreciating their favourite films in new ways as they see details they never knew were there; as an example, did you know the record Larry protests mistakenly being sent in A Serious Man has a double meaning? Its title, Abraxas, is a Gnostic word used to denote the presence of a god, and thus this seemingly throwaway detail ties into the film’s theme of Larry focusing on the wrong symbols, as he rails against the divinity he seeks elsewhere.
Breaking up these essays is a series of interviews with Coen collaborators, including cinematographer Roger Deakins and composer Carter Burwell, as well as the production designer, storyboard artist and costume designer who worked with the brothers across their career. These are fascinating reads that shine light on integral but often overlooked parts of the filmmaking art.
If there’s one thing missing, it’s that the book doesn’t reference the Coens’ work writing for other directors, nor does it mention their work on the Fargo TV series. While these are understandably of less relevance to Nayman’s analyses than their directorial work, it would be interesting to read how they fit into the bigger picture of their filmography.
It’s a beautifully designed book; the essays are accompanied by frames from the films and behind the scenes photos, plus new illustrations from Telegramme Paper Co.
This is highly recommended for any film fan, and essential for any Coen brothers fan – let Adam Nayman show you the life of the Coen brothers’ minds.
THE COEN BROTHERS: THIS BOOK REALLY TIES THE FILMS TOGETHER / AUTHOR: ADAM NAYMAN / PUBLISHER: ABRAMS BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: 11TH SEPTEMBER 2018
