No County For Old Men - Masterpiece

[JohnWalker]

Yossarian you are a fool. The best parts of the movie will forever be "Hey Mr. Sportin' Goods, you a sport?" and "Call it, friendo."

Originally Posted by jumjum

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ATPH was my first Cormac, and it made me read 4-5 others. But the characters - have you ever known any 16-year-old to be that damn competent, confident and just all-around deadly? Hell, I was a full-grown man when I read it, and that kid made me feel like an idiot child by comparison.

No, but I wasn't raised on ranch on the border in the 50s. But I know what you mean, the series of events becomes alot more extraordinary when you remember his age. On the other hand, beign closer to his age I can understand his "Ain't no problem I can't fix" attitude better, especially about the novia. I intend to finish the border triology, but someone really needs to take McCarthy on a road trip. 2/3s of his books are set on the Texas/Mexico border. Oh well, keeps my Spanish servicable.

[stylie]

The stylie reaction...

First off... wow.

Secondly, while the movie was great, Im not so sure about the hype that surrounded it. As a story... well it was OK, the performances, dialogue, cinematography, outstanding. I felt like I was right there with them. Crying out for that old man in the gas station, flipping a coin... Compressed airgun? Wow, that totally added to this obviously effed-up individual and pretty useful too.

That said... I have my issues. Why would Anton kill his employer? I didnt think Harrelson was sent out to clean up Anton's killing, I thought that was to have a few people out there looking and it pissed him off that there were others that may screw up his work/get in the way. Also, it was only $2 million... are you gonna send out 2 different guys and a group of Mexicans looking for 2 million? How much were they gonna get paid to do all of that killing? And how the hell do you get pulled over by a cop and look in your rear-view and see a plainclosed guy walking up to you with an airtank? How do you let him get anywhere near your forehead without, at the very least a "WTF are you doing" and at least trying to, I dont know, move a little bit? Even if your a kind hearted soul from West Texas... I didnt buy that one.

Keeping in mind this was 1980 so that haircut wasnt weird jum, that was pretty standard fare in those days! Just think Rob Reiner in All in the Family or our old frind Bun E. Carlos. Hell I even think my dad rocked that one!

The dream recollection had no purpose to me. I was disappointed in that, I dont know, maybe this one went over my head, but I usually pay attention to those things!

However, I too had that overwhelming sense of dread that you spoke of. I want you all to know that this movie was, absolutely great and Id recommend it to anyone...

but IMHO, it was no Fargo.

[jumjum]

Originally Posted by Bikewer

...I picked up a copy of the book AFTER seeing the film, and McCarthy makes "muscular" writing almost a fashion statement. None of those sissy conventions like quotation marks and such for him.... Takes a bit of getting used to...

Perfect. I think I called it somewhere in here his "conversation without clues" style.

Yeah, I too understood the sheriffs' (both Ed Tom and his Del Rio countertpart) confusion and inability to understand the criminals they were beginning to see. Up to that point most of the crime they had come across at least had a recognizable motive - but by the time depicted in the movie they had begun to see senseless, inhuman acts by criminals motivated by some hidden need or force...such as Anton Chigurh. When you think about the last few minutes of the movie, you realize that after Chigurh (absolutely needlessly) killed Llewellyn's wife, Ed Tom must have discovered it. It likely was that last inexplicable crime that pushed him from thinking about retiring to quitting right then.

A lot of McCarthy's stuff is "big picture" "it's all a mystery" stuff, in which he depicts the world as a place which can be mindlessly brutal. Blood Meridian, set in the early says of Texas Rangers and Comanches, takes brutality and insanity even further than NCFOM - and I think it's going to be released as a movie next year.

[stylie]

So I watched it again last night, girlfriend slept through the first viewing so I relented. I have to say, my views of the movie actually lessened a bit. I may be nit-picking here, but I saw and heard some things that well, follow along, but I know these are just detailed...

disclaimer. The first death was the cop. That scene was absolutely riveting. but here goes my little rant...

How did Anton allow himself to be arrested in the first place? He kills for the fun of it?

Remember when he killed the guy on the road after he pulled him over? Why was there a fine mist coming out of the back of his head? -very cool but upon further review...- when the deputy tells the sherriff it wasnt a bullet, the sherriff reminded him that there was no exit wound.

I can be wrong on this one but... do you think that the survivor of the "OK Corrall" killed himself? At first I did, but then I rememberred that not only did the Lewellyn leave his door open when he walked away... He also took his gun and bullets (granted there was plenty of ammo lying around!!!) but it also begs the question, Why the hell did he even go back in the first place, he already had the dough!!!

600 lbs. Steer?!? Huh? you can just go ahead and triple that weight. (cafe scene, describing the use of the bolt in slaughter)

Remember when Harrelson was pleading for his life? He offered Anton $14,000 from an ATM. 2 issues here, first, you're not getting that money from an ATM, sorry I think the most I might get would be $300. Ok OK Obviously he's trying to make it sound sweet so he can live buuuuuuuuuuuut... I was around in 1980... There was no such thing as an ATM back then!!!

allllllllllllright I just checked, they were being used in 1967... but Im still suspicious of them being in west texas!!! cmon!!!

Im not trying to hate the movie, I liked it, but I suspect some kool-aid here!

[jumjum]

Yeah, I wondered how the heck Chigurh allowed himself to be taken in the first place. I didn't notice the rest of what you've mentioned. But I do know the reason Llewellyn went back out to the OK Corral was to take water to the dying man. And I don't know how "agua man" died, unless the two guys Chigurh killed at the OK Corral had already been there before they brought Chigurh, and finished off agua man then. But then there were so many weapons out there it's very possible Llewellyn overlooked a gun in the truck with agua man.

[JohnWalker]

It seems most likely to me Agua Hombre died to illistrate the point that someone was already there, and probably followed Lewellyn in. Lot more likely than the Mexicans deciding to check up on a drug deal obviously gone wrong just before dawn, and just moments after Lewellyn arrived.

Also worth noting to piss of Stylie, in the back ground of the gas station is a whole rack of perfectly visable Jack Links.

Edit: Yeah, now that I think about it, the drugs were gone when he went back. Guess Agua Hombre's buddies got there second.

[stylie]

Originally Posted by jumjum

Yeah, I wondered how the heck Chigurh allowed himself to be taken in the first place. I didn't notice the rest of what you've mentioned. But I do know the reason Llewellyn went back out to the OK Corral was to take water to the dying man. And I don't know how "agua man" died, unless the two guys Chigurh killed at the OK Corral had already been there before they brought Chigurh, and finished off agua man then. But then there were so many weapons out there it's very possible Llewellyn overlooked a gun in the truck with agua man.

I thought of these possibilities but in appreciation of the Coens, their ability not to have to spell it out for you is always a good thing. Thats why I really didnt like Gladiator. I mean, great story but they really went to great lengths in that movie to spell it all out. But goig back to bring him water? well maybe that goes back to what you were saying about being a "good" man and then getting sucked in. However, a simple anonymous call to the po po would have avoided the whole thing, no? But I guess that wouldnt make a good movie!!!

Originally Posted by JohnWalker

Also worth noting to piss of Stylie, in the back ground of the gas station is a whole rack of perfectly visable Jack Links.

Why would that piss me off?

Oh I thought about another thing, I guess maybe I wasnt in the mood and was really way too analytical for this one that night.I have been a pretty pissed off individual this week!!!

Remember the chase scene? He looks, sees the two trucks with dark dark skies (moon had just set) and in 1 minute he's floating down a river in the early morning. BTW while he was being chased by the truck he would look back and each look back had a brighter sky with a totally different arrangement of clouds!!!


... yeah Ive been a real bitch this week!!!

[JohnWalker]

Did they have Jack Links in 1985 and I've just been wholly ignorant of them untill two years ago?

[stylie]

Dude I have no clue! I had to google them to find out what the hell you were talking about!!!

[Bikewer]

This movie (last time I checked...) had generated over 800 comments on the IMDB page.
There is always a certian amount of ambiguity with the Coen's stuff, but from my reading of the novel (about halfway through) it's pretty much dead-on.

I'm not one to overly analyze these things; looking for each little continuity error and out-of-place prop item. If it "works" as a whole, I'm usually happy.