Blood Simple. (1984)

(In theaters, November 2000) This thriller by the Coen brother takes a long, long, long time to get going, as we’re introduced to an array of increasingly unsympathetic characters who all seem to be doing their best to become even more unlikable. Eventually, though, the plot mechanics so laboriously introduced all come into play, and the film gets progressively more interesting. Already obvious from their first film is the Coens’ eye for good images, which remains interesting even when the rest isn’t.

(On Cable TV, March 2022) I hadn’t seen Blood Simple in decades, so sitting down to re-watch it with a much better neo-noir frame of reference was certainly interesting.  I liked it quite a bit better this second time around, especially considering the film’s heavy meta-textual references.  The Coen Brothers’ first film is rife with homages to earlier movies, well-established tropes and a wicked sense of dark humor.  A simple tale of lust, violence and deceit set in small-town Texas, it’s far more complex in execution, with a strong visual detail and a plot in which no one knows anything, and the details are cleverly put together.  Acting-wise, the standout performance here is from M. Emmet Walsh, with an astonishingly young Frances McDormand making her big-screen debut.  The rough and gritty cinematography is low-budget but very precise in its effects, taking this neo-noir closer to slasher horror at times.  I don’t completely love Blood Simple, but I like it well enough – especially this second time around.