No Country for Old Men (Spoilers) (show, quote)

~~yabadabadoo~~ · 12-31-2007, 12:17 AM

Thoughts?

TheBig3 · 12-31-2007, 05:26 PM

I happen to think that its one of the finer pieces of film that has been made in a long time. The Cohen borthers have pulled off one of the tougher feats in adaptive work: the film was better than the novel.

When you read the book it seems like there is a lot of dead space there, things that are left out rather than appearing economical like I believe Cormac McCarthy attempted to have it. Under the Cohen's direction the space leaves quite a bit with Javier (sp?) and the scenes around him working together to create a more power image of the phantom figure and a more haunting and depleted new world for what the "old men" would have to endure.

Everything about the film was nothing short of amazing so I'll skip the obvious points and address what might have been missed.

The shots in this films are relativly standard but every once in awhile they come at an angle that is so much a part of the storyline, and still so novel that you wonder when more films don't pay attention to this one device. The angle of the camera san say so much about what its shooting, or what its not shooting and theres a scene in the hotel where Javier (I should learn his name) and Woody are talking about god knows what and right before the action scene they have a shot thats looking down at an angle and removed about 20 ft. back bringing it out of the scene really. Seeing if from that far away...you have to see it.

The other thing I loved is the reason for Javier (sorry) using the device that he does, I mean you watch this film and you think, "these guys didn't miss a damn thing."

I clearly loved the damn thing.

Sparky · 12-31-2007, 07:49 PM

I loved it.

Only thing i didnt enjoy was the ending, and maybe it's the books fault, but it felt so fast.

I wanted to see more >.<

I kept waiting for tommy lee to kick some ass dammit!

adidasss · 01-01-2008, 03:07 AM

I loved everything apart from the somewhat abrupt way they disposed of the central character....I kept thinking it was just a ploy...and then he didn't come back... Plus I didn't really understand the need for the car crash and Macdonald's (Llewelyn's wife) accent was annoying...minor quibbles really. It was definitely the most intense experience this year in the theater...

TheBig3 · 01-01-2008, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matious

I loved it.

Only thing i didnt enjoy was the ending, and maybe it's the books fault, but it felt so fast.

I wanted to see more >.<

I kept waiting for tommy lee to kick some ass dammit!

The ending was what sealed it for me. The same way Urban hates Electioneering, I'd have hated a closer ending. It gives too much, it would have been a dumbing down for the masses and I'm glad they stayed away from that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

I loved everything apart from the somewhat abrupt way they disposed of the central character....I kept thinking it was just a ploy...and then he didn't come back... Plus I didn't really understand the need for the car crash and Macdonald's (Llewelyn's wife) accent was annoying...minor quibbles really. It was definitely the most intense experience this year in the theater...

I don't recall the car crash well enough but I feel like everything in the film had a purpose. The characters weren't really characters (i felt) more vechiles to convey problems, and issues that have crept into America and while they didn't need to dispose of the main character, I think they did that so you could get attached, or think it was a story about a guy who...

It took me about 3 weeks to digest everything I have so far, and I still want to see it twice more just to make sure.

adidasss · 01-01-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBig3KilledMyRainDog

while they didn't need to dispose of the main character, I think they did that so you could get attached, or think it was a story about a guy who...

Hmm, very good point actually...although they got rid of him near the end which is why I felt a little cheated of a resolution...they sucked me into the whole good vs bad thing to the point where I wanted (and expected) the good guy to win...

Quote:

It took me about 3 weeks to digest everything I have so far, and I still want to see it twice more just to make sure.

Bardem was driving away near the end and then just got hit by a car suddenly...he was injured then walked away after the boy lent him his shirt. I'm sure they wanted to say something with that, I'm just not sure what it was...perhaps the randomness of destiny? One who plays God is ultimately just a figure himself...? I dunno...

TheBig3 · 01-01-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

Hmm, very good point actually...although they got rid of him near the end which is why I felt a little cheated of a resolution...they sucked me into the whole good vs bad thing to the point where I wanted (and expected) the good guy to win...

Bardem was driving away near the end and then just got hit by a car suddenly...he was injured then walked away after the boy lent him his shirt. I'm sure they wanted to say something with that, I'm just not sure what it was...perhaps the randomness of destiny? One who plays God is ultimately just a figure himself...? I dunno...

Oh that, I thought there was a car accident with the wife at the McDonalds or something that I'd forgotten.

I don't think the car accident was for adding to the plot. My interpretation was that Javier (again, sorry) needed again to be shown as a ghost. Whats most important in that scene I think is how he refuses medical help, that money is no object and that he just wanders off.

You hear sirens as he does, he keeps eluding the law, he's supposed to be the degradation that the law can't keep up with these days. Remember...

"They say that in the old days some of those guys [sheriffs] didn't even carry guns...I wonder if theres a place for those men today" (or something like that)

I think that was something to show that you can't catch it and end it, it just keeps going. They never show the other car at all, who drove it, those people never get out, it looked as if they just ran a stop sign which might be another show of carelessness in the modern American. That title means everything in this film. The "old men" they refer to came from a time when people had a stronger sense of dignity and civility and thats gone.

Theres a line where one of the officers says something to TLJ in a dinner "I mean he walks right back into a murder scene and kills a former army captain. what kind of sickness is that."

Everything moves toward the same end in this film, everything is reinforcing that one premise. And the lines between "good guy" and "bad guy" are much blurrier than they should be. Brolan stole all the money and weapons. Javier is trying to get his things back. But you'd never call him the "good guy" and I think thats another piece as well.

Sparky · 01-01-2008, 01:10 PM

^ i thought it was to show similarity between the killer guy and the one dude he killed(the guy with all the money)

becuase they both offered money to get a new shirt :-/

after writing that it sounds pretty stupid, but they both did it the exact same way.

adidasss · 01-01-2008, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matious

^ i thought it was to show similarity between the killer guy and the one dude he killed(the guy with all the money)

becuase they both offered money to get a new shirt :-/

after writing that it sounds pretty stupid, but they both did it the exact same way.

Ohhh....shit you have a point...I didn't think of that.

Sparky · 01-01-2008, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

Ohhh....shit you have a point...I didn't think of that.

you guys over-analyze **** too much. Not everything has a metaphor ya know. Maybe him getting out of a car crash alive was just to make him more bad-ass ya know :P?

12-31-2007, 12:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
~~yabadabadoo~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1	No Country for Old Men (spoilers!) Thoughts?

12-31-2007, 05:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,246	I happen to think that its one of the finer pieces of film that has been made in a long time. The Cohen borthers have pulled off one of the tougher feats in adaptive work: the film was better than the novel. When you read the book it seems like there is a lot of dead space there, things that are left out rather than appearing economical like I believe Cormac McCarthy attempted to have it. Under the Cohen's direction the space leaves quite a bit with Javier (sp?) and the scenes around him working together to create a more power image of the phantom figure and a more haunting and depleted new world for what the "old men" would have to endure. Everything about the film was nothing short of amazing so I'll skip the obvious points and address what might have been missed. The shots in this films are relativly standard but every once in awhile they come at an angle that is so much a part of the storyline, and still so novel that you wonder when more films don't pay attention to this one device. The angle of the camera san say so much about what its shooting, or what its not shooting and theres a scene in the hotel where Javier (I should learn his name) and Woody are talking about god knows what and right before the action scene they have a shot thats looking down at an angle and removed about 20 ft. back bringing it out of the scene really. Seeing if from that far away...you have to see it. The other thing I loved is the reason for Javier (sorry) using the device that he does, I mean you watch this film and you think, "these guys didn't miss a damn thing." I clearly loved the damn thing. __________________ I've moved to a new address

01-01-2008, 03:07 AM	#4 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,945	I loved everything apart from the somewhat abrupt way they disposed of the central character....I kept thinking it was just a ploy...and then he didn't come back... Plus I didn't really understand the need for the car crash and Macdonald's (Llewelyn's wife) accent was annoying...minor quibbles really. It was definitely the most intense experience this year in the theater... __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

12-31-2007, 07:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
Sparky not really Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 5,223	I loved it. Only thing i didnt enjoy was the ending, and maybe it's the books fault, but it felt so fast. I wanted to see more >.< I kept waiting for tommy lee to kick some ass dammit!

01-01-2008, 01:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
Sparky not really Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 5,223	^ i thought it was to show similarity between the killer guy and the one dude he killed(the guy with all the money) becuase they both offered money to get a new shirt :-/ after writing that it sounds pretty stupid, but they both did it the exact same way.