Quoted as having a voice that is ‘undeniably and
violently original’ the Coen Brothers have been letting us into their world of
numbskulls, vivid dreams and eccentrics with names to match since 1984. Following a trend throughout their
filmography, which usually involves a crime that goes horribly wrong, whether
is it dark comedy as with Burn After Reading (2008) or of a more serious
nature, such as No Country for Old Men (2007), the common thread that
links their films together, along with the various uses of violence, are the
genre twisted stories that the Coens create.
The Coens’ first feature film, Blood Simple, is
tale of lust, revenge and miscommunication. Almost a B Movie with its simmering
tale set in the heart of Texas. Painted as a treacherous place from the start,
in the opening quote from the Private Investigator, the location already makes
creates a sense of unease, readying for something ‘big’ to happen. Abby is
having an affair with Ray, a bartender who works for her husband, Marty.
Already suspicious of their affair, he hires Visser, a private detective, to
follow them. Once the affair is confirmed with photographs, he hires Visser to
kill both Ray and Abby.
Blood Simple
illustrates the difficulty and dirty dealings of murder, proving that it is
anything but simple. Even the genres in which the film would usually fall
(thriller/crime drama) don’t apply as easily as just slapping a label on the
cover. Part film noir, part horror and, also in part, black comedy, the Coens
play with the identity of the film without losing sight of plot or falling into
genric parody. Instead, they balance the hybrid modes to create a story that’s
simple and yet complex. Playing with story elements, borrowing from film noir,
such as Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice, Blood
Simple twists these typical stories through the characters and the
decisions they are driven to make, going ‘blood simple’.
The Coens’ use genre to create a
story that is both familiar and unexpected at the same time. They said that
they ‘didn’t want to make a Venetian blind kind of [detective] movie’ yet they
are obviously influenced by film noir, which features this type of lighting. There is of course a detective, tracking
down the lovers, solving a case, the cuckolded, suspicious rich husband and a
thick atmosphere of doubt and lust in the air. The lighting, setting and tone
of the story all to ‘typical detective story’, yet the players don’t fall into
place. The detective, usually the ‘good guy’ wearing a white hat, isn’t what he
seems. He follows the generic rules until he double crosses Marty over
something petty: money. He’s killer, but only after he makes a mistake. The
responsibility of ‘good guy’ falls squarely on Ray’s shoulders but, in theory,
he isn’t one either: he has an affair with his boss’ wife, asks for money, then
buries a man alive, but does so only after
thinking Abby has killed Marty, which is his mistake. There is no femme fatale
role in the story, either – Abby is just too clueless to take the initiative.
Still, there is the question of her loyalty when Marty puts doubt in Ray’s
mind, but Abby is oblivious, right up until the end when she says, “I’m not
afraid of you, Marty,” and Visser answers back, “Well, ma’am, if I see him,
I’ll sure give him the message.” It could be argued that Abby is the femme
fatale of the piece, but only by default, as her own flaw is in being unable to
communicate – all the men around her can but tend to die. The Coens’ favourite
devices – a crime gone wrong, miscommunication and the age-old lust for
violence – determine the fates of everyone in the story. This is because, at
the start of the story, no one wants to kill but, by the end, they have all
either killed someone or intended to.
In detective stories and most
film noir, characters don’t go through an uplifting story arc. Instead, they
come to the realization of their circumstance, or conclusion. But, in Blood Simple, the characters keep making
mistakes, which is what drives the plot and each other’s actions forwards. Each
character wants something and their selfish need is their ultimate their
downfall.
Marty, driven my jealousy and
anger, wants revenge on his cheating wife, going so far as to hire someone to
kill her and her lover. Not wanting blood on his hands, he can’t do it himself,
suggesting he is not ‘man enough’. His mistake is in trusting his wife in the
first place and, again, in trusting Visser. Abby breaks his finger while
beating him up, later noted by someone who refers to it as his ‘pussy finger’,
further emasculating him. Marty is the desperate man who resists being made to
look a fool but, as the only character to be murdered twice, is the joke of the
film.
Ray is not the hero in this
story. He doesn’t even manage to defend the woman he supposedly wants to be
with – it is Abby who beats up Marty and kills Visser. Ray’s mistake is in
thinking that Abby killed Marty and he doesn’t even think to ask her. Ray’s
judgment is in question throughout, especially as it’s not entirely clear
whether he loves Abby. He says, ‘I told you. I liked you,’ but love isn’t
mentioned unless someone is scared. He questions Abby after he buries Marty and
doubt starts to seep in, when she repeats what Marty says she’d say. But, as
neither Abby nor Ray factor in Visser, he ends up dead, showing how unassertive
he is.
Visser is the established
detective, complete with voiceover and late night surveillance but he isn’t
stereotypical. He seems like he’s going to be the voice of reason, like Tommy
Lee Jones’ Sherriff Ed Tom Bell in No
Country for Old Men, at the film’s outset but, by the time his
story ends, he’s cackling into a pool of his own blood. His mistake is minor,
leaving the cigarette lighter behind, but it’s one that has repercussions:
foiling his plans and, ultimately, causing his death.
The Coen Brothers’ first feature
is an introduction to their universe of violence mixed with comedy, crime and
unique character names. Their ability to twist genres round their talented
little fingers is the cornerstone of what makes their films stand out. Taking
their influences, honouring them whilst still claiming them as their own, is
what makes Blood Simple a stand
out film.
For more #noirvember & #NeoNoir follow @little_sister_filmnoir
Originally written for Cinema Rediscovered in 2017 – also made as a Zine
