Russell Carolyn R. Russell Films of Joel and Ethan Coen

Annotation

Filmmaker brothers Joel and Ethan Coen got their start in the independent film business in 1984 with their debut feature Blood Simple, which won the award of Best Dramatic Feature at Sundance in 1985 and was hailed as one of the best films of the year by the National Board of Review. Since their early success, the Coen Brothers have built a name for themselves and gone on to create other big-name movies such as Raising Arizona, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. This book is a comprehensive account of these four films and Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink and The Hudsucker Proxy. Production information and in-depth analysis and critique are provided, as well as discussions on how each movie functions in the broader context of the Coens' work, and the themes, strategies, and motifs often utilized by the Coens.