Fargo

From Fargo, movie fans most often remember the human body disappearing into a wood chipper and the distinctive faces of the exemplary psychopaths and criminals played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare. The number of corpses that line the story, as well as Fargo's typical dark humor, invite comparisons to Tarantino's films. However, the Coen brothers have a different film technique. Their humor is not obvious, but rather clever and inclined towards biting irony. The Coens toy with the crime genre, but unlike Tarantino, it is not done for its own sake. They break conventions not for cheap audience effect, but to explore the possibilities of genre evolution and to shape the atmosphere. Scenes of shocking brutality are combined with comedy resulting from the fact that the main characters are not charismatic, brilliant criminals, but rather nobodies. When an inexperienced, ambitious weakling with average intelligence hires two brutes with the intelligence of horses to execute a kidnapping, it is no wonder that events quickly spiral out of control and descend into a terrifying disaster. Originally, it was supposed to be a precise and cleverly planned operation in the delusional mind of its creator. However, due to a series of coincidences and, above all, the incompetence of the protagonists, it turns into a bloody farce. The Coens build the atmosphere using contrasts. Behind the facade of bourgeois suburban family life lies envy, greed, and chronic dissatisfaction. The snowy white landscapes of Minnesota become stained red with blood. By the way, the portrayal of their homeland did not sit well with the residents of Minnesota, and they made that very clear to the Coens. I'm not saying that Fargo is the best Coen brothers’ piece, I would unequivocally place No Country for Old Men higher, but still, I have an itch to give it five stars. Fargo simply has a lot going for it. Overall impression: 85%. (06/07/2017)

Technically, it’s quite skillful (brutal action scenes), musically impressively minimalist, and in the second half the film is also suspenseful and entertaining, but the main problem of my criticism is probably in the direction. I'm not the type who drools over humor of the Coens, quite the opposite. It gets on my nerves and some scenes felt like a light rip-off of Tarantino's style. (07/01/2005)

I got back home from school this afternoon, frozen to the bone (this September has been quite chilly), I sat at the computer and put on Fargo. Big mistake, my teeth are still chattering. That said, the film never bored me, the Coen brothers’ direction is so distinctive that it always feels like a refreshment after a lot of bland movies. The basic plot structure is not that original, what makes the story unforgettable is the place it’s set, which is inhabited by maybe one normal character for every one hundred comical figures, and the very dark humour. (09/17/2008)

I still remember the campaign that Fargo had as a TV premiere on HBO, but I never saw it. There was really no reason not to watch it. The cast is likable, and the subject matter is one that captures the attention, but until there was a series on the horizon, there was no need to rush into it. I am now very excited for Season 2 with Kirsten Dunst and I enjoyed the original film very much. It's matured just enough because now I know who Frances and Steve are. (10/12/2015)

When it comes to sh**, it comes to sh** properly. And best to tell you about it is Steve "Funny in general" Buscemi. And maybe also everyone who had anything to do with the events from Moose Lake, including the pregnant sheriff, the pissing sales manager and the inarticulate lunatic with a passion for woodcutters. And why? For a little money. (02/04/2006)