``Fargo'' Happiness lies beyond greed. The Coen brothers' masterpiece, its charm

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2019.12.23Soma studies

Outrageous humor that lives everywhere

The most distinctive feature of the Coen brothers' works is their off-kilter humor. ``Fargo'' is probably the work that most clearly shows this sense of obscurity. First of all, the title "Fargo". This is the name of a town in North Dakota, but it only briefly appears at the beginning as the setting for Jerry's deal with Carl & Gere. The rest of the story is set in Brainerd, Minnesota. According to the Coen brothers, they chose the title ``Fargo'' because it sounds cooler than ``Fargo,'' which is why it's so appealing.

What's even more shocking is the opening caption that says, "This movie is based on a true story." It's true that some inspirations are taken from real events, but most of it is the Coen brothers' creations. According to them, this subtitle was intended to prepare the audience not to view the movie as a normal thriller.

The rhythm of the conversation also has a unique looseness. The conversation between Marge and her colleagues while inspecting the scene is so leisurely that you forget this is a murder scene. The characters' Minnesota accents also create a rural atmosphere, although it may be a little difficult for Japanese audiences to understand. Some members of the Minnesota audience did not understand the humor and felt they were being made fun of, but of course the Coen brothers, who were born and raised in Minnesota, had no such intention. Many of the cast members are from Minnesota, including John Carroll Lynch, who plays Marge's husband Norm. Also, Kristen LeDrud, who played Jerry's wife, is a native of Fargo.

By the way, the winter in which the photo was taken was the warmest on record in Minnesota, and the amount of snowfall was surprisingly low. Therefore, the Coen brothers expanded their locations to North Dakota in search of snowy scenery.

Good work by talented staff and cast

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