The expanding world of “Fargo” [Mizumaru Kawahara’s CINEMONOLOGUE Vol.55]

Index

• "Season 1 and the basic style of 'Police Officers, Citizens, and Villains'"
• "Season 2 depicts a major incident that happened in the past"
• "Season 3 and the true identity of the 'villain'"

"Season 1 and the basic style of 'Police Officers, Citizens, and Villains'"

The TV series " Fargo " is based on the film of the same name by the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, and tells an original story. The latest season is scheduled to be broadcast in Japan on Star Channel from April (it was already distributed on Star Channel EX in January). The movie version depicts how a miserly Kyogen kidnapping turns into a big deal due to a series of misunderstandings and coincidences, but this drama version maintains the moody, dry taste and the setting of the winter Midwest, and there is plenty of variety. A completely different new story and incident will unfold with different characters.

Each season concludes with an individual story with a different era setting and character lineup, but since they are set in the same area, sometimes common characters and elements appear across seasons, making it easy to watch over and over again. You can also enjoy a consistent worldview. Also, since the series of incidents unfolds over an entire season, the story is likely to be more intricate and complicated than the movie version, but there is a basic style that remains unchanged throughout the series, so the overall story is It feels cohesive. It's amazing that so many characters appear and there are so many movements and developments.

So what exactly is that style? The story always centers on an honest police officer, like the character played by Frances McDormand in the original film, and an ordinary but errant citizen, like the one played by William H. Macy. The major point of the drama version is that it adds a monster-like villain who disrupts the incident and throws the gears of the story out of whack. The nature of the turmoil changes each season, but basically this general arrangement of "police officers, citizens, and bad guys" remains the same, which is why it is easy to understand the relationships and movements of the characters, and how they change from there. It's interesting how it comes.

In Season 1, the story begins when dull insurance salesman Lester Nygard meets hitman Lorne Malvo. Malvo, who intentionally interprets a casual conversation as a request to kill Lester, kills a local man who has bullied Lester since his school days, and Lester impulsively kills his wife, who has been snoring at him on a regular basis. . Lester calls Malvo to clean up the situation, but Malvo also kills the police chief who came after suspecting something suspicious, and the situation escalates. Through Malvo's work, Lester succeeds in pretending to be a man whose wife was killed by bandits, but Molly Solverson, the only person in the local area with a sense of responsibility and insight, becomes suspicious of Lester. .

Perhaps because it is the first season, it follows the atmosphere of the movie version, especially Lester, played by Martin Freeman, who is dressed in a red down coat and has a timid look in his eyes.・There is something similar to Jerry Landigaard played by Macy. Jerry plans to kidnap his wife in a comedy performance to repay his debt, and attempts to extract a large amount of money from her wealthy father.He tells lies to escape from the crime of murdering his wife, and eventually even lies false accusations against his own brother. This overlaps with Lester, who is trying to escape by dressing him. Above all, the way many people lose their lives due to their selfishness is a blackness reminiscent of Fargo. In addition, the aftermath of the large sum of money buried in the snow in the movie version is also depicted in season 1, so it is clear that not only the atmosphere but also the actual world view is the same as the movie version. It may also be shown.

Molly, a serious police officer, is as cool as Marge Gunderson played by Frances McDormand, and the highlight is how she searches Lester with a sharp gaze despite her gentle demeanor (Nygard and Lundygard, and Solverson and Gunderson, respectively) (Maybe the name was intentional.)

And the assassin Malvo, played by Billy Bob Thornton, is probably a major element that gave the drama version its charm independent of the movie version. Anyway, his strange appearance is frightening, and even though he is a killer, he chooses his targets from the conversation with Lester without regard for profit or loss, he tricks people with almost no meaning, and he tries to bring chaos everywhere.His behavioral principles. He is a person who can truly be called a monster, shrouded in mystery. In the movie version, I don't see anyone in particular who could play this role (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare's thugs, who appear as clear-cut criminals, don't match up at all, and the role of small villains is not suitable for the drama version.) In fact, if we focus on these differences, we can begin to see a little bit of what the "villains" who appear in later seasons, including Malvo, represent.