The three old men of “No Country for Old Men” and their connection to “Fargo” [Mizumaru Kawahara’s CINEMONOLOGUE Vol.56]

Index

• Another prototype for the drama version of “Fargo”
• A black briefcase that connects “No Country for Old Men” and “Fargo”
• Cigars are also "Old Men"

Another prototype for the drama version of “Fargo”

Last time, I wrote about the drama version of " Fargo " (hereinafter referred to simply as "Fargo" unless otherwise specified), but in addition to the movie version of the same name, the influence of the Coen brothers' works can be seen everywhere, especially " I think there are many similarities with No Country for Old Men . The composition is more similar to the movie version of Fargo itself, with the three characters mentioned in the previous article appearing as they are: the entangled protagonist who sticks his head in, the strange killer, and the sheriff who chases the situation. It can almost be said to be one of the prototypes. This is also my favorite work.

In 1980, Vietnam veteran Llewellyn Moss discovers several cars and bodies scattered in the Texas desert. Apparently a drug deal broke down and a shootout ensued. Llewellyn discovers the large sum of money that caused this tragedy and steals it, but ends up being chased by a hitman who has been ordered to recover the money.

The strong visuals of the hitman Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem, are an icon of this film, but his ominous appearance is similar to the hitman Lorne Malvo played by Billy Bob Thornton in Season 1 of Fargo. There is. Malvo is talkative compared to Chigurh, and has mastered the art of blending in with people, but he is no less dangerous and abnormal within himself. In particular, the scene where Malvo asks the motel receptionist mysterious questions and becomes creepy reminds me of the scene where Chigar similarly confuses the gas station owner (of course, Chigar also acts creepy at the motel and is alarmed). ).

Cigar's main weapon, the bolt pistol, is also distinctive. A cylinder attached to the end of a tube extending from an oxygen cylinder is placed against the victim's head and a bolt is driven in, but I think this is the same type of pistol used to stun cows and other animals during livestock slaughter. The bolt that was driven back into the cylinder instantly. As a result, the bodies left behind appear to have been shot, but of course there are no bullets left behind. Cigar also uses it to blow open door locks without making much noise, making it a deadly weapon for those being chased.

Chigar is in search of the whereabouts of a large sum of money that disappeared due to a request from an organization, but the danger of losing control is apparent in the fact that even people who are not directly involved in the execution of the mission will take advantage of it depending on the situation (even if it is for escape). (He doesn't hesitate to kill even the sheriff.) Even if they do not cause any harm, they may use ominous words or actions to frighten others, as they did at the gas station or motel mentioned above. Normally, you should act in such a way that no one will remember you as much as possible, but it is scary to act in a way that leaves others with the impression that ``someone suspicious has come.'' Like Malvo, Chigurh is not the type of villain who simply kills people for personal gain, but is he also a device like Malvo who tries to stir up the story senselessly?