Fargo : Bizarrely

Bizarrely

Reading comments on here, it seems to me that lots of people watch this and don't see it as a comedy. To me it is one of the funniest films ever made. Just watch Jerry. Look at how he's digging himself deeper and deeper. As the film progresses we learn of many different ways in which he's trying to make more money. Listen to his voice and look at him lose his temper when nothing goes his way. Its how he persists with his lies and yet looks so uncomfortable telling them. Splendid stuff.

Re: Bizarrely

Well, it's funny but I don't think it's a Comedy. The Coens are without a doubt the best filmmakers when it comes to Blending Genres. You go through their entire filmography and they hardly shoot straight in any one film. The Big Lebowski is a Comedy to many but to me and many other fans, it's FAR more than just a funny movie. It has elements of many genres. At its most basic and purest of forms, it's a Noir. It's also a Crime Caper of sorts. A "Buddy Film" or "Hangout Film"... It's an Odyssey in many ways as well. Fargo did much of the same, just with a different mix.'A Serious Man' feels alot like the two films. I don't think I could pin it down to any one genre. Even with 'No Country For Old Men', Anton is weirdly humorous and certain scenes are funny, just with dialect alone... Yet it's suspenseful, dramatic, philosophical, existential filmmaking from beginning to end. It's what they have mastered.

Re: Bizarrely

Oh yeah, you think?

Re: Bizarrely

The first time I saw this movie, I was thinking it was a straight drama, but all of this weird stuff kept happening, and I couldn't quite understand if I should be snickering or not. This is classified as a Crime, Drama, Thriller, but I would say that it is more suspenseful than a thriller, and definitely has a dark comedy aspect to it. One of my favorite movies.

Re: Bizarrely

I posted this before but I first saw Fargo on a Saturday eve one day after release. There were maybe four or five people in the entire audience. When Shep gave Carl a beating I burst out laughing. Same for when Carl got shot in the face by Wade. Each time I tried to compose myself while embarrassingly slumping down in my seat. I was the only one laughing. The humor is definitely twisted and probably takes a twisted mind to appreciate it.


He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.

Re: Bizarrely

It can definitely be considered a dark comedy, but I agree with the poster who mentioned that the Cohens are great at blending genres. Even the comedic elements are pretty diverse. There's a good mix of subtle comedy, tongue in cheek, zaniness, and straight forward humor.

Re: Bizarrely

Fargo is a dark comedy. I always looked at it as a movie length sketch from SCTV with occasional graphic violence and language. People with funny accents, comically inept characters, and this movie had more eating scenes or scenes set in restaurants or references to food than any other movie I can think of since The Godfather. Jerry Lundegaard is comically inept, and Carl isn't too far behind him.
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