Directed by Joel (and Ethan) Coen
Written by Ethan and Joel Coen
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johannson, James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Jon Polito
The Man Who Wasn’t There is a great-looking curiosity piece. The same could probably be said about most of the Coens’ movies. I’m a fan of them, as are most film people I know. They’ve put their stamp on a lot of different genres and created a few truly unique movies. What other movie is like O Brother Where Art Thou, or The Hudsucker Proxy?
This time around the genre is film noir. Working with their regular cinematographer Roger Deakins, they nail the look. That’s a given. There’s a reason Deakins is one of the best-known people of his profession. The basic elements of the plot fit in with the genre as well. There is betrayal and murder. The protagonist, Ed Crane the barber, is less than heroic. He narrates his story with unflinching cynicism.
But the feel of the movie is different from classic noir. Maybe it’s über noir. The movie just oozes hopelessness. It’s not without the Coens’ comic touches, but they aren’t enough to let any sunshine in to this bleak tale. Scarlett Johansson’s Birdy is the brightest spot, but even her character isn’t immune to the effects of the general malaise.
A decade before, the Coens made Miller’s Crossing, a film that was as good a gangster picture as it was a sendup of the genre, depending on how seriously you feel like taking it. It is one of many high points in their careers. Of that film’s protagonist, Tom Reagan, it is said that he doesn’t hate anyone -- or like anyone. That statement can be applied and amplified to Ed Crane. To say he “isn’t there” is fair enough. His life seems to have happened around him, without any initiative on his part. When he makes the decision to go into business with Jon Polito’s dry cleaning entrepreneur, his actions are motivated out of spite for his own wife. It makes him impossible to sympathize with, even if he had his own reasons for doing what he did.
The second half is a little easier to take. Events of the first section wrap up sooner than expected, and better for our protagonist than he deserves. Ed gravitates toward the light he sees in Birdy’s piano playing out of misplaced affection, and her presence is as much a relief for the audience as it is for him. But eventually his past comes back to haunt him, even if the specifics are a little off, and the story ends as it must.
I don’t know what kind of business the film did or how it was received critically, but I suspect history will be kind to the movie. Despite the detachment between protagonist and audience, it has to be said the movie is immaculately made. Writing, performances, direction, cinematography, and music all work together to create an experience that is cinematic in the best sense of the word.
And now the movie’s over and I’m bummed. That’s why I haven’t watched it in forever until now.
Interesting Facts
-- After initial discussions with the Coens about taking on the role of Ed Crane, Billy Bob Thornton watched every episode of The Andy Griffith Show featuring Floyd the barber repeatedly in preparation for his performance. Then, upon reading the final script, he said “what the fuck did I do that for?”
-- The moving piano piece that Birdy plays at her recital is “Move It On Over” by Hank Williams.
-- There is an anachronism toward the end of the film when Ed sees the UFO. The movie takes place in 1949, but the spaceship he sees is clearly a 1957 model. The dual exhaust and chrome highlights give it away.
