No Blog for Old Men

Five reasons why No Country for Old Men deserved to dominate Oscar night:

  • Bardem: Take a sniff of Lecter, tone down the voice to bass level, add the worst hairdo since Prince became a symbol and you’ve got Anton Chigurgh, which might be the most ruthless villain in film history.
  • Violence: Some critics pointed out that the movie wouldn’t have a chance at the Oscars, because there is too much violence in it. It is my opinion that most violent scenes were deliberately cut out by the Coens – which makes them even more special. This is not a violence-oriented movie, far from it.
  • Ending: Without revealing too much: the ending might feel awkward at first, but when you pause and reflect about the whole movie, it actually fits.
  • Panoramic: Only the Coens would take the time to stretch out this movie with widescreen-shots of desert environments.
  • Music: There was none. When shooting a movie (I’d entitle it A Black Western, minus the shooting) in the Great American Desert, it would be easy to fall back on Ennio Morricone-esque pieces.