Synopses & Reviews
Despite having their movies financed and distributed by major studios, Joel and Ethan Coen have managed to remain true independents, determinedly rejecting commercial cliches, and never giving up their own fiercely idiosyncratic vision. Their genre-bending movies, alternating between spoof and seriousness, such as
Blood Simple;
Raising Arizona;
O Brother, Where Art Thou?; and the Oscar-winning
Fargo; reveal a distinctive stamp a flamboyant visual style, richly conceived characters, crisp dialogue and brilliant casting.
In this first-ever biography of the sibling filmmakers, Ronald Bergan traces the rise of these celluloid mavericks: their roots and beginnings as film geeks, their battles to get their first feature made and released, their unique working methods, and their enigmatic, quirky personalities.
Review
"For the first time, British film writer Bergan has compiled an in-depth account of the pair.... He explores their films in depth, retrieving choice anecdotes about the inception of each film and life on the set working with their talented repertory group of actors. Bergan maintains an irreverent, almost absurd tone throughout the book, in effect mimicking the unpredictable art of his subjects. Overall, a very thoughtful and clever book." Ted Leventhal, Booklist
Review
"In simple, clear language, Bergan presents the Coen brothers in a rather layered fashion, gradually revealing biographical details and elements while examining their films, their filmmaking style, their inspirations, and some of the ideas behind their works....Bergan's biography is a welcome introduction to these distinctive filmmakers." Library Journal
Synopsis
Blood Simple, Barton Fink, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Fargo, Hudsucker Proxy, and The Big Lebowski - moviegoers either love the Coen brothers or they hate them. Those who love them believe they have made some of the most innovative, entertaining, and idiosyncratic films of the last 25 years. Their movies have grossed over $1 billion, and Fargo won Oscars in 1997 for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress. Brought up in small-town America, the brothers have been making movies from the age of eight. Joel directs; Ethan writes and collaborates with his brother in the later stages as the story develops its visual identity. The Coen brothers set the standard for creative cinema.
About the Author
Ronald Bergan is a regular contributor to the London Guardian. His books, including biographies of Dustin Hoffman, Sergei Eisenstein and Francis Coppola, The United Artists Story, and The Great Theatres of London, are highly praised on both sides of the Atlantic.