After successfully tackling the extensive works of David Fincher and Paul Thomas Anderson, Cameron Beyl over at Raccord has another edition of “The Director’s Series” on the way. This time out, the focus is on cinema’s most famous two-headed director: Joel and Ethan Coen.
The first part in this series — entitled “Murder & Mania” — dives into the Coen Brothers’ beginnings, in which two siblings from Minnesota made their first two, tonally different features in the American southwest. We start with their debut “Blood Simple,” and its influences ranging from Billy Wilder (the opening narration of “Love in the Afternoon”) to Sam Raimi (the sped-up, low-angle tracking shot). It also dives into how the film greatly influenced the Coen’s Oscar-winning thriller “No Country for Old Men.”
Then, for the “Mania” portion, the focus shifts to “Raising Arizona,” their madcap, Tex Avery-influenced live-action cartoon. Beyl points out that while they couldn’t be more different, the similarities between “Blood Simple” and “Raising Arizona” are there, as they share Carter Burwell and Barry Sonnenfeld as composer and cinematographer, respectively, as well as brands and imagery that evoke a true sense of Americana.
Take a look and let us know what you think of the Coens’ one-two punch in the comments section below.