The Analysis of The Film "Fargo"

Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery and funny Minnesota accent? Well Fargo provides both and then some. Fargo is based on true story that takes place in Minnesota during the year of 1987.The plot of the film revolves around the protagonist of the film and a hilarious pregnant police officer during a very harsh winter in Minnesota. The protagonist goes by the name of Jerry Lundegaard who finds himself in a sticky situation facing bankruptcy. Jerry becomes very desperate for money and develops a sick and diabolical plan in order to settle his debt. Jerry goes as far as to hire two street thugs to kidnap his wife for ransom in order to attain the ransom money from his father in law who is not fond of him. The plan blows up in his face as it results in two deaths and the adorable police officer hot on his trail.

The film is so well done in so many ways. We talked so much in the beginning of the course about the protagonists in films and this movie is an excellent example of a prototypical protagonist. The films camera work is also excellent as it beautifully captures the brutal winter in Minnesota. Also the acting in the film is extraordinary and really makes you believe you are watching a true story unfold right before your very eyes.All these elements of the film and great storyline make this a more than worthy candidate to be in the lineup of films.

One of my biggest points in why this film should be included in the lineup is the great use aerial shots used throughout the film. One point I think the director really tried to emphasize in recreating this true story, is that it was shot in the harsh winter of Minnesota which it made It all the more difficult for the mystery to be solved. The camera work and aerial shots captures all this beautifully. As filmsite movie review states “The film opens with a memorable white-out, blinding blizzard in the 'dead' of winter, causing the screen to be drenched in the white of the vast, snow-covered landscape without recognizable landmarks.” (filmsite.org).

What makes this camera work so special is that the great aerial shots are evident throughout the film and not just in one particular scene. The director goes to great lengths to continuously provide these breath taking shots of Minnesota in the winter which really makes the film more intriguing and believable from a story telling aspect.Also the director does a great job of illustrating how the setting of this brutal winter dictates how the characters behave and grow frustrated. Fargo separates itself in my opinion by showing just how much you can do in a movie through the setting and camera work.

Fargo does a great job of creating the role of the protagonist. This film in my opinion, provides one of the best examples of what a true protagonist is. As mentioned earlier Jerry is the protagonist in the film and he is the one pulling all the strings. The film does a remarkable job of showing how he orchestrates every action in the film. Everything that happens is directly correlated to what Jerry chooses to do. Fargo does a great job in letting the story unfolded through the actions of Jerry Lundeegard which captures a perfect picture of the antagonist.

Another major lesson we covered was the era of Film Noir. In my opinion Fargo captures, the elements of Film Noir all throughout the film. As Molly Rose fromsteedproductions.com states “Fargo more closely resembles a traditional film noir.Throughout the film, Deakins’s lighting scheme relies predominantly either on daylight or on extra-bright bulbs placed in onscreen lamps, occasionally supplemented by hidden lights.This technique is extremely practical when shooting on location in real buildings and gives the film a muted, realistic look that complements its long takes and bleak snow.” (Rose,2017).

Film Noir is shown in a controversial way in my opinion. The setting of the snow is so bright in the film and due to the films lighting that it kind of blinds you to other things in the film. The lighting in the film is not only to make the camera work extraordinary but helps create dramatic scenes throughout the film. The lighting plays a double purpose in my opinion. It creates a sort of dark film noir feeling in the film where you are blinded to some things but helps create the dramatic and thrilling murder mystery and brings the murder and actions scenes to life, and his brilliantly done and executed through the film.

In conclusion this was an excellent film. There are so many film elements that go into this film. The characters are played brilliantly and really make you believe that you are watching a real murder story unfold with real people from Minnesota, from the accents to how the characters in the film perform in the winter setting like they really do live there and are used to the harsh winters that the movie is shot in. That alone would make this a great choice for the lineup of movies but there are many more. For any viewer of this film there are so many things you can learn.

This film has it all, with a great protagonist, a look into film noir, and the way the movie is shot with aerial shots, deep focus shots, long takes, lighting and dialogue. This movie shows how to use these effective tools and how they can make a great movie and be a difference maker. We talk a lot about great directors, this movie being shot by the Coen brothers is a perfect example of excellent work from directors. The Coen brothers are very well respected in the film industry and any movie directed by them will provide a great look at film elements. Peter Suderman of the Vox.com states that “Instead, it’s best to think of Coen brothers’ movies as existing in their own unique genre, a separate movie world with its own rules and sensibility that exists independently of mainstream Hollywood”. (Suderman 2016).

Any movie in the lineup that has the Coen brothers stamp on it will introduce its own genre all while providing aspects of a lot of different genres and great film techniques, especially Fargo.This film would be perfect for the lineup, and there is a lot you can learn from it as a movie watcher which is what makes it an exceptional film.

Works Cited:

1. Suderman, Peter. “What Makes the Coen Brothers' Movies so Great - and Hard to Classify.” Vox, Vox, 10 Feb. 2016, www.vox.com/2016/2/10/10953068/coen-brothers-movies-hail-caesar.
2. “Fargo (1996).” Most Influential, Significant and Important Films in American Cinema - The 1960s, www.filmsite.org/fargo.html.