What Are The Similarities Between Fargo And No Country For Old Men

Like many directors, The Coen Brothers have certain thematic and stylistic preferences that define their work. Fargo and No Country for Old Men are similar thematically. Both films comment on the nature of evil in humans by depicting the deplorable influence greed can have on the individual and society as well as question the meanings of good and evil. They differ in their styles, which the Coen Brothers employ to enhance each narrative in a unique way.

Thematically, both Fargo and No Country For Old Men are comparable to Greek tragedies. According to Gilmore, “As in ancient Greek tragedy, a good but flawed man will become enmeshed in events that will prove to be his ruin. It will be what is good in him as much as what is flawed that will

The Coen Brothers develop Fargo and No Country for Old Men using this paradigm to explore the subjectivity of good and evil. In Fargo, Jerry Lundergaard (William Macy) is arguably good; his motivations are to help his family. All of his actions are dictated by his quest to make money to provide for them. Jerry can be understood as good, but flawed. The way he goes about providing for his family is morally questionable, such as having his wife kidnapped. Jerry has a job and a home but that is not enough for him. He is flawed by greed, which leads him on a search for more money. The greed becomes more intense as his stakes get higher and ultimately it is his greed that leads to the ruin of his family. The goodness within Jerry developed into greed, which led to his demise. No Country for Old Men is similar in this regard. Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is also arguably good. During a hunting trip, probably to provide for him and his wife, Llewelyn discovers a large sum of money as well as a dying man among many dead bodies. Llewelyn takes the money but return to the scene of the

The Coen Brothers explore this in both Fargo and No Country for Old Men to demonstrate the theme of greed being the nature of evil in humans. One way The Coen Brothers utilize this subjectivity is through characterization. Both films use police in an attempt to symbolize ‘objective good’ and the criminals for ‘objective bad.’ Using police to represent ‘good’ and the criminals for ‘bad’ enhances the subjectivity of the two terms when considering actions of Jerry in Fargo and Llewelyn in No Country for Old Men.

Both films feature cops who are inexperienced in the violent crimes they encounter and their ‘goodness’ is demonstrated as they deal with the crimes (Gilmore, 59). Each cop tries to understand what has happened through their own understanding of ‘good’. The two films differ in their resolutions, which is exemplified by the police in their concluding actions. In Fargo, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) after solving the crime questions the last remaining criminal, Gaear (Peter Stormare) attempting to understand his