BLOOD SIMPLE
US, 1983, 94 minutes, Colour.
John Getz, Frances Mc Dormand, M.Emmett Walsh.
Directed by Joel Coen.
Blood Simple was a small budget and modest film noir of the early '80s, echoing the thriller conventions of previous decades. It was very well received and found its way to film festivals and art houses.
It is the work of the Coen Brothers who had worked as assistants on The Evil Dead. Here, while they work within the limits of small budget, they show that they have an eye for detail, a great cinematic flair, an ability to use conventions with style and an ironic delight in the films of the past to which they pay homage. They are well served by a good cast, especially by M. Emmet Walsh, who has a scenery chewing role as the murderous private investigator. The film is set deep in the heart of Texas and is an excellent example of what creative film makers can do with familiar conventions.
1. The quality of the film, its acclaim? Dramatic impact?
2. Its use of the film noir private eye thriller genre, the conventions of betrayal, detection, violence and cover-up? Audience expectations? The contribution of style and flair?
3. The film as a horror nightmare (and visualising nightmares)? The audience experience of 'what if ... ?’ The trend of the '80s to the violent and gory murder story? The film's use of the '80s styles?
4. The background of the Hollywood film noir, the private eye story, the detective story, the marriage and affair betrayal, murder? The variations on these themes? The film's moral awareness, judgments, exploration of relationships, jealousy, violence and victims? The victimisers? Detection and voyeurism? A satisfying blend of these?
5. The basic situation: Ray and Abby and their affair, the strength of their relationship? The tawdry experience, familiarity from so many films? The consequences? Ray and his work in the saloon, as a type? Abby and her relationship with Marty? The impact of Marty's death on Ray, his assumption that Abby had killed him? The assumption about the gun? The effect on his life? The body, the car-ride, Marty alive, battering him to death, burying him? His nightmares and reality? Maurice and the money, the complexity of the situation, Ray as a fugitive, going to the apartment, meeting Abby, his being shot? Ray as character, type, his life and its meaning, his death?
6. Abby as the unfaithful wife? Her relationship with her husband, with Ray, deceit? The photos? Going to Ray's apartment, Marty's anger, the loss of her gun. her misunderstanding Ray about her guilt, the reconciliation, the escape. the effect of Ray's death, her shooting Visser, what was she left with at the end? The moral stance of the film as it looked at Abby at the end?
7. Marty as the jealous obsessed husband, his erratic behaviour, hiring Visser to photograph Abby and Ray, his work in the saloon, his perennial suspicions, the clashes with Ray, the discussions with Visser about the photos. Visser's lies about the death of the couple, Visser killing him, his sitting in the saloon, the fish? Ray taking the body, his not being dead. his being battered and buried? His presence in the nightmare the reasons for his haunting Ray? Marty as a type. symbol?
8. The portrait of Visser: the seedy private eye, greedy, his drawling and insinuating manner, the voyeur, taking the photos, his agreement to kill the couple, touching up the photos and lying? His hold over Marty? Killing him with Abby's gun? The pursuit of Abby and Ray? His cigarette lighter, his laughter, slob? His shooting of Rag? His coming to kill Abby, his hand being pierced, his punching the hole through the wall to release himself, his death? An ugly character? Audience antipathy towards him?
9. Maurice and his role at the saloon, giving information to Ray, clarifying the issues about the missing money, robbery and murder?
10. The atmosphere of the saloon, the types, the visitors, sleazy? The motels and apartments? Authentic?
11. The style of the film and its stylisation of its characters and situations? The use of photos, touched-up photos, sound effects? The saloon and Marty sitting dead, the fish? The dark road at night, the centre lines? Driving? The hazards of driving fearfully? The open field, light and dark and the burial? Ray's nightmare? The shooting of Ray through the window and the turning off of the lights? Visser transfixed? The joke about the dead-end road, the burning of the garbage? The attention to creative detail?
12. How satisfying was the web of plot, the unearthing of the truth, the playing with evidence, people being alive and dead, the consequences of crime?
13. The film as a piece of Americana ? Texas and the U.S.A., a microcosm? The irony of the voiceover about the situation and characters, a world view and its validity?
