A SERIOUS MAN
US, 2009, 105 minutes, Colour.
Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, Aaron Wolff, Jessica Mc Manus, David Kang.
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Some films can be very Catholic: signs of the cross, genuflections in church, statues, altar rails, candles, masses, communions and confessions. But, does everybody realise what these significant actions and symbols mean and does this confuse an audience or turn them off? Audiences with some Catholic background know or, at least, have a feel for what is going on. But, Catholics faced with Buddhist temples and statuary, bell ringing, prayer, shrines and rituals in a monastery, may take everything on faith and simply observe without really appreciating much of what is happening on the screen. And Hindu statues? Islamic mosques and quotations from the Quran?
These remarks are necessary before any review of the Coen Brothers latest film, A Serious Man. This is a very serious Jewish comedy. It is set in Minnesota in 1967. The Coens say that it reflects the atmosphere, characters and religious language and observance that they grew up with. I would like to think that I have some familiarity with matters and religion Jewish, but this film made me feel a real outsider looking in. Not without a great deal of interest – but I was glad of the glossary the production notes provided (which I read only after the screening). Since it is an intriguing film in its own way, perhaps I should go again. (I just checked and I can see it next Tuesday afternoon – perhaps I will put a footnote to this review.)
This is a Coen Brothers' version of Jewish folk-storytelling. They even open the film with a shtetl (Eastern European village) tale of a husband and wife (spoken in Yiddish with English subtitles) and a discussion about seeing a friend – who died three years earlier. He appears at the door, a dybbuk (spirit). As a story it has nothing to do with the rest of the film in 1967. It is a storytelling appetiser. The whole film (which includes some stories like this opening one) unrolls in this vein – the film even ending in mid-exclamation mark!
One thing became clear very early on. This is a contemporary telling of the book of Job – although it lacks chapter 42 with its two resolutions (the affirmation of faith in an omnipotent Hashem (the Name, God) and Job being rewarded abundantly for his fidelity). As a tornado looms at the end of the film, maybe Hashem will speak, as he does in the biblical book, out of the storm. Unless the Coens make a sequel or offer some observation on their commentary for the DVD, we will never know.
So, who is the serious man? He is Larry Gopnik, a physics professor (with a love of mathematics, equations and the exploration of the Uncertainty Principle) who loves his subject as well as math equations and is being considered for tenure at his college. So far, so good. He has a wife and two children – but she is dissatisfied and is falling in love with a neighbouring widower and the daughter is always washing her hair and stealing her father's money for a nose job while the son is ultra-demanding of his father to adjust the TV antenna so that he can see F Troop clearly (he is also going to Jewish school and preparing for his Bar Mitzvah). As played by Michael Stuhlbarg, Larry is an ordinary Everyman/Job character, ever more put upon by family, friends, a student who offers a bribe, his older unemployed brother (Richard Kind) with a suppurating cebacious cyst, a provocative, sexy neighbour, and a car accident, and huge bills, and having to move out to a motel and... and... and...
The chapters of the film are headed by the names of the rabbis that Larry tries to see to get advice from (in between seeing divorce lawyers, property lawyers, criminal lawyers and his son's Bar Mitzvah and an unexpected funeral as well as some very vivid nightmares). George Wyner steals his scenes as the second rabbi with his Jewish stories and his excellent time, especially the story about a dentist who finds a message in Hebrew on the back of a goy's (gentile's) teeth.
This, I hope, gives some impression of how the film works. You will either be fascinated, as an insider or as an outsider by this unfamiliar Jewish American world, mazel tov (congratulations), or you will feel you have strayed into a strange community and have the urge to stray out again or make a beeline for the exit.
Addendum to the review.
Tuesday came and I did go to see A Serious Man again. It was just as well I did. Because the plot and characters were now familiar enough, there were no real concerns about the plot. It was a pleasure looking at and listening to the characters again. Despite the sudden ending, the plot made sense. And, the details and subtleties of performance, the nuances that the Coens are able to introduce into the action could be appreciated better. However, the Job parallel seemed even stronger the second time, the woes that Larry Gobnik experienced as well as the advice from the three Rabbis and Larry's friend at the beach. And the explicit God language in the stories and advice from the rabbis resonated more forcefully. Which led to the conclusion that the Coen Brothers have made a very fine film, both heartfelt and caustic, drawing well on their Jewish heritage and culture.
1.The work of the Coen brothers, comic, offbeat, dark? American? Jewish? Personal stories?
2.The autobiographical background of the film, the Coen brothers in Minnesota, family, society, community, Judaism, religion, theology?
3.The title, a serious man as a mensch? A righteous man? Sy calling himself a serious man? The Jewish tradition, the biblical tradition? Larry and his wanting to be a serious man?
4.The prologue, the story, the setting of the stetl? The 19th century, Poland? The husband and wife, appearance, house, clothes? Their life, the husband arriving, saying that he had met his friend? The wife explaining he had died three years earlier? Suggesting he was a dybbuk? The argument, the puzzle, the arrival of the dybbuk, the wife stabbing him, the evil spirit? Was he a dybbuk or not? The Jewish storytelling, the tone, the moral – and the influence on the rest of the film?
5.Jewish storytelling, tales, fables, anecdotes? An ending or not?
6.Minneapolis 1967, suburbia, the streets and homes, quiet, the lawns, ordinary? The weather? The college, offices and classrooms? Doctors and dentists? Restaurants? The golf course, the lake?
7.The Jewish settings, the rabbinic school, the synagogue, funerals, the bar mitzvah celebration, the cemetery?
8.The musical score, traditional Jewish songs, Jefferson Airplane and the 1960s? The background score?
9.The portrait of Larry, his age, good husband, father, teacher, professor, his love for physics, love for mathematics, equations (and the blackboard filled with them)? The issue of tenure and his hoping to get it? At the doctor, the x-rays? The student, the discussion, the offering of the bribe for a better mark, the possibility of suing for defamation – and the father later accosting Larry outside his house, the issue of the bribe? Seeing the student on his bike in the town? The car crash? Larry at home, a nice ordinary home, the casual approach of his children, wanting the antenna fixed, discipline issues at school, the son being bullied, the daughter and her washing her hair, stealing the money for the nose job? Arthur, unemployable, forever in the bathroom, draining his cyst? The meal, his wife and her announcement of her relationship with Sy? On the roof, the antenna, seeing his neighbour sunbaking? His visit to her? In his dreams? The other neighbour, playing ball with his son, coming back from fishing? The racist attitude towards the Korean father? His presence in the dreams – shooting Arthur, racist? The effect of the crises on Larry?
10.The background of the Book of Job, the trials of Job, the introductory quote and accepting what is offered in life with equanimity? Larry and his feelings, hurt? The importance of going to the rabbis, the discussions with them? Rabbi Scott and Hashem, the image of the carpark? Rabbi Nachter and his story about the dentist and the Hebrew letters on the teeth? His friend at the beach and her advice? God and communication? The issues of God, suffering, God and testing? The nature of happiness? The parallel of the rabbis with Job’s comforters? The ending, his getting tenure, the phone call from the doctor about the x-rays, the oncoming tornado and his son? The linking of these themes with the Uncertainty Principle, in Larry's lectures, in the complexities of his life?
11.Larry and his friends, their advice, the lawyer and his listening attentively to Larry, the rabbis and the encounters, the friend at the beach, the lady next door, the other professor and the discussions about tenure and Sy’s letter-writing? Job’s comforters?
12.Judith, her relationship with Larry, at home, her reaction to Larry, telling him the news about Sy? Sy and his visit, bringing the gift of the wine, hugging Larry? Their meeting at the café, the discussions, manipulating Larry to move out? Arthur moving with him? Their rationale? For the sake of the children? Sy and his impatience, going to the golf club, the accident – not seen on-screen? Simultaneously with Larry’s accident? The funeral? Rabbi Nachter and his praise of Sy? Sy appearing in Larry’s dreams, the equation of uncertainty, his bashing Larry against the blackboard? His writing letters against Larry about tenure?
13.Danny, preparation for the bar mitzvah, in school, discipline, his record player, with his friends, the drugs, swearing, the bully chasing him home? Wanting to watch F-Troop? and his father to fix the antenna, phoning him while he was at the lawyers? Phoning him about Sy’s death? His insensitivity during Shiva? The bar mitzvah ceremony? His hesitation with the singing, going to visit Rabbi Mashak, the rabbi quoting Jefferson Airplane? Giving him back the player, the advice?
14.Sarah, her hair, stealing the money, her nose job, at the bar mitzvah?
15.The neighbours, the man and his son, racist? Mowing the lawn, building on the edge of the property? The woman, sunbaking, her hospitality?
16.The lawyers, sympathetic listening, the expenses, the accounts?
17.Arthur, his cyst, his book, the betting, playing cards, the police arriving and questioning? Appearing in Larry’s dream, the argument, taking him to the lake, his being shot? The later apology? His visiting the club, his arrest?
18.A Jewish perspective on Americans in Minnesota? The local comedy? Realism? The wry perspective?
