Fargo- a review

Director: Joel Coen
Year: 1996
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

The costumes play a part in establishing characters. This is especially true of Jerry Lundegaard who is portrayed as dull. This is evident in his choice of clothing. They are alawys beige or brown. His office also reflects his personality. It's bare and organised. There are trophies in one corner which could give the idea that he's achieved something. The problem is that he's achieved something in golf; which is really boring.

The use of setting is also akey factor in the use of mise en scene in 'Fargo'. The film's set in a flat area covered in snow. This flatnesscan therefore portray a sense of barreness and isolation. The snow could symbolise errieness and coldness.

The establishment of charcaters is also important in the use of mise en scene. Jerry Lundegaard is portrayed as bland (his clothes) and passive. He also seems to hide his anger and gives tell-tell signs that he's uncomfortable (his fidgets with his face). The two henchmen contrast greatly. While one sits quietly, showing no facial expressions at all and only cracks right at the end, the other one gets angry easily, swearing all the time. All the characters are, however, the same in one way; their accent.

I personally didn't like 'Fargo' as i don't like thriller films. The killings didn't seem as much of a surprise as I thought they were going to be because they happened all the time. I also thought that the storyline was boring and lacked any sort of momentum. The thing I have learn from 'Fargo' about film-making is that you don't always have need non-diegetic noises to create tension. There is an example of this at the end of the film when the police officer sees one of the henchmen puttintg the other one through the wood-chipper. Coen creates the tension via diegetic (the woodchipper) and not by diegetic noises (background music).