Film Review: Blood Simple (1984)

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(source: tmdb.org)

Making the trailer before the actual feature film is a trick not that uncommon in today’s cinema, although it is used mainly by the authors of quirky independent comedies with outrageously bizarre plot concepts. Many decades ago, it was used by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen before the actual production of their first film, 1984 crime drama Blood Simple, now known as one of the most critically acclaimed films of its time and the splendid first entry in the Coens’ impressive filmography.

The plot is set in a provincial Texas town and deals with four characters caught in a web of deceit, treachery, and murder. Marty (played by Dan Hedaya) is a relatively well-off bar owner who suspects his wife Abby (played by Frances McDormand) of having an affair with Ray (played by John Getz), one of his employees. Those suspicions are confirmed when shady private investigator Loren Visser (played by M. Emmet Walsh) delivers photos of the two lovers caught in the act. Ray feels deeply hurt and humiliated and, after some time, he hires Visser again; only this time he asks him to murder Marty and Abby. Visser, however, decides to double-cross Marty and steal his money. This action later creates a series of fatal or near-fatal misunderstandings between Ray and Abby, with each lover convinced that the other has committed a serious crime.

Made for $1.5 million, Blood Simple is a low-budget independent crime film very much like those worshipped by critics even before Tarantino made them "cool" for the general audience. Despite meagre financial resources, the Coen Brothers gathered an impressive collection of talent for their feature debut. Cinematography was provided by Barry Sonnenfeld, who would later become a successful director in his own right. Composer Carter Burwell brought minimalistic but effective music. But even more impressive seems to be the small group of very talented actors in the four main roles. Dan Hedaya is great as the sinister-looking, angry, and jealous husband. John Getz is somewhat less formidable but still effective as the generally kind-hearted man who has the misfortune of interpreting circumstances in the worst possible way. However, the most impressive of them all is M. Emmet Walsh as the utterly sleazy, amoral, and violent private detective whose narration and wise-cracking one-liners provide much of the humour in this dark story. Joel Ethan’s wife Frances McDormand, in her feature film debut, is also very good despite playing the simplest character—the only one with whose actions the audience might sympathise.

Despite this collection of great talents, Blood Simple still looks like someone’s feature film debut, and its general impression suffers after comparisons with the Coens’ later triumphs, more notably Fargo, with which it shares some elements of the plot. This is mostly due to a script that is still rough around the edges. The Coen Brothers were primarily interested in a couple of iconic, dark, and very violent scenes around which they built the "noirish" script. The characters are unrefined and archetypal; they only stick in viewers’ memory due to great acting. Tight editing and a relatively short running time make Blood Simple a very effective film that could be recommended even to those viewers who care little about film noir or the most celebrated filmmaking duo in recent history of American cinema.

RATING: 7/10 (++)