Joel and Ethan Coen have become some of the most acclaimed and popular American filmmakers working today. Their versatile career has produced some of the most beloved modern films and won them huge awards as well as praise from critics. But their amazing career all started with their stunning debut film, Blood Simple.
The movie tells the story of a seedy bar owner (Dan Hedaya) who hires an eccentric private detective (M. Emmet Walsh) to kill his wife (Frances McDormand) and her lover (John Getz). The film is not only a brilliant debut from the filmmakers but also a stunning entry into the noir genre. Here are some of the ways Blood Simple is a noir masterpiece.
Opening Voiceover
The Coens use voiceover in many of their films such as The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men. The technique can feel forced if in the hands of the wrong filmmaker, but the Coens seem to have perfected using it to set the tone and tease just enough for the audience to be hooked.
The opening narration of Blood Simple is an early indication of this talent as we get a brief but memorable voiceover from Loren Visser (Walsh). He talks about "complainers" as we see shots of the barren Texas landscape before ending with the perfect opening line, " But what I know about is Texas, and down here... you're on your own".
The Performances
The tone and dialogue in the Coen Brothers' movies are very precise yet somehow they always seem to find the perfect actors to handle those tonal shifts and deliver that dialogue in an ideal way. That talent was even present in their first film as Blood Simple is filled with excellent performance.
Frances McDormand, who would go on to marry Joel Coen and star in several of the Coens' films, is honest and compelling in the lead role. Getz makes for a strong and silent male lead. Hedaya is perfectly creepy and pathetic as the sleazy husband. But Walsh steals the show as Visser, one of the Coens' best characters to date.
The Affair
As with many noir films, sex plays a role in the story of Blood Simple. While it is this affair between McDormand and Getz that kicks off the entire story, the film explores it in a more interesting way than is usually seen in the genre.
The opening scene builds a sexy and flirtatious tension between the two characters as they dance around the fact that they want to be together. There is a voyeuristic quality to the love scenes, hinting at the threat to them. There is also an interesting aspect of the two lovers struggling with their growing feelings for each other while the distrust grows as well.
Humor
It is very hard for a movie to balance brutal violence with laughs, but the Coens have shown themselves to be masters of this trick time and time again. While Blood Simple is not as outright funny as some of their other black comedies like Fargo, the humor is a pleasant surprise when it does pop up.
A lot of the laughs come from Visser who seems like such a big character to be in this quiet and intense story. The Coens also seem to find it funny to throw unexpected moments in scenes of tension. We laugh partially because we didn't see it coming.
The Violence
The Coens have never shied away from violence in their films though it never does seem gratuitous. In Blood Simple, the violence is perhaps the most grounded as it has been in any of their films which is perhaps why it is so effective.
When the film was released, it was noted for its violence. However, one might be surprised by that fact as the first half of the film is bloodless. When the killing does come, it's so matter-of-fact and unceremonious that it sticks with you longer.
The Misunderstandings
Many of the Coens films deal with the idea of consequences and the idea that mild-mannered people are sucked into dangerous situations and find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into trouble. A lot of the trouble in Blood Simple comes from simple misunderstandings.
This can be a risky thing to prop your story up on as the audience might become frustrated with the characters failing to realize what is really going on. However, the Coens manage to keep the tension high and plausible as the things that go unsaid spiral out of control.
The Silence
The Coens have extremely effective at building suspense in their films, most notably with their Oscar-winning masterpiece No Country for Old Men. However, years before that film, they used similar techniques to keep the audience on the edge of their seats in Blood Simple.
Most of the film's most sweat-inducing sequences are almost completely devoid of music or dialogue. You are left there with just the sounds that are building to something unknown. It makes the tension exciting and almost unbearable.
The Villain
The Coens have created some truly memorable villains throughout their filmography, but Loren Visser in this film is probably their most underrated. The archetype of the character, the sadistic hired gun, has been seen in countless noir films, but the Coens and Walsh present him in a totally unexpected way.
While such a character is usually a hardened man of few words, Visser doesn't seem to know when to stop talking. He is first seen as a bit of a goofball with a silly laugh and a light sense of humor. That makes his violence all the more shocking.
The Ending
Once Visser's true deadly nature shows itself, it builds to a thrilling climax. Looking to tie off any loose ends, Visser goes after McDormand and Getz's characters in a terrifying final showdown.
Visser really feels like he becomes a slasher movie villain the way he stalks his prey, but the movie plays with expectations once again with McDormand having some great unexpected moments. And once again, the Coens still manage to fit some strange humor amid all the scares.
The Highway Scene
If there is one sequence from the film that cemented the Coens as brilliant new filmmakers to watch for, it would certainly have to be the extended highway sequence. After finding Hedaya's character shot and suspecting his love is responsible, Getz brings his body out into the remote highway to bury him.
The sequence is a masterclass in building tension. Again, without any dialogue, the scene communicates so much. Small things like approaching headlights fill us with fear and there are shocking twists that make it all the more memorable.