There are plenty of films that have been adapted into TV series that have come and gone over the years. As time goes on, it seems that Hollywood execs think that repackaging existing IPs are the only way to keep our attention. One of those series has managed to break the mold: Fargo.
It has managed not only to carve out its own place in the movie's world but pay homage to the original film in many ways. Let's look at a few ways that it's better than the original film and a few ways that the film still holds its own.
The Movie: Shock Factors
When Fargo was first released, few people, if anyone besides the Coen brothers, knew what to expect from the film. It was difficult to make anything out of the original trailer which ends with a joke about circumcision. Even people with a good understanding of the Coen brothers' first film couldn't have possibly predicted all the twists and turns the film would take. In a day and age before the internet, it was a lot harder to have a film spoiled unless you actually talked to someone who had seen the film.
The TV Series: Thematic Expansion
While the film has plenty of ideas to chew on, as a TV series Fargo is not only able to explore the ideas of the film but add more layers to those ideas. You might say the movie Fargo was a darker re-envisioning of the Coen's earlier work, Raising Arizona. Not only does Fargo as a TV series draw upon the themes of the original film, but it looks at the entire Coen brothers' canon of films, referencing them not only as Easter eggs but as ideas to be examined as well. There is plenty to be gleaned from the original film, but there is even more to be mined from the TV series.
The Movie: Inspirational Imagery
Simply put, Fargo the TV series wouldn't exist without the film. Though more than 20 years have passed, the film remains an iconic piece of art from the 90s. It's hard for some people to divorce the image of a cossack from the one that Marge Gunderson donned as she went on the search for a missing state trooper.
The blood-stained snow and frozen landscape are both things that the series continues to draw upon throughout all three seasons. Without the film Fargo as an anchor, Fargo the TV series would probably have flopped.
The TV Series: The Music
Carter Burwell has composed the score of almost all of the Coen brothers' films, and his score for Fargo is memorable. With the TV series, more interesting things were done in particular with the most recent season. One of the episodes begins with the first few minutes from the opera "Peter And The Wolf" and uses the music to guide us through each character. TV scores are often overlooked and forgotten, but Fargo takes the time to deliver a score that extends beyond the opening theme and bleeds into every episode.
The Movie: Running Time
There is no perfect running time for a film. Some movies accomplish exactly what they need to in 70 minutes, and others still haven't figured out what they're supposed to be doing after 120 minutes. It can be difficult to recommend Fargo the TV series given that it now stands at a total of 30 hours of TV. Even if you only want to check out one season given that each is their own story, you're looking at a solid 10 hours of watching. The Coen brothers didn't squander a single minute of their classic film and it clocks in at just 98 minutes. In this day and age of binge-watching, a 10-hour time commitment isn't insane, but you're more likely to get your friends to check out the film.
The TV Series: The Finales
After putting the audience through the wringer, it only made sense that the Coen brothers would end Fargo with just a calm, quiet evening between the main detective, Marge Gunderson, and her husband as they lay in bed to enjoy some TV.
The TV series does not let audiences off so easy. Each season has left its police detectives not only shocked and surprised by what they've discovered, but having to pick up the pieces of their lives as well. This past season's ending was perhaps the most bold, ending with a Sopranos-esque final shot, leaving us to decide where things finally land. It's not a move that works for everyone, but it's certainly bolder than the original ending of their film.
The Movie: Frances McDormand
People may have been aware of Frances McDormand prior to Fargo, but this was the movie that made audiences fall in love with her. McDormand even garnered her first Oscar for her performance. Sure, the TV series has definitely not been without great cast ensembles in every season. However, despite the best efforts of Allison Tollman and Carrie Coon placed in similar shoes as McDormand, they have not risen to the same level of acclaim. McDormand is the beating heart of Fargo in the midst of all the blood and chaos, and no other detective on the show has made quite the same impression.
The TV Series: Ten Episodes
This was the big gamble for the TV series in the beginning. How on earth could a new set of filmmakers take what some would consider a perfect movie and make it into a 10-episode anthology series? The first season was a little bumpy, but it eventually proved it could stand on its own without the Coen brothers' original film looming too close. It upended the formula of the film and brought in other characters that audiences would come to root for. We got all the same concepts we loved about the film and got to come back week after week for more. It's enough to keep us coming back, but not too much that we just move on.
The Movie: The Coen Brothers
Of all the dynamic duos in Hollywood currently working today, the Coen brothers are at the top. None of their movies have gone on to dominate the box office, but they have never treated audiences like machines to deliver formulaic scripts to either.
From neo-Westerns to stoner comedies, the Coen brothers have made us come to expect the unexpected with their films, Fargo being no exception. In an era of reboots, sequels, and comic book movies, the Coen brothers still know how to turn our heads and pique our attention, and we hope they're not done yet.
The TV Series: Noah Hawley
Some might still consider Noah Hawley to be a novice showrunner. One thing that they cannot accuse him of is being willing to take big risks. Hawley could have moved on to other projects after Fargo's first outing, but he has come back each season with a new idea and direction for another story within the anthology. Hawley has also gone on to adapt a comic book character in the form of Legion and made it unlike any other superhero TV show on the air. Hawley may not be to everyone's liking, but he's definitely a filmmaker to keep an eye out for.