Blood Simple (Director's Cut)

Rating:
Summary: The beginnings of a wonderful thing.
Review: Joel and Ethan Coen are, in my opinion, the finest American filmmakers of the past 20 years. Each of their films presents more memorable characters, more vivid scenes, more sparkling dialogue and more engaging plot than the total output of any of their contemporaries. "Blood Simple," however, was their freshman effort, and while it's well above the run-of-the-mill, there is a quantum leap between this and the Coens' next ("Raising Arizona"), or any of their subsequent films--thus, only 3 stars.

The template plot for many future Coen brothers projects is here as well--a scheme goes wrong, then worse, then even worse, and no one except the viewer quite knows exactly what is happening. This is one point that always works in the Coens' favor, at least for me: they don't hold any crucial information back; no "twist" endings, no secrets or sudden revelations. The characters aren't quite as well-drawn or memorable as in other Coen films, and it is fairly easy to forget for long periods of time that much of the film is actually comedy. The low budget shows occasionally, especially in the absence of many people from most scenes (one wonders, especially in the climactic scene, if anyone is ever capable of calling the police, or hearing a gunshot or two). The disease of director's intrusiveness afflicts the camera now and then (particularly in a tracking shot across a bar, where the camera hops over a drunken customer).

There are still any number of moments where the essential brilliance of the Coens' shines through: a dawn scene where a character drives off from the burial of his victim, leaving a bright, fresh set of tire tracks to lead the curious to the grave; atmospheric shots of an incinerator, or of a couple talking in the front seats of a car on the highway, the final scene in all its black humor. This is, in the end, a film worth watching. As part of the Coens' oevre, it is a film worth owning.

The DVD extras are short--some information about castmembers, a few anecdotes (in text only) from the Coens about the filming. The most interesting, or most bizarre, addition has to be the "commentary" by Kenneth Loring, which has to be heard to be fully appreciated, given that it puts a completely different spin on the film. Second place in the most bizarre category is the new "introduction" to the film, which has to represent some sort of in-joke that I just didn't get. Regardless, you could do a lot worse than this movie, although just about any other Coen feature is better.

Rating:
Summary: But not the Commentary
Review: Yes, this is a great film. Very off-beat, both visually and story-wise. However, I found the 'tonge in cheek' commentary to be STUPID. I guess I missed something. Maybe if you know it is tonge-in-cheek and only listen to the first few minutes of it, then it is ok. I was looking for insite into the making of the film, the dialog, how scenes were shot, who was up for the different parts, etc. You know, the usual commentary. Oh, well. Other than that, I enjoyed the film and have added it to my Coen Brother's library!

Rating:
Summary: For the true noir of heart!
Review: For all those film noir fans out there this movie is a true revelation. The first independent work by the Cohen brothers that established the long (and skewed) reputation as one of the new breed that DIDN'T come out of the hollywood PR machine. Combining occasional moments of black humor with those things that make all of us wake up suddenly in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, this film will dazzle you by it's understated but persistent style.

Rating:
Summary: A missed opportunity for commentary but a great film
Review: Do you need to own this dvd? Here are some points against it:

- The commentary is a joke. It's done by the same fictional film restoration group as provides the bogus introduction to this restored version of the film, and it's funny for about two minutes. After that, you start to think how much a better value this dvd would be, if it had an unironic commentary track.
- The sound levels are off. This may be symptomatic of the original film recording, but I found that I had to crank up the volume to hear the dialogue, and then turn it down again whenever gunshots rattled the crystal in our apartment.
- The film itself drags in some scenes.
- A song has been substituted, as mentioned by other reviewers, though if this is a detriment or an improvement will depend on the viewer. I prefer Neil Diamond, myself.

And the points in its favor:

- The colors are vivid and the picture sharp: an excellent transfer.
- The film as a whole is superb. There are many scenes that strike me as revolutionary, given that the movie premiered in 1984. I have no doubt Tarantino was heavily influenced by Blood Simple.
- It's an important film just for being the first of the Coen brothers, and what dvd collector can resist owning a movie that is a milestone, as well as enormously entertaining?

The recommendation:
Strong buy

Rating:
Summary: Directors' Cut Disappoints - NOT
Review: In regard to reviewer Jack M. Walter, who said:

"...the Directors' Cut turns what was a tightly wound, gritty story into something that meanders a bit and loses its punch as a result. I give the original version 5 stars, but the DVD is a great letdown. With movies like Blood Simple, less is more. What a big mistake to tamper with this masterpiece."

You must be remembering the orignal version incorrectly. I quote from Roger Ebert's review, which clearly makes what you say impossible:

"How exactly is this a "director's cut?" It runs 97 minutes. The original film had the same running time. The term "director's cut" often means the director has at last been able to restore scenes that the studio or the MPAA made him take out. The Coens have kept all the original scenes in "Blood Simple," and performed a little nip and tuck operation, tightening shots of dialogue they think outstayed their usefulness. It is a subtle operation; you will not notice much different from the earlier cut. The two running times are the same, I deduce, because the brothers have added a tongue-in-cheek preface in which a film restoration expert introduces the new version and claims that it takes advantage of technological breakthroughs made possible since the original came out in 1985."

Rating:
Summary: "I'm A Believer" is replaced by "Same Old Song"! Beware!
Review: I'm a huge fan of the Coen brothers, and obviously of this film. It's a must-have DVD, no doubt. However, I recently got it and discovered that the Neil Diamond version of "I'm A Believer" has been replaced by The Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song" on this DVD. It's pretty disappointing because the use of "I'm A Believer" was simply perfect for the film. We can only speculate it's due to [some] issues. If you haven't seen the film with the original song, I highly suggest trying to find a VHS copy of it which will most likely have it.

Rating:
Summary: Passes the Test of Time
Review: Hubby and I loved this film when it first debuted a few decades ago. From that we became avid Coen Brothers fans and made a point of seeing their films. In those days, you only saw those films at your local Art House. I'm glad to say that this first film holds up extremely well. We just saw it again on DVD and enjoyed it every bit as much, even though we remembered the plot twists. It was also entertaining to see actors who were total nobodies in this film and know they are now recognizable to the average film goer, chief among these being the female lead, Frances McDormand. I also saw Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh for the first time in this film. They are not leading men but the strong supporting character roles they played in the ensuing years all add up to an impressive record. Both can and do play total creeps magnificently! This is a film noir involving the murder of one character. From that murder flows an incomprehensible amount of stupid moves which fit the phrase "blood simple." That refers to the stupid moves made by murderers after the crime and was what interested the Coen Brothers. The Coen Brothers put their own unique stamp on film noir with this film and their offbeat sense of humor with grisly events started here. Dan Hedaya does a crabbed crawl on the desert floor that I assure you is unforgettable.

Rating:
Summary: The One That Put the Coen Brothers On the Map
Review: The "noir" genre was alive and well in 1984, thanks to a couple of young, independent filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen, who made an auspicious debut that year with their stylistic thriller, "Blood Simple," written by the Coen Brothers, produced by Ethan and directed by Joel. And with this film, team Coen establishes their parameters for successfully conveying their often unique perspectives on life and the world in which we live, including casting the future Mrs. Joel Coen, Frances McDormand, as their leading lady; parameters in which the value of the constants are continually changing, offering variables on characters and story that makes each new outing by the Coens fresh, while creating the expectation of the unexpected.

Ray (John Getz) is a bartender in a small town in Texas; the owner of the place, Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) is a successful businessman, but not so successful when it comes to character. He's a miscreant who, though able to give his wife, Abby (McDormand), a nice house and all the material benefits, is just too much of a creep to make any of it worthwhile. And so Abby is leaving him. On the night of her departure, Ray offers to drive her. Why? Because he's always liked her.

Hurricanes are born from gentle winds; winds that under normal circumstances are no more than gentle breezes, blowing over the land, rustling the leaves in the trees and passing on. But given the right climate, conditions and currents, those same winds become deadly. And so it is that from a gentle, innocuous situation, a storm develops. In Ray's case, because "he always liked her," it's a storm that's about to sweep him away to a place in his soul that's every bit as desolate as that empty stretch of Texas road upon which he embarks with Abby on a night of dark rain, the likes of which he has never known before, and will never know again.

A stretch of dark, desolate, empty road; a metaphor the Coens first used in this film, and will use again-- and always effectively-- in films like "Fargo" (lonely, snow covered and cold) and "O Brother Where Art Thou?" (southern heat, empty, infinite). And in retrospect, how apropos that their first film opens with a shot of that very same road; dark, rainy, a dead, unfortunate animal lying to one side of the straight white line, broken and illuminated by the headlights of a car. Welcome to the world of the Brothers Coen.

Their success here, as well as in the films that follow, begins with their deep grasp and understanding of basic human nature. That, as well as their innate ability to "think out of the box" and lend fresh perspectives to even the most mundane elements of everyday life. In this film, as they would do later in "The Man Who Wasn't There," the Coens take what on the surface appears to be a simple, straightforward situation, and proceed to weave a complex, intricate tapestry of events and emotions that cast a hypnotic spell over their audience. And they do it, not by manipulating, but by taking that road less traveled. In real life, it is common to extrapolate-- to consider an upcoming event and follow it through in the mind to a probable conclusion; and when it happens, the results rarely coincide with what had been projected, or if they do, the way in which those results are attained is more often than not quite different than expected. The Coens understand this, and moreover-- and most importantly-- are able to convey it so succinctly and subtly to their audience, often with a startling, even jaw-dropping effect. Cinematically, the Coens have the gift of magic; and they use it wisely.

The performances are solid from one and all, though with one exception none tend to stand out as worthy of any special acclaim. As Ray, Getz convincingly achieves that "average guy" countenance that gives a real edge to the impact of the extraordinary situation in which he finds himself, as well as to the bizarre events as they gradually unfold and into which he is subsequently induced to participate. McDormand also brings that same believability to Abby, establishing her character's state of mind and convincingly conveying her ignorance as to the true nature and extent of the events she has unwittingly provoked. And Dan Hedaya is effectively contemptible as Marty.

The performance that really gives the film it's flavor, however, is turned in by M. Emmet Walsh, as Private Investigator Loren Visser. Walsh, who for many years and in a countless number of films has been one of the best of those unsung heroes of the silver screen, the "character actor," creates a character in whom he utterly captures the dark and smarmy side of the human condition. Instead of offering a one-dimensional character, Walsh presents a complex individual predisposed to the foul side of life, who is able to overcome any spark of conscience, and do it without remorse. Walsh shows us a man with an almost amoral disdain for "goodness," who embraces the vile as the seemingly natural way of things. And he does it with detail and nuance, from the almost imperceptible squint/blink he affects, to a laugh that rivals Richard Widmark's in "Kiss of Death." It's a laugh that says nothing can touch him; leveled at the world and everyone in it, but most especially, at himself. It's a memorable performance, arguably one of his best, and it should have earned him an Oscar nomination.

The supporting cast includes Samm-Art Williams (Meurice), Deborah Neumann (Debra), Raquel Gavia (Landlady) and Holly Hunter (uncredited as Helene). A veritable harbinger of things to come, "Blood Simple" is the one that put the Coen Brothers on the map; an engrossing drama fraught with insights and indications as to the myriad twists and turns of life and where it all can lead, this one is magic-- the magic of the movies.

Rating:
Summary: Directors' Cut Disappoints
Review: I couldn't wait to see this, one of my favorite movies, on DVD, but the Directors' Cut turns what was a tightly wound, gritty story into something that meanders a bit and loses its punch as a result. I give the original version 5 stars, but the DVD is a great letdown. With movies like Blood Simple, less is more. What a big mistake to tamper with this masterpiece!

Rating:
Summary: Just Skip the Commentary
Review: Yes, of course it's a smart, film lovers' film; beautifully shot (Barry Sonnefeld) and intelligently scored (Carter Burwell - his first hand at movie scoring), and the pacing - and acting - are flawless. But that silly faux DVD commentary accentuates that bit of coldness and distancing from real life that keeps the Coens from accomplishing their potential as not just clever filmmakers but artists. "Blood Simple" is still a superbly crafted and entertaining film and highly recommended.