Rating: 
Summary: Not for the bradysynaptic
Review: Look, I don't mean to be condescending, really I don't, but if you aren't comparatively swift of intellectual foot, don't bother - you won't get it. Not that there isn't a cornucopia of other films, a majority, some would say, that ARE made for you (Bruce, Arnie and Claude all await your arrival at the box office as I type, I'm certain) which will doubtlessly occupy the business end of your VCR for years, perhaps decades, to come; but Barton Fink isn't for you, I'm afraid. The symbolism (fans going in different speeds and directions in the background, the wallpaper peeling as Barton [agonisingly] slowly clues in, the detectives' names in 1941, usw.) aside, the layering of the plot just doesn't lend itself well to the taking cinematic prisoners.Fade in. NYC writer Sells Out west and starts a B wrestling picture set in the east, but finds a Large Man in Tights, aka John Goodman, showing him wrestling moves as Barton finds he can't find anything to write about. John Goodman hears everything, has an ear infection, and Big B can't hear a thing. Hmmm. Be thar thought in them Hollywood Hills, pa? Happily, B realises the tights that Big John actually wears are somewhat metaphorical. It is truly wonderous how this ever received funding, but, as the writer of _Edie_ put it, there will always be a roped off pew in the church of my heart for the Hollywood that allowed this film to be made, even if it means I have to suffer through a seemingly endless parade of maudlin cinematic trash, a parade that probably paid Barton Fink's bill to begin with, I hasten to remind myself.
Rating:
Summary: .
Review: A wonderful and very surreal movie, boasting an expectedly incredible performance from John Turturro, and probably the best performance of John Goodman's career. Not a popcorn-and-beer movie, but a treat for those looking for something a bit different. Incredibly visually stylish, atmospheric, and delightfully funny, in an obscure sort of way ("Writers come and go; we always need Indians.") Also a good example of a piece of art that isn't going to make perfect sense to you, but will leave you with plenty to try to puzzle out, if you're into that sort of thing (Kafka lovers should have a blast with this movie.)
Rating:
Summary: Most influential movie of our time
Review: There are many movies on the market that make a statement, this makes one of the most powerful statements in film. In the classic Coen tradition the dark motif of the film is underscored by layers upon layers of symbolism. This is a film that has recieved none of the recognition it deserves. I recommend that it be in every household. John Goodman provides a brilliant depiction of the devil (or so I believe). Barton Fink is the by far one of the Coen boys best putting it far above and beyond the feild of modern film.
Rating:
Summary: pure and utter genius
Review: The Coen's best, well, maybe next to Raising Arizona (or perhaps Miller's Crossing), this is a beautifully orchestrated tour de force of disturbing comedy and satire. At one level, this film is a critique of the supeficiality and sleaze of hollywood. At another level, it points the finger at pretentiousness in art; see for example the way Barton is made to look like a fool at the beginning when his agent tells him "who knows, there might be a few of them [the common man] in hollywood". Watch for Steve Buscemi as "Chet" and John Mahoney as the William Faulkneresque "Bill Mayhew". Great quotes too: "have you seen this woman: about 5 foot 5, big t-ts, no head. . . but you know, with the head still on". If you have a modicum of intelligence or aesthetic appreciation you will love this film.
Rating: 
Summary: Atmospheric, puzzling and enjoyable
Review: As I sat through this movie, I was filled with puzzlement. Just what was the point? If this is an indictment of Hollywood, it's a wierd way to go about it. Maybe it's a parody of an indictment of Hollywood. Everyone acts strangely throughout the movie. You can't tell where it's going. Only in the final scene does it all come together and achieve closure. I was satisfied with the closure, though I still didn't understand it. It just felt right. Like insanely shaped pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that miraculously come together to form a whole, though you still can't quite tell what the picture is on the puzzle. The slimy hotel where Fink resides is overwhelmingly atmospheric. You want to take a shower after watching it, but it's still an enjoyable experience. John Goodman, with his commanding screen presence, threatens to steal the movie. He can't help himself. He's that good. You sense that there is meaning in the movie, and even though you may not understand it, you will ultimately be glad that you saw it.
Rating:
Summary: Get that Fink feeling . . .
Review: Barton Fink is a great movie, top ten all time in my book. If you love the Coen Brothers, you should like this; same weird style and characters but beautiful to look at. The Set Designers and Art Directors were robbed of Oscars, it's a gorgeous movie to look at. Great John Goodman and a small part for Coen fave Steve Buscemi as "Chet" the disturbing desk clerk. Rent it and watch it twice.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest movie ever.
Review: For me it is hard to imagine anyone not liking this film, 'Barton Fink' with its brilliantly written script and masterfull camera movement, and performances that the stars of this movie will never come close to achieving again. Never in my life has a movie ever inspired me as this film has, The more you watch this film the better it gets, and there aren't many other films that you can say that about. So in my humble opinion I recommednd this film for anyone who appriciates truely great films.
Rating:
Summary: None of the reviewers understand this movie's punch line!!!!
Review: None of the reviewers here understand the movie's powerful and ironic punchline. Turturro's character, the arrogant author ruled by the ideas of academia and blinded by the realities that truly motivate the "common man," suffers from writer's block. The irony is that while his paper remains blank he is oblivious to the fascinating story unraveling around him and John Goodman's frequent attempts to inspire ("Oh, I could tell you some stories -"). Instead, Turturro continues to pontificate. The fascinating twist and turn of the events of reality serve only to distract instead of inspire Turturro. In the end, the only source of inspiration that galvanizes Turturro to write is the play he has already written (note how both his play and script end, "...I'll send you a postcard.") Turturro's self-absorped idealism and self-importance leads to a script as detached from reality as the movies of Tinsel Town.
Rating:
Summary: Warning!
Review: The 'viewer from columbus, ohio' is leaving that identical review all over Amazon. He probably never saw this movie - ignore his review he's just being childish! As for the movie - its great. John Goodman is in it, how could it not be?
Rating:
Summary: Yay! Barton Fink! Etc.
Review: I think it's interesting that the opinion on this movie is split between those who love it and those who hate it. Very few people are undecided on the matter. When I first saw Barton Fink I didn't know what to think. I was already a Coen Bros. fan, but Fink was a mountain I just wasn't ready to climb. However, a year later, I watched it again and something clicked. I watched it every day for a week or so. Sometimes you have to do that. Anyway, every good thing said about it in other reviews is true. However, I would like to make a quick rebuttal to the person who, as part of a negative review, praised the acting, cinematography, art direction, sound, etc. but went on to say that the script and direction weren't any good. Well, what do you think "direction" is? It's all those things that you praised. If the story didn't appeal to you, that's fine, but don't malign the directing. It is possible for very talented directors to make movies that don't appeal to us on the individual level. (Spielberg, for example, is a very good director...and yet, I can't stand his movies.)
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