Fargo

Mit Fargo habe ich ein Problem. Der Film hat viele unvergessliche Szenen, tolle Figuren und einen der besten Soundtracks von Carter Burwell. Er konzentriert sich aber so sehr auf seinen karikaturistischen Charakter, dass er den Kontakt mit der Realität verliert. Dadurch verliert er eine gewisse Ernsthaftigkeit, die bei ihm eine Schlüsselrolle spielen sollte. Er ist nur eine originelle Film-Kuriosität. (05.07.2009)

A superb thriller in the Coens’ unmistakable style. Everything played into their hands: 1) the magnificently bleak mood of winter Minnesota, 2) the simple yet impressive soundtrack, 3) Macey and his characterful portrayal of mean-spirited jerk and underdog, as only he can play it, 4) the pair of goons, irresistibly played by Buscemi and Stormare. Add to this the Coens' absurdist humour (e.g. the scene where Buscemi buries the money in the snow), and the final rating is easy. Only the Oscar to McDormand is a bit of a mystery to me. (11.05.2003)

I got back home from school this afternoon, frozen to the bone (this September has been quite chilly), I sat at the computer and put on Fargo. Big mistake, my teeth are still chattering. That said, the film never bored me, the Coen brothers’ direction is so distinctive that it always feels like a refreshment after a lot of bland movies. The basic plot structure is not that original, what makes the story unforgettable is the place it’s set, which is inhabited by maybe one normal character for every one hundred comical figures, and the very dark humour. (17.09.2008)

The Coen brothers’ complacent violation of standards and correctness is a joy to behold. However, in their simple world with the highest concentration of bizarre characters per square meter, it is the biggest oddballs who stand out. Yet they are the ones who (thanks to the type-accurate actors) manage to win the audience's sympathy almost immediately. It's not that the number of dead increases at a disproportionate rate, and it's not that you get rid of them in, for example, a branch shredder. It's actually about the fact that the degree of exaggeration is not limited in any way, and it depends only on the benevolence of each individual in terms of how much they enjoy their poetic (the amazing cinematography by Roger Deakins!) constructed world full of immoral behavior and the most diverse characters, in some cases taken to the point of caricature. These are things audiences will enjoy. Form and content go hand in hand in this case and after a moment's reflection, I have to give the film five stars. The Oscar for Frances McDormand is quite a mystery to me, but otherwise Peter Stormare rules forever! (17.09.2006)

Mit Sicherheit sind dies zwar nicht mein Lieblingsstreifen der Coen-Brüder, obwohl die Art und Weise, wie hier Brutalität, Thrillerspannung und die traditionelle absurde Komik menschlicher Typen sowie ihre oberflächlichen Dialoge angewendet werden, die sprichwörtliche Miss Perfection bereits leicht abtastet. Die exzellente Besetzung wird uns kaum verblüffen (Stormare nimmt uns mit der Studie eines absoluten Trottels schlichtweg den Atem weg und Frances ist unendlich süß), eine perfekt gemeisterte und durchdachte Regieführung mit all den Tempi- und Stimmungsänderungen erwartet man schlichtweg bei den Coen-Brüdern schon ... Formal erinnert dies an ein weißes, schneebedecktes Ödland mit all den ruhigen Orten, ins Nirgendwo führenden Abzweigungen und einer sehr losen Erzählung. Fargo – Blutiger Schnee schwimmt in einem vollends seltsamen Strom, in dem sich ein spannendes Drama, eine psychologische Studie vom leben eine Verlierertyps und eine Coen-Komödie über die Everymen befindet, die in einem brodelnden Kessel der Brutalität geraten. Nichts ist hier selbstzweckgerichtet und die Brüder stehen wie immer auf Seiten alltäglicher sowie gewöhnlicher "Idioten". Infolgedessen wirkt Fargo – Blutiger Schnee weitaus optimistischer als der spätere Streifen No Country for Old Men. Hier bleibt das Gesetz erzwingbar und die Welt kehrt in ihre alten Bahnen zurück, ins Bett mit einem glatzköpfigen Dödel sowie einer Kiste voller Dokumente aus dem Leben der Insekten. Eine schöne, gute Welt - jedoch ich bevorzuge doch lieber das vorapokalyptische Ödland Cormac McCarthys ..., d.h. dieses Land. (12.01.2009)

When it comes to sh**, it comes to sh** properly. And best to tell you about it is Steve "Funny in general" Buscemi. And maybe also everyone who had anything to do with the events from Moose Lake, including the pregnant sheriff, the pissing sales manager and the inarticulate lunatic with a passion for woodcutters. And why? For a little money. (04.02.2006)

From Fargo, movie fans most often remember the human body disappearing into a wood chipper and the distinctive faces of the exemplary psychopaths and criminals played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare. The number of corpses that line the story, as well as Fargo's typical dark humor, invite comparisons to Tarantino's films. However, the Coen brothers have a different film technique. Their humor is not obvious, but rather clever and inclined towards biting irony. The Coens toy with the crime genre, but unlike Tarantino, it is not done for its own sake. They break conventions not for cheap audience effect, but to explore the possibilities of genre evolution and to shape the atmosphere. Scenes of shocking brutality are combined with comedy resulting from the fact that the main characters are not charismatic, brilliant criminals, but rather nobodies. When an inexperienced, ambitious weakling with average intelligence hires two brutes with the intelligence of horses to execute a kidnapping, it is no wonder that events quickly spiral out of control and descend into a terrifying disaster. Originally, it was supposed to be a precise and cleverly planned operation in the delusional mind of its creator. However, due to a series of coincidences and, above all, the incompetence of the protagonists, it turns into a bloody farce. The Coens build the atmosphere using contrasts. Behind the facade of bourgeois suburban family life lies envy, greed, and chronic dissatisfaction. The snowy white landscapes of Minnesota become stained red with blood. By the way, the portrayal of their homeland did not sit well with the residents of Minnesota, and they made that very clear to the Coens. I'm not saying that Fargo is the best Coen brothers’ piece, I would unequivocally place No Country for Old Men higher, but still, I have an itch to give it five stars. Fargo simply has a lot going for it. Overall impression: 85%. (07.06.2017)

Only life itself can write a story like this. Then all you have to do is stuff it with one-liners and a good cast, like the Coens did. (15.09.2009)

Ich erinnere mich noch an die Kampagne, die Fargo als TV-Premiere auf HBO hatte, aber ich habe es nie gesehen. Es gab keinen Grund, den Film nicht anzuschauen, das ist sicher, die Darsteller sind sympathisch, das Thema fesselt die Aufmerksamkeit, aber bis eine Serie in Aussicht war, war keine Eile geboten. Jetzt bin ich sehr gespannt auf die zweite Staffel mit Kirsten Dunst, und der Originalfilm hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Die Zeit ist nun genau richtig, denn jetzt weiß ich, wer Frances und Steve sind. (12.10.2015)

Technically, it’s quite skillful (brutal action scenes), musically impressively minimalist, and in the second half the film is also suspenseful and entertaining, but the main problem of my criticism is probably in the direction. I'm not the type who drools over humor of the Coens, quite the opposite. It gets on my nerves and some scenes felt like a light rip-off of Tarantino's style. (01.07.2005)

Fargo has its flaws, and it's true that the attempt at a cynical-ironic caricature of reality hurts a bit the authenticity that, for example, the snow and dense atmosphere of the similarly weighed down A Simple Plan boasts, but the scenes are such an electrifying whirlwind of captivating filmmaking that you simply won't find a more iconic achievement by the famous Coens. What's more, it all clicks into a story that hinges on depression and bizarreness in a literally unforgettable way, underscored by amazing actors, precise cinematography and a downright delicious soundtrack. William H. Macy is one of life's most compelling losers, and Peter Stormare is a villain the sight of whom is enough to make the blood run cold... 90% (21.04.2012)

I liked the film years ago and I still do as I found out today. An enlightening film about how a barely noticeable and almost harmless scam can turn into a brutal, bloody madness, and how a total pushover can stand behind a series of deadly coincidences. The creators interestingly alternated moments of almost complete standstill with absurd outbursts of violence, and I had a great time all along. I think the casting of Peter Stormare was a perfect move, he’s excellent at playing all kinds of psychopaths and sociopaths. (18.02.2018)

Finally! For the third time, I finally managed to watch and finish "Fargo". I don't understand how it's actually possible, but I watched the film twice before, but each time it ended at the scene on the road where a few people get brutally beaten. People around me stared at me like I was some sort of oddity for not having seen "Fargo" yet, and it's true that I felt sorry for myself too because I really wanted to see the film. So, finally, I got to watch it and I made sure that the Coen brothers are simply geniuses. The dialogues that one listens to are so human, stupid, and yet masterful that one wonders and realizes that they are watching a very, very dark comedy/drama. But it can't rely solely on the dialogues, those dialogues must be delivered by people who know how to act. What Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, and William H. Macy perform is simply incredible. They are captivating, and Frances absolutely deserves her Oscar. The film is harsh, it's cynical, but it's human and realistic. This is one of those films that strikes you because it's based on a true story. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/diar-milovnika-filmu-c-005-reziser.html (15.02.2013)

A chilling, at times really quite chilling and gritty thriller, dominated by particularly "playful" direction (which I really enjoyed :)), a script of a high standard, and a cast par excellence. Frances McDormand as the "okey-dokey" policewoman was fabulous and she justifiably won the statuette. It's all so familiar, fresh, distinctive... 95% (11.01.2010)