Written and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, the owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered. Starring: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, Samm-Art Williams, M. Emmet Walsh and Deborah Neumann.
Blood Simple is a really interesting film to return to when you’ve watched a lot of the Coen brothers’ other work, to see how their debut feature is reflected in their future work despite being quite different. They started out with this much quieter outing, before expanding into very extroverted, theatrical, and often strange or absurd cinema, but you can see the thread between them. One of those key threads being a taste for darkness and how naturally twisted a story can become.
That’s really the biggest strength of Joel Coen and Ethan Coen’s writing with Blood Simple, capturing how a simple story can turn down a bloody, messy road when its characters have decent intentions but make fateful assumptions. Within that is also a subtle sense of humour, being able to acknowledge that highly coincidental nature, rather than simply making it seem like they’re contorting things for their own benefit. Something which is beautifully accented by the choice of song as the credits roll.
The cinematography from Barry Sonnenfeld is another element which embraces that natural darkness. Having that dark palette and then accenting it with hints of colour is such a satisfying aesthetic to watch unfold. It adds a grit but in a suave rather than harsh way. Especially as Blood Simple moves in a gradual manner, it’s much more about the apprehension in-between key moments, than those moments themselves. The Coens instil a real patience and pensiveness, it would have been easy for this to become a cheap thriller, but they crafted a strong, sincere presence. That’s then so well complemented by the superb sound work and quintessential 1980s score, from Carter Burwell which also marked his first feature.
Another part of that is the performances from John Getz and Frances McDormand. Their characters are living within this tumultuous story and yet their performances remain forever understated and earnest. They don’t get carried away, they don’t utterly reveal themselves, the romantic element doesn’t overwhelm, it remains in the background, it’s all very composed yet messy. McDormand’s Abby is particularly interesting as with the incomparable presence of McDormand, she’s forever adding layers, making this character feel like she has much more going on below the surface. While on the surface, both Abby and Getz’s Ray are wholesome, surprisingly so for an adulterous couple. There’s a simplicity to their connection which works so well within the bigger picture of the story.
Blood Simple is tense, foreboding and patient. The Coen brothers started their careers out on a strong note with this debut feature, it’s entertaining and just a little bit slick. It has a dark touch, and a terrific ensemble, led strongly by John Getz and Frances McDormand, but Dan Hedaya, Samm-Art Williams and M. Emmet Walsh are definite highlights as well. It holds an intimacy but not one filled with warmth or love, one which holds a distance and curiosity. It’s a great film to revisit and the restoration work adds a strong richness which makes it even more worth the rewatch, or first watch.
