There’s something about the Coen Brothers that just eludes me-What are they conveying through their films?
Anyone who has seen Fargo or Barton Fink would certainly rank the Coens far higher than most contemporary film makers (O Tarantino where art thou?)
Yet though all their works are darkly sarcastic eccentric fun rides that might put Disney Land Rollercoasters to shame-their always seems to be some philosophical undercurrent that links all these absurdities and elevates the film to an unchallenged work of art.
Anyway to ponder over the Coens Philosophy would be a waste of effort-it seems much more beautiful when its left alone
So, coming to the Big Lebowski, as I viewed it on my DVD player (yes I am a new DVD convert-and how I love these inventions!) after so many years, I decided not to pay attention to any messages, but just to join the ride and have an evening choked with eccentricities.
The Big Lebowski, revolves around a certain Jeffery Lebowski who prefers himself to be called ’’The Dude’’(or His Dudeness, Dudity, El Duderino...)
The Dude is one cool guy, contended, happy and perhaps the laziest in all Los Angeles county which would perhaps rank him high in the World-Champion title...Until a pair of goons mistake him for a millionaire
So a rowdy China-man (not to be confused with, the Dude later clarifies, the men who built the US railway lines, whose preferred nomenclature happens to be Asian-Americans!) relieves himself on the Dude’s rug.
And the rug was the only thing that ’’hung the room together’’.
So Dude sets off to get himself re-imbursed by the millionaire he was mistaken for and...the surreal, absurd, immensely funny adventure starts!
Lebowski is filled to the brim with hilarious abnormalities-
A ex-Argentinian Child Molester called The Jesus, neo Nazi nihilists, feminists who practise yoga for better conception, surreal sequences to the tune of Dylan with a Bowling alley twist, fifteen year old car-jackers who leave their history homework behind in the car....
One can go on and on...
And as for the cast-Jeff Bridges is The Dude in a role of a lifetime
John Goodman is The Dude’s gun totting, ex-wife loving (note-ex-wife), Jewism-converted Walter
Coens Favorite Steve Buscemi is there as always-this time as a bumbling pal
Juliane Moore is the erudite artistic feminist eccentric
A stupendous cast-But Goodman steals the show in every scene of his-While Plotting ’’Simple’’plots to steal the money and run, Refusing to drive on Sabbath, Convincing restaurant eaters on how his buddies died in Vietnam so that they can eat years later in peace...BRILLIANT!
So...coming back to it all...what is that elusive philosophy in Big Lebowski?
Is it an affectionate tribute to all film noirs from Maltese Falcon to The Big Sleep?(look how The Dude wanders like Spade or Marlowe in surreal areas meeting people of all sorts-like solving an enormous jigsaw puzzle)?
Is it about men wandering hopelessly while the times change around them-with no idea of whats happening around? (Gulf War-1 is the time-setting for the movie)?
well who cares man!
As the movie says-
Just take it easy-Dude
And I know he will!!