O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Recommendation

I have seen O Brother, Where Art Thou? a few times and I have always enjoyed it, but it wasn’t until this most recent watch that I feel like I’ve gained an understanding about what I like. I can boil it down to the quality and style of the music and what it does for the world building, and the snappy quick wit of the dialogue.

On the face of it, the movie is a crime film about convicts seeking a treasure, but it is also a period piece about the south and the depression. It takes a humorous tone that is familiar to some other Coen brothers’ work, but also remains more lighthearted than many of their other films.

The film is filled with bluegrass and old timey music that is allowed to play out fully. I find that the music is what pushes the movie into a firm recommendation for me, but if that style isn’t your cup of tea, you might be less inclined to check this one out.

Thoughts

Music

I chose to rewatch this movie because I wanted to hear the main Man of Constant Sorrow song, but I discovered on this rewatch that the music plays a more central role in establishing the tone and setting for the movie.

On a plot level, this song is key to the protagonists eventual success, as it launches them to unexpected stardom and results in their pardon from the governor, but other songs throughout the movie drive the plot as well. Many scenes, like the baptism in the river or the encounter with the sirens, begin with overheard music which transports them to another adventure.

The political race which acts as the B plot to the story is also driven by song. Each candidate aligns themselves with a group of singers to capitalize on their popularity, but also to give the film a chance to play out more songs that define the time when the movie takes place.

Because so much of the music is allowed to fully play out, and so many scenes are tied to it, the overall story feels more like a play or a myth, which helps with the tie in to The Odyssey.

Coen Brothers

In my mind, when I hear that a movie was directed by the Coen brothers, I jump to assuming that there will be brutality underscoring the story. Fargo and No Country for Old Me are certainly this way, so I was surprised to discover that this movie was directed by them.

I can see parallels in the humor between this movie and something like Raising Arizona, however, I feel like this movie stands apart from their other filmography. It is more lighthearted in tone and perhaps plays to a broader audience.

Sepia Tone

The one negative thing that struck me while watching this time, was that although on the whole the movie is very good at drawing you in to the world through the music and storytelling, the use of an always-present sepia tone filter felt a little bit lazy to me. It seemed like it was just done in post, because it makes the clouds and the sky look off in some scenes in a way that would be different if the effect had been achieved through the type of film. I think if the film had been processed in a slightly more careful way, it would look less cheap at times.

It’s only really obvious at the beginning and end of the film where attention is actually drawn to the effect because it is applied gradually and obviously as if to stand in for curtains rising and falling. It just doesn’t look that good, so rather than being an additional style point, it just seems low effort.