Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and Fargo

Rating: Null/10 (7 March 1999)

I guess there are two types of moviegoers: (1) those who like Steven Spielberg for his "Jurassic Park", and (2) those who like Spielberg for "Schindler's List." The first group of people would go to a movie theater wanting to shy away from the real world, and the second group of people will recognize reality in a movie if they see one. Fargo struck a cord with me (and I guess, those who nominated it for the Oscars) because it portrays reality in its true, stark, and unabridged form, which is often times as insensible as the killing of innocent passers-by, as confusing as the characterization of Stomare and Buscemi (they are both criminals but very different in their personalities), as as cold and barren as a North Dakota winter. There is no complicated plot, a lot of the events are purely circumstantial (e.g., McDormand's spotting of the Sierra prior to the final climax), and there are too many gory scenes (e.g., the woodchipper scene) and liberal use of that despised four-letter word, but ain't that how life is in reality, especially in the rural areas of the USA?
I'm no critic to say whether Francis McDormand deserved an Oscar, but I can certainly say that the portrayal of her character, along with those of William Macy (think about your typical car salesman/conman), Buscemi, and Stomare were very realistic (maybe the reason for McDormand's Oscar) and reflects four different faces of human nature. Within the gripping real-life tale, there are small sprinkings of humor (e.g., when the police asked the whore at the Inn to describe what Stomare looked like, all she could say is that "he is a funny looking guy, who wasn't circumsized") - ain't that how shallow and stupid our behavior is, at times!
I had two questions after seeing the movie. First, not having been to the Midwest myself, is that really the Midwestern accent (now I believe it is, after seeing some of the comments here). Second, why would McDormand's husband let her run after criminals on icy roads, knowing that she is pregnant. Maybe, there is a serious lack of good police officers in this country, which is why crime is so rampant! I will see this movie again, but I'm so impressed by the Coen Brothers that first I'll need to see "Raising Arizona."