"Fargo" (1996) starring Frances McDormand shows megalomaniac business types and wonderful white-out snow scenes rarely seen in movies

Rating: Null/10 (3 November 2012)

"Fargo" (1996) starring Frances McDormand shows megalomaniac business types and wonderful white-out snow scenes rarely seen in movies.
The Coen brothers did a great job in introducing movie viewers to a behind the scenes portrait of a ruthless, big business owner megalomaniac (Minneapolis, Minnesota large car dealership owner "Wade Gustafson" played well by Harve Presnell) whose ruthless and brutal treatment of his son-in-law and his own daughter explain the background causes of the entire story the movie presents.
The Coen brothers also present megalomaniac business and gangster leaders (not much difference ever, it seems) in other movies of fame they did, including "Raising Arizona" (1987) which shows retail furniture store chain millionaire "Nathan Arizona" (portrayed by Trey Wilson), and also "Miller's Crossing" (1990) which shows "Leo, the Irish gangster political boss" played well by Albert Finney.
In "Fargo" (1996), we meet Minneapolis millionaire automobile dealership owner "Wade Gustafson" played by Harve Presnell (famous as a leading man Broadway stage and movie musical solo vocalist with a full head of dark hair in his youth not seen in "Fargo" where he is bald and no longer young.)
The "Wade Gustafson" car dealership owner keeps his son-in-law who works as head salesman in the car dealership on a very short leash, and humiliates him constantly and openly.
The son in law (played by William H. Macy) reacts by concocting a foolish plan to take money his rich father-in-law won't part with, and using brutal criminals to help in his (the son-in-law's) scheme.
It's a sad story, but "what goes around comes around" in an odd, ironic way. Both the father (Wade Gustafson played by Harve Presnell) and his married daughter end up dead by the end of the movie when things go wrong, and the son-in-law's goofy kidnapping/ ransom plan doesn't work.
This movie shows great snow scenes almost never seen in the movies.
Wintertime Minnesota and white-out road conditions are presented, and the photography is breathtaking.
The mid-west/ Great Plains USA northern states in cold, winter, snowy weather is hard to photograph, and Hollywood film makers almost never try.
"Fargo" (1996) is a happy exception.
The movie shows the life, environment during winter months, and local culture and typical personalities of "little guy" people in Minnesota where retail store and restaurant diner cashiers reply with the stock phrase "Thanksa bunch!" along with other cheery, chirpy one or two word greetings.
"Minnesota nice"..........you have to see this movie to get one of the few portraits of it available anywhere in movies.
The opening and closing shots (well, almost the closing shot...the absolutely final scene shows protagonist "Marge Gunderston," played by Frances McDormand, having quality time with her husband) of the movie show trucks and cars during nighttime snow conditions plowing carefully and slowly through the dark Minnesota night, all presented with movie music composer Carter Burwell's wonderful orchestrated dirge theme music.....epic and almost Wagnarian.
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Written by Tex (David) Allen, SAG Actor.
Email Tex at TexAllen@Rocketmail.Com Visit WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen for movie credits and biography details.
See "David R. Allen Columbia PA Amazon.Com Reviewer Profile" for other reviews and personal information.