Funny and tragic

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2018)

Maybe this is because Fargo was more revolutionary at its time of release but I don't see it as a masterpiece judging it by today's standards. It's a crime story with no real shocks or twists (although the wood chipper scene comes close). That said, it's an entertaining film with its unique humour and great characters.
It's funny and slapstick enough that you can't take it too seriously, yet not so much so that you don't care about the characters at all. The irony is woven in very well, with what was intended as a way for its protagonist to get more money ending up being a complete disaster. The criminals are bad no doubt, but they're so inept at what they do (even the silent one who at first seems to actually know what he's doing) that I can't feel a deep hatred for them, despite their evil crimes. They're too pitiful for that.
In Fargo, nobody wins. Jerry's plan fails, only leading to the death of his innocent wife and his own arrest. Carl and Gaear's plan to make the money fails as well, with one of them dead and the other in prison. The money is still buried in the snow. The bad guys are caught, but that's no consolation for all the damage that has been done. Marge can only shake her head at the tragedy of it. The funniest part of all this is that the reason the plan failed was because none of the criminals trusted each other to stick to their agreement. And because the law wasn't on the side of any of them, it's not like they could go to the police about a broken agreement!
The final scene, where Marge and Norm reveal they're going to have a child, is perfect. The message is clear. People will tear their families apart and destroy their lives for a bit of cash, ignoring that true happiness was right under their nose all along.