Combines small town pleasantries with macabre violence, in an absurdly humorous tale of debauchery. Great movie.

Rating: 8/10 (18 May 2015)

Independent film makers, the Coen brothers have achieved critical and box-office success with their two-time Oscar award winning film, Fargo. ¬The "homespun murder mystery" is an amalgamation of genres: crime drama, violent thriller, neo-noir, and, satirical comedy. The offbeat narrative juxtaposes small town pleasantries and lightheartedness with macabre violence, in an absurdly humorous tale of debauchery. Critical distance is a key element of ¬Fargo, which is a result of the frequent use of farce in their depictions of "everyday violence in US culture" (Lewis 2002). Through this, an "original social commentary" emerges, amongst the crazy, sardonic, approaches to style and narrative. The cult and spectacle of violence in American society is epitomized in the film, depicted through the thoughtless killings, and most, notably, in the infamous wood chipper scene.
The frequent shots of the characters devouring fast food underscores the theme of cheap mass production and the bland consumerist society whilst simultaneously striking a balance between the comfortable, mundane lifestyle of the townsfolk and the bizarre, sinister kidnapping situation. Place functions as a key element in Fargo. The blindingly white winter of North Dakota's Fargo is used "evocatively and satirically", and the folksy dialect of the mid-westerners is exaggerated and distinct. The immaculate, whitewashed setting, and the carefully constructed cinematography acts as a prime vehicle for fostering the outrageous story as it unfolds in perfect chaos. The stylistic device of the 'true story' claim, manipulates audiences into suspending their belief and accepting the film as it is.