The Embodiment of Evil

Rating: 10/10 (18 November 2007)

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is the Coen brothers best and most violent work to date, and arguably, has the best ensemble of actors this year.
Set in New Mexico, the story begins with a local hunter/welder named Llewelyn Moss stumbling across a rotting group of pickups and corpses. He carefully makes his way through the bodies, picking up spare guns and ammo, and eventually comes across a case of two million dollars, the lone key to an early retirement for him and his wife, Carla Jean. He goes home for a short while, then due to certain earlier events, Moss returns to the scene of the crime to hopefully clear his conscience. From there on out, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN roars off into the realm of classic cat and mouse cinema, and the villain Anton Chigurh is introduced.
Void of music, NC4OM relies on the sound of boots and bullets in a way that I've never experienced. Every sound, however minute, brings forth an air of tension not commonly seen in films; from the soft clang of Chigurh's cannister to the empty wind that circulates the barren wasteland of the southwest, sound is used perfectly in this film.
The cinematography is exceptional; the wide open spaces and blue skies encompass the screen with such a majesty that one feels tempted to flee the confines of the theater and walk among the desert and shrubs. As long as Anton is far from sight.
NC4OM is really pretty flawless film making, and despite the perfect score there were a couple very minor questions that remained unanswered(I'm sure the book will clarify), but all in all, from the direction to the acting, from the sound to the cinematography, and then everything in between, this film was great.
The film's most lasting impression however is the character of Anton Chigurh, Moss' inexorable assailant whose personal philosophy and moral weight instantly catapults him to judge, jury and executioner. He is evil in every form of the word, and could very well be interpreted as a walking Armageddon or perhaps even Satan. Javier Bardem is great in this role, and will most likely have to battle Casey Affleck /Ed Harris/Steve Zahn for any best supporting actor nominations this year. Though of course, there would be little deliberation if Anton Chigurh had anything to do with it.