Breathtaking Camera-work in No Country For Old Men

Rating: 9/10 (1 June 2011)

"No Country For Old Men" is a brilliant film, proved by its four well-deserved Academy Awards. Though the used camera techniques are not as spectacular or revolutionary as in other films such as "The Matrix", it is nonetheless an effective and vital part of the final product. From the discovering of the shoot-out and the money to the never-ending hunt across the deserts and streets of Texas, there are some great nuggets of camera-work, hidden for those who look for them. In this review we will categorize the scenes in three sections, and then analyze the camera techniques applied in that. These techniques are: Desert scenes, focusing on the setting and camera-work, then the use of special camera effects and realistic ones, and lastly; the camera-work in the urban scenes.
As said; first up are the rural desert shots of Texas and New Mexico. The desert scenes are excellently done often filmed from knee or standard body height it gives the feeling you're right there in the idle of it. The perfect example of this is the stumbling of Moss on the Mexican drug deal shoot-out. Filmed from knee height, like many other scenes, it both gives the viewer the feeling he is there walking alongside Moss. In addition this perspective makes it more difficult for the viewer to have an overview of the current situation. By this the directors are creating more tension all along, as none know what happens next and what dangers Moss will face. By contrast the overview 'flying' shots let you see the vastness of the desert, how small and insignificant human settlement is there. This is mostly done when the characters are on their own, alone in the sand covered landscape. This view gives them a sense of loneliness and isolation. Other themes are also conveyed here, albeit less clearly. One example is that in these lone shots the characters seem both hunters and hunted, hunting alone and being watched from above.
In this film there has not been made an extensive use of lenses and or filters. We have not spotted any special color effects. We have only noted one function for each of the techniques: wide-angle lenses for the overview scenes and filters to make certain scenes a little bit darker to add to the tension in that particular scene. But maybe this means that it's very well done. As often the case with backstage work: when you don't notice it is a job well done. Rather unique in "No Country for Old Men" is the absence of music throughout the film. For example when characters are walking through the desert the only sounds you hear are those by the boots in the sand. This also adds to the tension, especially in scenes at the place of the drug-battle, and it increases the viewers' focus. This feeling of really living in it is also partially created by the shots in which you look from the viewpoint of the character. For example when the camera is looking down at the hood of the car, r through the windshield, this makes you feel like you are behind the wheel.
There a few chase scenes in urban environments in "No Country For Old Men". These environments include motel rooms and small houses. Because of the fact that these places are small the viewer is very close to the protagonist, mostly Moss, so there are lots of close-ups in these scenes. In these chases the viewer follows only one character, so they don't see what the other (Anton Chigurh) is doing. This has the same effect as the knee shots in the deserts; the lack of overview gets the viewer on the edge of their seat. The camera positions are extremely well executed and give an excellent atmosphere to the scenes. Another specific scene is during the night in a Southern Town. There are no people on the street and it almost feels like a horror movie. In the scenes in which the characters speak together in a house or some other type of building, you identify with the characters. These spots are also small spaced, so you feel like you are in the middle of the conversation, looking -like the camera- at the speakers from different angles. The shots in which all the characters are displayed are and the lighting are great throughout the film.
We think "No Country for Old Men" with great camera-work and sound effects. The perspective adds very well to how the viewer observes the film. The award-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen have once again shown where their status has come from. The film has justly received some high-praised awards including the Oscar for the best film and also many positive reviews from well-known newspapers and websites. We can not wait to see the next Coen brothers' film!