Emotionally draining

Rating: 9/10 (25 November 2007)

This is probably the definition of a film you have to watch twice. I don't really feel like I can do it justice after just one viewing, especially one in a noisy theatre, full of restless teens, next door to Fred Claus being played at full volume. As such, the lack of music really stands out and the delicate dialogue is difficult to decipher at times. Furthermore, from a purely movie-going experience, the dark ending feels unsatisfactory, and I know that I have to watch the film again, forgoing the narrative, in order to fully understand it. As it stands now, though, it's one of the very best films of the year.
A lot of people seem to be complaining about the Tommy Lee Jones subplot, and of course everyone has something to say about that ending. I don't think these two are unrelated. On the surface, this storyline seems extraneous, taking away from the extremely intense main story. The constant asides to Bell and his deputy's investigation seem only an attempt to explain the events that are happening, but as nothing is ever fully explained, this subplot seems useless. I don't necessarily agree with this. Bell - his opening narration and final thoughts especially - seem to be a representation of the thematic element of the story, whereas the Llewellyn/Chigurh story is an affirmation of these themes. I'm not sure if I've got a full grasp on everything the film is saying - there's definitely ideas about morality, violence, money, death, and the changing world thrown about - but I got enough to know that multiple viewings are required. And I'm looking forward to it.
Of course, one can not ignore the utterly thrilling and exceptionally shot main storyline, which, at least up until Llewellyn's death, seems to be operating entirely within conventional, Hollywood standards. That's not to say it isn't incredibly effective. From the get-go, Chigurh is shown to be one of the most ruthless, calmest, inventive and downright terrifying villains in cinematic history. His unique appearance, his physical tics, his unusual choice of weapons, and his very precise manner of speaking combine to create a full, fleshed-out character - but as for portraying a human, well, that's another story. On the flip side, Brolin's quiet, reserved Llewellyn is the emotional core of the movie, making us feel for him even as he proves to be just as selfish and villainous as those chasing him. The conflict between the two is the highlight of the movie, from the terrifically tense cat-and-mouse chase in the first motel to the terrifically intense gun battle in the second one. Though there is no real physical payoff to these confrontations, I think the phone conversation between them - the one and only time they speak - is fitting enough. Both characters receive their retributions in other ways, which is the perfect capper to the conflict. Though their ends may be narratively unfulfilling, I think they work flawlessly thematically.
One must not forget about the fantastic technical aspect when reviewing this film, either. The lack of music is very stark and though makes the scenes much more suspenseful and scary, as there's no musical cue to tell us when to be frightened. Tied in to this, the use of sound in this movie is impeccable, and may be even more effective than the visuals. The scene where Chigurh finds where Llewellyn is hiding while the latter waits for him is accomplished almost entirely through the use of sounds - Chigurh's boots on the floor, the beeping of the transponder, the unscrewing of the lightbulb, the readying of his gas tank weapon. We, like Llewellyn, are forced to just listen, but we know what's going to happen next, making the inevitable that much scarier. Of course, as with every Coen film, the cinematography is stunning, and nearly every shot in this movie is stunning and artistically rich. The careful, eloquent nature of the dialogue that has become a staple of these brothers' films is utilized to full extent here, and as I said I need to see it again to take in everything. Overall, just a fantastic achievement.
Even so, I couldn't help but be disappointed by that ending. It wasn't a "that was it?" response, where I felt something was left unexplained and I didn't know what happened. It was more of a "oh, that's it", where I just feel depressed and emotionally drained. There is no character redemption - even Bell, the most moral of the characters, is not left untouched - no plot threads being tied up, no happy ending. It's just a hopelessly dark finish. Of course, that fits in perfectly with the film's perspective on the world, so perhaps it's a great ending. I just couldn't see it that way.