an instant western classic about drugs, greed, death and hopelessness

Rating: 9/10 (23 August 2019)

No Country for Old Men is an instant western classic about drugs, greed, death and hopelessness. Led by an all-time great performance from Javier Bardem playing a macabre character in Anton Chigurh, the film is a heart pounding non-stop manhunt packing enough emotional wallop while successfully exploring its themes.
Set near the US-Mexico Border, the film can be considered as a cautionary tale about the War on Drugs which has raged for decades. Motivated by greed Llewelyn Moss, played by Josh Brolin, takes off after finding a bag of cash on a site of failed transaction resulting to massacre. Unbeknown to him, placed inside is a tracker. Anton Chigurh hunts down Llewelyn Moss for the money. As the hunt progresses, snippets of dialogue and character interactions show that Chigurh is not evil, but merely a servant of death or death itself. Guided by a twisted philosophy, Chigurh kills because of fate and destiny. Moss sends away his wife and mother-in-law as the hunt becomes not merely about the money but also personal. Other characters appear to further provide insight and growth such as Woody Harrelson, who warns Moss that facing Chigurh is a death sentence. No character is as important to carry the film on an emotional level as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, played Tommy Lee Jones. Embodying the hopelessness pervasive throughout the film, Sheriff Ed is an active participant in the manhunt aiming to prevent it. Despite his efforts, people die. Anyone who faces Chigurh dies. His scenes throughout the manhunt are beautiful, sad and introspective. Already an old man near retirement during the course of the film, the ending where he is retired perfectly captures the essence of his arc losing all hope living in world where death is unstoppable.
While No Country is an excellent play about its themes, it lacks a true emotional anchor that carries the movie. Llewelyn Moss and Sheriff Tom aren't particularly engaging characters that captures the viewer's empathy.
The Coen Brothers also bring technical qualities that complement the story. Wide and barren shots to portray a sense of epic scope, an almost non-existent score to build tension naturally and violence fitting for the antagonist.
No Country for Old Men is a must see not only for its antagonist but as a whole.
9/10