HUMN 246 H3-WW Assignment 5-5

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2011)

The Big Lebowski revolves around a case of mistaken identity complicated by extortion, double-crosses, deception, embezzlement, sex, marijuana, and gallons of White Russians. Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), one of the laziest men in LA county, which would put him high in the running for laziest worldwide, enjoys hanging with his bowling buddies, gun-toting ex-Vietnam vet Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and mild-mannered ex-surfer Donny (Steve Buscemi). When "The Dude" Lebowski is mistaken for the millionaire Lebowski (David Huddleson), two thugs urinate on his rug that "really tied the room together" (1998) to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to gain compensation for the ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, he accepts a one-time job with a high pay-off, and enlists the help of Walter. Deception leads to more trouble, and it soon seems that everyone from porn empire tycoons to nihilists want something from "The Dude." The main theme of The Big Lebowski is disunity. All of the relationships among the elements in the film The Big Lebowski may seem to be enigmatic with each other, but this style of film creates an integrated system of disunity The Coen brothers, like Guy Ritchie and his movies Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, constantly use in their films divergence to leave the viewer and the characters in disarray with the plot. In the film The Big Lebowski the main character, Jeffery Lebowski, refers to himself as "The Dude". This element of the story becomes a motif. "The Dude" is referred to, and refers to himself as "The Dude" because it represents his personality, which is an easygoing "cool" character. The common Western society slang which is associated with the word dude is male prostitute. As the stranger says in his opening monologue "there's a name no man would self-apply where I come from" (1998). "The Dude" is continuously used by his friends and business associates through out the whole film. Although presented as a laid-back cool character, the Dude's title is representative of how he is seen by everyone around him.
Bowling is a major part of the film The Big Lebowski. The art of bowling is played as a highly stylized ritual, and several dream/acid flashback sequences center around the game. Many different camera angles are used in bowling sequences from the up close shots of bowling balls on the lanes, to the almost cartoony dream sequences of "The Dude." One camera angle in particular that best represents the film is when the dude is dreaming and he is miniaturized and ends up inside a ball rolling down the lane. The camera rolling around and around, ceiling to floor, with occasional glimpses of the pins and the bowler represents the jumbled, topsy-turvy world of "The Dude" in the film. He never knows which way is up and what to believe. The entire film "The Dude" is left confused by the situation in which he has found himself in, and every time he thinks he has it figured out he is tossed in another direction that only leads to more confusion and befuddlement.
The theme of The Big Lebowski is eclectic with its different motifs and divergent storyline, and the best way to summarize it comes from the opening monologue and "The Stranger's" introduction of "The Dude": Way out west there was this fella I wanna tell ya about. Goes by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least that was the handle his loving parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. See, this Lebowski, he called himself "The Dude". Now, "Dude" - there's a name no man would self-apply where I come from. But then there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place so darned interestin'. See, they call Los Angeles the "City Of Angels"; but I didn't find it to be that, exactly. But I'll allow it as there are some nice folks there. 'Course I ain't never been to London, and I ain't never seen France. And I ain't never seen no queen in her damned undies, so the feller says. But I'll tell you what - after seeing Los Angeles, and this here story I'm about to unfold, well, I guess I seen somethin' every bit as stupefyin' as you'd seen in any of them other places. And in English, too. So I can die with a smile on my face, without feelin' like the good Lord gypped me. Now this here story I'm about to unfold took place in the early '90s - just about the time of our conflict with Sad'm and the I-raqis. I only mention it because sometimes there's a man... I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? Sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talking' about the Dude here - the Dude from Los Angeles. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's the Dude. The Dude, from Los Angeles. And even if he's a lazy man - and the Dude was most certainly that. Quite possibly the laziest in all of Los Angeles County, which would place him high in the runnin' for laziest worldwide. Sometimes there's a man, sometimes, there's a man. Well, I lost my train of thought here. But... aw, hell. I've done introduced it enough.