The Movie to End All Other Movies

Rating: 10/10 (27 October 2019)

This my absolute favourite film of all time. I love most of the Coen brothers' work, but this is their masterpiece. I love films that have a strong sociopolitical message but are not melodramatic and instead bring it in a more fun or subtle way. This film delivers great commentary in promoting pacifism and nihilism, but at the same time it's a hilarious comedy, and a parody of the neo-noir genre (even the title itself is a nod to neo-noir, referring to the 1946 noir classic "The Big Sleep"). And most importantly, it does all those things perfectly.
"The Big Lebowski" is a film about nothing, but that's kind of the point. Like in film noir, the plot is overcomplicated. Even the Coen brothers themselves have admitted to not even being able to entirely follow it. It's about the journey, man. The crime in this case is very ironic and satirical. Our 'detective' is a slacker who calls himself "The Dude" and spends his days bowling and smoking weed. Our crime is that said Dude is the victim of theft: his rug has been micturated upon and stolen. And that makes The Dude very upset, because it really tied his room together. Much potential for comedy in that plot, and the script more than delivers. Almost every line in the film is laugh-out-loud funny and the actors in the film all have brilliant comedic timing. Superb casting.
In this film, the Coen brothers seriously criticise the war. The Dude's sidekick, Walter, is a Vietnam war veteran and look what it did to him. The poor guy is seriously disturbed. It is even mentioned that The Dude's disabled name double, Jeffrey Lebowski, is in a wheelchair because of the war.
The film also conveys the message that money doesn't buy happiness (which is a theme the Coen brothers have played with in most of their films). Almost all the characters (even the self-proclaimed 'nihilists') are after money and nothing good comes of it in the end.
In the end, the Coen brothers are promoting The Dude's pacifist and abstemious lifestyle.
"The Big Lebowski" is a perfect film that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good comedy. Everything in this film stands out, from the acting to the writing to the music to Roger Deakins' fantastic cinematography (those dream sequences!). 10/10