The Coen Brothers work has been around since the '80s, but this is some of their finest work.
With 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' making its way into the Oscars, and talk that the unofficial spin-off to 'The Big Lebowski' may hit screens this year, we're looking back over the Coens' filmography.
From the early days of 'Blood Simple' all the way up to 'Hail, Caesar!' and 'A Serious Man', the Coens have made a career out of subverting genres, laser-sharp dialogue, and an innate understanding of morality plays.
Here's five of their best scenes.
5. 'True Grit' - "I don't like you."
It's no secret that the Coen Brothers' incredible visuals are helped by Roger Deakins. The veteran cinematographer has worked in most of their films and they've been the better for it. 'True Grit' has this wonderful colour palette of earthy browns and greens running through it. There's no sharp colours in it, rather a hodge-podge of natural tones which makes it all the more real and authentic. One scene that stands out is the when Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) is being brought on horseback through the night by Jeff Bridges' hard-edged marshal. It's an incredible scene and is visually stunning. This scene, however, is hugely violent and fits in with the themes of vengeance and justice that 'True Grit' delves into. Bridges steps up and in one, swift move shows how dangerous his character is.
4. 'Fargo' - "Little guy, kinda funny-looking."
'Fargo' is one of those films that's so understated, it's beautiful. Frances McDormand plays a heavily-pregnant cop on the hunt for two kidnappers, played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stromare. However, the plot has been orchestrated by a bumbling car dealer who's out for the reward money on his wife. This scene, however, is what makes 'Fargo' great. Two Minnesotans yammering on about the weather and also a "funny-looking" guy who - as it turns out - is central to the story. And it's done in one take.
3. 'The Big Lebowski' - "Yeah, well, y'know, that's just, like, your opinion, man."
As mentioned, the Coen Brothers' ear for dialogue is unparalleled. Even more, however, is their eye for casting. Even small roles in their films are expertly cast. Take Jesus Quintana. He's literally got two, three scenes in this film yet everybody knows them so well, to the point that there as quotable as anything from Jeff Bridges or John Goodman. John Turturro would become a regular Coen Brothers' actor, but this scene is his best. Nobody f*cks with the Jesus.
2. 'The Hudsucker Proxy' - "...and they dock ya!"
Although 'The Hudsucker Proxy' is sometimes overlooked in the Coens' output, it's still a solid screwball comedy. It has everything that the Coen Brothers are known for - zany characters, snappy dialogue, a heartwarming story and fantastic casting. Paul Newman is the CEO of Hudsucker Industries who hires mailroom employee Tim Robbins to lead the company after its owner commits suicide. Newman's plan is to sink the company stock so he and the board and can buy the company back cheaply. Taking a leaf out of '40s screwball comedies, it's a bit wordy and over-the-top in places. Case in point - this scene.
1. 'No Country For Old Men' - "All the time you spend trying to get back what's been took from you, more's going out the door."
Dialogue has always been a central part of the Coen Brothers work. It's often whip-smart, pacy and clever. However, with 'No Country For Old Men', the whole film is about economy. It's all about long looks, slow burning scenes and sparse dialogue. However, this scenes is probably the wordiest of the movie. Tommy Lee Jones' character, Ed Tom Bell, comes to speak with Ellis, played by the incomprable Barry Corbin. The exact nature of their relationship isn't mentioned, but it's clear they know each other well. It's dark, rich with meaning, but most of all, human. The manner in which they talk about violence, and the futility of it, is philosophical - but with an intimacy that's understated and devastating.