Compare and Contrast Film True Grit (2010) and The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) - Essay Example

The Unique Brothers Since 1984, the Coen brothers (Ethan and Joel) have been renown for coming up with films as they  thumb their noses at the traditional genre boundaries. Bouncing from the film Noir to the screwball comedy, then the indies massive budget studio pieces, the two have been functioning as a two-man director-writer-editor-producer Sibling Team. The Coen brothers are renown for the meticulous planning, not least their incredibly well detailed storyboards they often create for each of the short films.

Through this, they save on time in the process of production as they show their cinematographer what they exactly want done making their films look unbelievably cool. Certainly, few would deny the fact that these two brothers are among the acclaimed filmmakers of their own generation. Yet some of their work seems not to have resonated as loudly at the office as with most critics. Some of the critics lay claims that these film makers tend to dwell much on depression and negative themes. This could be argued for the two obscure films; The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), and True Grit (2010).

It argues that the two movies resonate well in terms of various elements. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the two films with a focus on the style of these iconic directors, whether or not they share narrative, photographic styles, characters, and the signature they share.   The Coen brothers have a number of acclaimed movies to their name. The source of this acclaim is due to their unique approach to writing and directing films. They seem to possess an innate intrinsic ability to transform mediocre pieces into movies that generate high interests with audiences.

One of these elements they so frequently use is that of absurdism. A majority of their films, if not all, are characterized by the protagonist desiring something more than they need. This, in turn, forms a core element in the comparison of films by the Coen brothers. The cause of conflict in both films, if not all their films, is the fact that the protagonists desire something that is, by all means, considerably extreme. This inciting feature, in both films, is a source of captivation characterizing both films.

In The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), the protagonist engages in blackmail in order to open up a dry cleaning business. He had no funds to finance his dream venture, thus engaging in something exceedingly extreme. On the other hand, in the True Grit (2010), the protagonist desires retribution for her father’s merciless and careless killing. In this endeavor, she hires a burnt out marshall to abet in tracking and ultimately killing the perpetrator. This, again, is a case of a protagonist desiring something exceedingly extreme.

This style has played a significant part in elevating the brothers to the status of high class Hollywood directors. This need for extreme want is classically the central rationale for the demise of the protagonists. In the case of Ed, the barber, in The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), his extreme want lands him in jail. While in the case of Mattie, in True Grit (2010), she ends up hurt from a snake bite while narrowly escaping death. Most audiences relate with her pain and ambitions; however, the tension in the film is hinged on her age.

One key feature that characters both films is the aspect of authenticity and hence credibility. The directors are able to create authentic characters whose credibility is unquestionable. Aside from this feature of similarity of style, the title of the films is also pegged on the same rationale. The titles tend to resonate with the main theme of the film. In The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), the title tends to highlight on the character traits of the protagonists. All through his daily routines is pictured as the man who is invisible.

He somewhat blends with the background. In the barber shop owned by his brother-in-law, he is the man who just cuts hair; so much so that clients tend to confide in him, private matters. This is exemplified by the scene where His wife’s boss opens up on the blackmail he is undergoing. Additionally, his invisibility is demonstrated by the manner in which his clients only refer to him as the barber. His only existence is via his occupation. In True Grit (2010), the protagonist is characterized by a fearless temperament of dealing with people that stand in the way of achieving her goals.

The title is thus a reference to the true grit of the teenager. Another style, employed by the directors that is unique in both movies is the use of contradiction. In essence, both protagonists tend to divert from societal expectations. In True Grit (2010), society expects a fourteen year old girl to revert to their bedrooms and mourn their fathers. However, in this case, the fourteen year old girl embarks on a mission of retribution. She first settles her father’s accounts with a lawyer and then embarks on this mission.

In The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), society expects a man to get angry, disappointed and depressed on realizing that a spouse is having an affair. However, the protagonist, Ed Crane, is only slightly angry. He seizes this opportunity to blackmail her boss for cash. A superb aspect in both films is the level of cinematography that has been employed. This is via the director Roger Deakins. They magnificently thrust the viewer back in time. In The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), the directors use black and white cinematography to thrust the viewer back to the mode of life in the 140?s era. In the same way, The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) the viewer is taken back to the western days.

The quality cinematography gives the film the authenticity needed to achieve such a daring quest. The Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, are renowned for their unique approach to writing and directing unique films, which border on comedy and drama. As such, these aspects have also been demonstrated in the two films. Their approach makes it easy to distinguish their work from other contemporary film creations. Time will tell if these movie geniuses will risk directing a Sci-Fi movie. References Coen, E. C. (Director). (2001). The Man Who Wasn't There [Motion Picture]. Coen, E. C.

(Director). (2010). True Grit [Motion Picture].