Rating of
3/4
"Blood Simple" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 12/31/11
When a sleazy private eye becomes entangled in a love triangle between a bar owner, his wife and employee, events take a sinister and bloody turn. The Coen brothers first film features a cast of excellent character actors rather than Hollywood "stars". The low budget feel actually adds to the atmosphere of the piece, a seediness permeating the proceedings; the burial scene is particularly unsettling. Barry Sonnenfeld's photography is stark and steeped in shadows following the best traditions of film noir, and the plot has a grittiness that has more in common with the hard boiled noirs of the 40s and 50s than more contemporary thrillers. In some ways it is their most mainstream film as it lacks the quirkiness that became their trademark, but it's a fine debut.
