The Dude Registers

The Cap'n has been spending the bulk of this semester mumbling "just get through this, next semester will be better", because fall 2009 has been underwhelming. Spring 2010, on the other hand, sounds like it could be a lot of fun, and today it finally declared "BEST FINAL SEMESTER EVER" when the one film theory professor I like came back from sabbatical to teach a 527 Class.

What's the title of MST 527-01*?

The Auteur(s): Joel and Ethan Coen

I haven't taken a film class in more than a year, but it's nice to be able to wind out my undergraduate career studying the collected body of work from the Coen Brothers. Details about the class are kind of hazy; Dr. Adams was taking the 2009-2010 year off to work on a book, but the Media Studies department cajoled him into teaching the Auteur class next semester. I know I have my own ideas about what I'd like to see.

For example, I'd like to watch Sturges' Sullivan's Travels before O Brother Where Art Thou, or to do some semi-serious study of the genres the brothers Coen dissect in their films prior to watching them. Instead, I sense we'll probably just cover film noir, particularly as it relates to Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, and The Man Who Wasn't There (and I suppose Fargo). Surely The Big Lebowski will get its day in court (I have to keep reminding people that in 1998 nobody thought Lebowski held a candle to Fargo), and I assume Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, No Country for Old Men, and A Serious Man will get their due.

On the other hand, I have a sneaking suspicion that Burn After Reading, The Hudsucker Proxy, Intolerable Cruelty, and The Ladykillers will be brushed aside in order to focus on "serious" Coen fare, if not dismissed entirely. I'm not the biggest fan of Cruelty or The Ladykillers, but there is merit in studying the misfires that bridge The Man Who Wasn't There to No Country for Old Men. I've never understood why Hudsucker doesn't get the props it deserves, and I contend that one of these days, with enough time removed, Burn After Reading has the potential to attain a cult status not dissimilar to that of The Dude.

Seriously! When The Big Lebowski came out, it was not the phenomenon it is today. I'm going to link Roger Ebert's review, which should give you some idea of the critical reaction. Essentially, the film was considered to be too weird, to rambling, but generally entertaining and forgettable. The consensus was "well, it's no Fargo", which is exactly how Burn After Reading was compared to No Country for Old Men. People always seem to forget that this is how the Coens operate; they seldom make the same kind of movie twice (if ever) and tonally you can expect pretty wild fluctuations from film to film.

For example, take their next project, which follows A Serious Man: a remake / re-adaptation of True Grit. Jeff Bridges is onboard playing Rooster Cogburn (for those keeping track, the John Wayne role) with Matt Damon and Josh Brolin rumored to be joining the cast soon. I have no idea what the tone of the film will be. Joel and Ethan Coen are also working on Hail Caesar, which may or may not still have George Clooney appearing again for the brothers.

In the mean time, I'm looking forward to taking this class in preparation for graduate studies. I'm really hoping to go to Chicago, and tomorrow I'll share some of the classes their graduate program is offering next year.


* Yeah, I know. It went from BCN to MST, and even though it stands for Media Studies, we all know what MST really means...