Blood Simple (1984)

	Directed by: Joel Coen	COUNTRY USA GENRE Thriller/Crime NORWEGIAN TITLE Blood Simple RUNNING TIME 97 minutes
	Produced by: Ethan Coen
	Written by: Joel Coen Ethan Coen

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Ray	John Getz
Abby	Frances McDormand
Marty	Dan Hedaya
Private Detective Visser	M. Emmett Walsh
Maurice	Samm-Art Williams

Review

The Coens' first feature is undoubtedly style over substance, as their meticulously plotted murder mystery unfolds in a detached, almost inhuman Texas atmosphere, involving characters who never ask the right questions and instead wrap themselves in curiously artificial dialogue. That being said, the subtler interpersonal dynamics are not the point in Blood Simple – a film in which the visuals and nifty technical aspects are the main contributors to the atmospheric, sometimes disquieting effect. The Coens demonstrate an abundance of flair and imagination through sharp cuts and compositions in subdued lighting, full of long shadows and dreamlike footage, making their debut both appealing and enticing. Unfortunately, there isn't much dramatic heft to the love triangle (especially not the Getz/McDormand relationship) to give it all the depth and potency it could have had, but that doesn't make the final fifteen minutes any less exhilarating. A young and beautiful Frances McDormand is the film's best asset in front of the camera, whereas M. Emmett Walsh's performance verifies Roger Ebert's "Walsh/Stanton" rule.