No Country For Old Men Contextualised

The film is based of the 2005 novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy which centres around the violence associated with the drug trade at the border between the U.S and Mexico. The film strays from the book in a few regards, choosing to keep the plot somewhat unresolved at the end, for example, not explaining what happened to the drug money. It does share some qualities though, such as the persistence of Anton, who eventually escapes, leaving Bell contemplating his place in the modern world.

The directors, Joel and Ethan Coen, are known for producing darkly comedic, rural crime thrillers. In the film, they utilise minimal sound design and editing to raise tension through the simplicity of how the scenes are presented to us, allowing the audience to become immersed in the atmosphere and enthralled by the slow buildup, which the Brothers take their time with establishing, before a short but explosive, bloody climax. Roger Deakins, the cinematographer, is recognisable for his use for dark lighting, characterised by strong shadows and sharp contrast tween light and dark, to raise suspense and tension through the films visuals.

As a pair of auteur directors, the brothers have much creative control (Roderick Jaynes edited No Country For Old Men, a fictional name made up as a disguise for the films actual editors, Joel and Ethan Coen), there are reoccurring motifs throughout their filmography. Their films often take place in rural Southern American, dry, expansive landscapes where morally grey characters driven typically by money are hunted by psychopathic hitmen, involving surreal dream sequences and shocking climaxes, and also use reoccurring actors like Frances McDormand and John Goodman. Their films are almost always crime-centred, following immoral characters with dry senses of humour that results in the films often holding qualities of dark comedies. No Country For Old Men makes few attempts to be funny.

They have won many awards, No Country For Old Men winning four like best adapted screenplay and best director, three BAFTA awards and two Golden Globe wins, so fifteen wins overall, with 101 nominations overall (for all of the previously mentioned awards). Their films tend to turn profits, e.g The Big Lebowski had a budget of $15 million and made $46.7 million, No Country For Old Men had $25 million and made $171.6 million, O’ Brother Where Art Thou had $26 million and made $72 million.