What the Coen Brothers are reading
October 31, 2008 12:02 AM Subscribe
Pitching an upper-division English course on Literature and Film. Would like to focus on the films of the Coen Brothers, but need suggestions of novels, short stories, plays, etc. to pair with their movies. Any suggestions?
Sometimes, other versions of the class pairs film adaptations with the original work. That could work for No Country for Old Men and O Brother, Where Art Thou? / Odyssey. Other times, people teach films and texts that are related by genre or theme.
So, suggestions for literature that could be taught alongside Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Burn after Reading, Miller's Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy, Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasn't There, Intolerable Cruelty or (gasp) The Ladykillers?
Sometimes, other versions of the class pairs film adaptations with the original work. That could work for No Country for Old Men and O Brother, Where Art Thou? / Odyssey. Other times, people teach films and texts that are related by genre or theme.
So, suggestions for literature that could be taught alongside Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Burn after Reading, Miller's Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy, Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasn't There, Intolerable Cruelty or (gasp) The Ladykillers?
And, apparently, The Yiddish Policeman's Union!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:30 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:30 AM on October 31, 2008
Ethan explicitly compares Burn After Reading to Allen Drury's novel Advise and Consent, which won a Pulitzer in 1960.
posted by hansfriedrich at 12:35 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by hansfriedrich at 12:35 AM on October 31, 2008
Flannery O'conner and Carson McCullers. Done deal.
Really? Ain't read anything of theirs? So sorry.
posted by sourwookie at 12:41 AM on October 31, 2008
Really? Ain't read anything of theirs? So sorry.
posted by sourwookie at 12:41 AM on October 31, 2008
BTW: You're search term is "Southern Gothic" Enjoy.
posted by sourwookie at 12:46 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by sourwookie at 12:46 AM on October 31, 2008
The Big Sleep would be a natural counterpart for The Big Lebowski.
posted by Sonny Jim at 1:39 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by Sonny Jim at 1:39 AM on October 31, 2008
It is a bit unclear to me what the purpose of the class is, it seems like there is an a priori claim to the Coen brothers films being worthy of study but then seeking some justification or proof as to why that would be. I would think that a valuable way to proceed would be to decide what it is that makes the Coen brothers worthy of a class devoted to their work and then use any themes or ideas to emphasize or conflict with those ideas. Simply using the works that in some ways seem to influence them stills leaves the purpose of the activity vague to me. (I don't doubt that there very well might be a definitive purpose, just that it hasn't been made clear in the post.)
That said; I think some Ring Lardner, Dorothy Parker, H.L. Mencken George S. Kaufman or other Algonquiners or early twentieth century writers noted for their humor might also be enlightening in regards to some stylistic choices in their comedies, and when combined with some Chandler or Hammett and some Southern Gothic you will come close to showing the origins of the peculiar style. If you want to branch further afield, some Freud or writers dealing with Freudian notions wouldn't be a bad idea either, especially for their earliest films which seem rife with imagery that suits that symbolic context.
posted by mr.grum at 2:31 AM on October 31, 2008
That said; I think some Ring Lardner, Dorothy Parker, H.L. Mencken George S. Kaufman or other Algonquiners or early twentieth century writers noted for their humor might also be enlightening in regards to some stylistic choices in their comedies, and when combined with some Chandler or Hammett and some Southern Gothic you will come close to showing the origins of the peculiar style. If you want to branch further afield, some Freud or writers dealing with Freudian notions wouldn't be a bad idea either, especially for their earliest films which seem rife with imagery that suits that symbolic context.
posted by mr.grum at 2:31 AM on October 31, 2008
Or perhaps more to the point, are you looking for works with similar themes? Similar styles? Possible influences? Or works that provide more of a contrast to the style of the Coens? And are you looking for these sorts of generalized suggestions or specific works matched with specific films? I am intrigued by the topic and would like to help, but I'm a little confused as to what would help.
posted by mr.grum at 5:41 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by mr.grum at 5:41 AM on October 31, 2008
Blood Simple has a sort of Jim Thompson/Charles Willeford vibe.
posted by box at 6:07 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by box at 6:07 AM on October 31, 2008
The term 'Blood Simple' was coined by Dashiell Hammett in his novel, Red Harvest. Red Harvest was also used as inspiration (along with some other Hammett novels) for Miller's Crossing. In fact the premise of setting two gangs against each other is the main plot of Red Harvest. Your students would also probably find it surprising to read a novel from the Twenties that was so raw and violent.
posted by Caius Marcius at 6:50 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by Caius Marcius at 6:50 AM on October 31, 2008
How about Ethan Coen's short stories? I listened to them on audio a few years ago and liked them a lot.
posted by booth at 7:15 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by booth at 7:15 AM on October 31, 2008
I've heard that Dashiel Hammett's Red Harvest and The Glass Key were loose inspirations for Miller's Crossing.
posted by mattholomew at 8:43 AM on October 31, 2008
posted by mattholomew at 8:43 AM on October 31, 2008
The various con men, deadbeats, and bumpkins of the Coen Brothers' funnier movies are pulled straight out of O. Henry's short stories -- their dialogue in particular.
(Incidentally, if you're talking to somebody who's in a position to teach an upper-division English course, isn't it a bit insulting to presume that they don't know the first thing about Flannery O'Connor and Carson McCullers?)
posted by cobra libre at 10:22 AM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
(Incidentally, if you're talking to somebody who's in a position to teach an upper-division English course, isn't it a bit insulting to presume that they don't know the first thing about Flannery O'Connor and Carson McCullers?)
posted by cobra libre at 10:22 AM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]
The Oddysey is the basis for O Brother.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:24 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by oneirodynia at 3:24 PM on October 31, 2008
Oh, besides Raymond Chandler, James M Cain has been cited (by them) as an influence. They also have mentioned City of Nets as being the basis for the idea behind Barton Fink.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:30 PM on October 31, 2008
posted by oneirodynia at 3:30 PM on October 31, 2008
WP Mayhew, a character in Barton Fink, is based on Faulkner. The class could not only read one of Faulkner's novels, but also view one of the movies he wrote during his brief tenure as a Hollywood screenwriter. His notable successes in that field were The Big Sleep and To Have and Have Not, but maybe one of his failures would be more relevant to the way the character is portrayed in Fink.
Also, I've always thought Fargo owed a lot to In Cold Blood.
posted by Acetylene at 11:00 PM on November 1, 2008
Also, I've always thought Fargo owed a lot to In Cold Blood.
posted by Acetylene at 11:00 PM on November 1, 2008
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posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:26 AM on October 31, 2008