Beautifully observed vignettes which give believable insights into the lives of early settlers to the Wild West. Ironic, tragic and sometimes comic, each one is entertaining in its own way and serves as a reminder of the harshness of the time.
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unyan1 January 2020
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doveed17 November 2018How do you rate a movie that is very well done, but you just don't connect with it at all? I love the Coen brothers, and I watched this with an open heart. Not every Coen brothers movie knocks it out of the park, but all of them are at least smart and interesting. The same holds true for this one, though I'm sorry to say that I found myself bored throughout most of it.
Six stories is a lot to process in one sitting. The problem for me was that I would be watching one of the segments, trying to understand its significance or find something to appreciate story-wise, and then we moved on to the next tale.
There was nothing wrong with it and I would consider watching it again some time with a fresh perspective. This movie did seem to have a grasp on itself and I trust that the Coens knew what they were doing. It was very unique and beautifully shot, but I think this one ranks low on the Coen's filmography. And if this wasn't a Coen brothers movie, I would probably be more dismissive of it. -
As always from the Coen Brothers, a cleverly written film where the script alone is pure entertainment, and every scene is visually stunning
I also thought there WAS a clear narrative linking each story that became apparent almost immediately, due to what a surprise it was in the first instance, which (SPOILERS) was that the main character dies in every story. Now, I admit that that was not quite the case in "All Gold Canyon" and "The Mortal Remains", but in both instances I thought that pretence was put to good use- When the prospector steels the eggs, you imagine the owl will kill him, when he is then shot by 'mister pocket' you are sure that he must really be dead. In "The Mortal Remains", I felt that it left you hanging deliberately, because any one of the three coach riders could be next.
Once this theme is established, it elevated the suspense as you begin to ask yourself "who will it be?", "Can I get attached to this character?" "How will it happen?"
Ok, well he got out of the last noose, he must be about to get out of this one too.
Will the angelic looking boy somehow overcome his disability and kill his father? Because I really don't want him to die...
This prospector is surely going to the grave, but how?
The happy life these two have the possibility of creating is too lovely for one to die, which makes the love story all the more bitter sweet and beautiful.
Is she going to kill the frenchman? Is the mad trapper going to get them all, like he does ferrets? Is the driver even human? Will a highwayman get them? Ah! Those two are murderers, so how is this going to happen?
It added an extra layer of suspense and more possibilty for twists and turns in the plot, as well as weaving in little lines and details that give the audience slivers of information while making you want to ask even more questions.
Am I the only one who saw this death theme? Or am I completely making it up in my head?!
A very enjoyable film either way. -
The Coen Brothers are some of the most popular and also best movie directors currently working. They created one of my all time favourite movies in The Big Lebowski (1998), and some of the best movies of their respectable decades such as the cult hit Fargo (1996) & the Neo-Noir Western No Country for Old Men (2007). And now they return in 2018, together with Netflix, to present the most unique movie of the year!
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs tells six individual and self contained storys in the Wild West. As usual, the movie looks stunning. It is beautifully shot, has some of the best cinematography of recent years and it's just a joy to watch. Also the composed soundtrack is really fitting. As said, the movie is cut in six minor portions: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Near Aldgones, Meal Ticket, All Golds Canyon, the Gal who got Rattled & the Mortal Remains.
They do not have anything particular in common plot wise, but thematically they all tell the huge story of the Wild West - the dark & crazy, sometimes sad side of it. Because make no mistake, this is a really brutal movie. While the first story is very big on comedic relief, the later chapters get really dark, especially the third having a heartbreaking and strangely poetic ending. The fifth story was probably the most cinematic story, since it told a beautiful little tale that could've been easily explored in a regular film. And the last story is basically only one huge dialogue. It's remarkable at how the Coens write their dialogue - it's eventually only people talking about their lifes and out of nowhere the mood changes into complete danger and suspense. The acting of the over all many performers was great as usual, with especially notable performances by Liam Neeson, Tom Waits & Tim Blake Nelson.
There are a few tiny things that bothered me (would've liked a bit more of Gleeson), but these are minor concerns. The Coens are back with another tightly written, thought provoking and fully enjoyable movie that reflects on not only their recurring themes/patterns of violence & fantastic dialogue but also to tell the huge story of the Wild West in its most heartbreaking fashion.
This is the most unique movie of the year! -
hlahorner17 November 2018Six separate stories of life in the old west, all visually stunning, well written and acted, some more enjoyable than others. The first story, about the namesake Buster Scruggs, is by far the best. Fast, clever dialog, funny and pays homage to classic Westerns. It easily could have been expanded into a full movie. The second story, which is very short, is full of irony and quite good. The next three stories take a bleak and depressing turn, lose the humor and go on much too long. Another reviewer said it best that although they are well done, it's hard to connect to the characters or stories, and ultimately are boring. I hung on hoping some of the dark wit would return, but it never did.
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martinlucas-469-20796823 November 2018I'm truly amazed at the naivety of so many of the reviews here. The Coen brothers don't try to make simple narrative films working within the conventions that so many of their viewers expect. It's ludicrous to say things like story six should have been number five, or to allocate different ratings to the different stories, or even to complain that the red indians are not fairly represented! The Coen brothers are fascinated by the way that over thousands of repetitions, enormous numbers of rules have become hidden away among the narratives that are produced as films, and they love to subvert and play with those hidden rules. One simple example: at the beginning of 'Fargo' a frame appears that says " This film is based on a true story". In fact there is no true story. When asked why they put the statement up, one brother said " because we always wanted to make film that started like that." Now if that sounds like it's somehow cheating or breaking a contract between the viewer and the film makers, ie the opening statement is a fact though the rest of the film is of course actors working through a script, it means you haven't realised there aren't really any rules, just umpteen conventions that have accumulated in popular films especially the Western genre, and blunted their capacity of to make fresh and new connections with us. So, one reviewer says that the first story is a good old fashioned western that they wish had been extended. It's not. Buster is a ludicrous mid 1950' s Gene Autrey like figure. His clothes, even his guitar, are completely anachronistic in the rough tough greasy setting of his segment , his shooting skills are impossible, every element in his story is an outrageous overextension of a traditional western, so, the Coen brothers take the genre forward to a ludicrous conclusion and he abruptly dies and flies off to cheesy bluegrass heaven. We are now a bit unsettled and confused about what might happen in the following segments. Since they are all stunningly realistic with arbitrary insertion of death, disaster, and coincidence we cannot just sit back and work our way through the usual tropes. A bank robber has a miraculous escape from hanging, as they always do in westerns? Nope ten minutes later he'll be at the end of a rope again but this time.. Gotcha! He dies. By now the film has you firmly in its grip, anything can happen, and it does, we can't hide safely behind the settee of our expectations, as brave old prospectors, pathetically disabled actors, cheeky little dogs, occupants of a stage coach, all take their chances in life, and we find that we care!
As the jolly bounty hunter in the stagecoach says, if you can get your quarry drawn into a story you can pounce on him before he knows it. In a Coen brother's film it's quite dangerous to make our usual identifications with key characters, you can't afford to relax.
The underlying message of this film is simple,enjoy the movies, but remember most of the them tell us reassuring lies, a film like 'The Ballad..." that is really trying to reinvigorate Western genre, works to escape the comfortable rules of underlying logic, consequence and fairness, and best of all to remind us that in the end, of course, like most of the key characters in this film, sooner or later, we all die. -
chris-278-20807319 November 2018The first 17 minutes were the highlight, and it went downhill from there. That first segment, "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", was excellent. I could watch an entire movie based on that character, played extremely well by Tim Blake Nelson. It was interesting and funny.
"Near Algodones" kept me interested, and I enjoyed the characters, but there was no take away, so it kind of fell flat.
"Meal Ticket" was worthless and should have been cut altogether. It was extremely boring and sad.
"All Gold Canyon" and "The Gal Who Got Rattled" were enjoyable and interesting. Good characters and beautiful cinematography. Both segments kept my interest.
"The Mortal Remains" had some interesting dialogue but it fell off and didn't seem to have a point.
So one segment was fantastic, three others were pretty good, and two were completely forgettable. A mixed bag, but I generously give it a 6/10. -
ruthann-416 November 2018I am a huge Coen Brothers fan, and a huger Tom Waits fan. This is a little bit of heaven. Take time to watch and make your own mind up. I am so happy that the old times of being tied to a studio is gone. Netflix, et al, has provided us with independent and unique movies. But this particular independent movie hasn't suffered some that other have. This is prime Coen Brothers with an a-list cast.
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frosts-6609113 October 2018I was fortunate enough to see this at the LFF with the Coen brothers present. During their introduction they mentioned how they wrote each chapter as a series of shorts over 25 years, and it certainly felt like this both in good ways and bad. Each story was completely different from the one either side of it and none were short of originality. Stories unfolded in the way only a Coen brother's film could - a style that I have always admired.
What was slightly disappointing was its lack of continuity. Each of the stories are completely contained and the final short was one of the most disappointing for me ending in quite an anticlimax. I understand these shorts are independent of one another but had they intersected in some way I think there could have been a much more satisfying conclusion. But the subversion of that expectation I also admire, my brain was just full of the interesting situations that could have unfolded had these characters come into contact with each other - as per a Tarantino film. It could also have ended with a different short as the 5th story for me (and the gold panning segment) was arguably the best.
Aside from the story itself the film has great visuals, some amazing one liners and incredible acting performances - especially considering the lengths actors went to in order to get into character for just a 20 minutes segment of a film. Overall expect 6 Coen brothers shorts sewn together with the thinest fabric imaginable and a time at the cinema like you haven't had all year. -
This movie has an accumulative effect. The stories range from funny to grim to harrowing to ironic to haunting to horrifying. You barely have time to recover from one before you're thrust into the next one. The format is set up as a dime Western book where we get to see six of the stories. There is a real authentic western feel to them. A real grit.
Bruno Delbonnel's cinematography is spectacular. Wide sweeping vistas, majestic mountains, stylized towns, all beautifully captured. There's also a surreal feel to some the stories. Imagine if 'Pulp Fiction' were all western stories. And on that train of thought, TBoBS succeeds in many areas where 'The Hateful Eight' did not. A great collection of short movies by the Coen Brothers. -
chris-burgess828 November 2018I'm not really sure were I stand with this film, it started off really well, but just went down hill. I liked a couple of the stories, but some are just really weird. The cinematography is excellent. I stuck with it till the very end but was very close to switching it off but something just kept me watching it.
I would say its worth giving it ago, but don't be surprised if you don't like it. -
I've never run into a Coen Brothers movie I didn't like. Their skewed way of looking at the world and placing oddball characters into their stories appeals to me tremendously. This film may not win over fans of traditional Westerns like "True Grit", which the Coens took a crack at almost a decade ago with favorable results. Their anthology approach here is designed to introduce a diverse assortment of tales with only one common element running through all of them - each one produces a dead body! A couple of the deaths don't actually occur on screen, but are offered in ironic juxtaposition to the story in which they took place. Because of the widely (and wildly) diverse nature of the tales, it's kind of difficult to pick out a favorite, if in fact the word 'favorite' even applies.
Each of the chapters in the movie comes with it's own title and introduction, and it starts out on a most favorable note with the appearance of Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson) astride his white horse Dan. He evokes the memory of Gene Autry in countless B Westerns of the Forties and Fifties, coming on the scene while strumming his guitar and singing an upbeat tune. Of all the little episodes, this is the one that plays most as a caricature of the Western genre, and it contains an element I've never seen in over seven or eight hundred Westerns - it has Buster's nemesis, The Frenchman (David Krumholtz) mount his horse from the right side! Seriously, no one EVER mounts a horse from the right side, and I had to wonder if the Coens' goofing with the audience included this little tidbit intentionally.
I'm not going to discuss each of the vignettes offered in the film, or attempt to pick a favorite, because none of them really lend themselves to being particularly likeable in the sense that their resolutions end favorably for the participants. Especially gruesome were the fates of the Artist (Harry Melling) in the segment titled 'Meal Ticket', and that of poor Alice Longabaugh (Zoe Kazan) in 'The Gal Who Got Rattled'. In your traditional Westerns, you'd never have a character like The Artist, and the fate of an Alice Longabaugh would have been anathema for the likes of John Ford or Howard Hawks.
The only story I didn't particularly understand upon a first viewing was the final one called 'The Mortal Remains'. It ends somewhat humorously, but everything leading up to it is mere conversation among stagecoach riders in somewhat antagonistic fashion. I'll have to go back to that one to see if there's something I missed. But overall, I got the biggest kick out of this off beat Western in a way I haven't experienced since 1995's "The Quick and the Dead". Chances are if you liked that one, you'll like this one too, but of course, the opposite could be just as true as well. -
cricketbat31 December 2018I feel like the Coen brothers are daring us to dislike The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. At the end of each one of the unrelated stories I found myself asking, "That's it?" And yet I've thought about this movie more than others I've seen recently. These western sketches stick with you. What's the point? I don't know. But I enjoyed seeing it unfold.
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arlosanchezofficial23 November 2018I have loved the Coen Brothers since I was thirteen years old and have appreciated and admired their craft and style. Every film they make is wildly different from the other, while maintaining that same Coen Brothers feel. When I saw their last outing, 'Hail Caesar,' I felt a pit in my stomach. After so many years of making wholly original and engaging films, have they lost their luster? After watching 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,' I feel like I'm witnessing a slow but steady descent for the Coens.
This movie had my full interest with its first story; the unpredictability of the Buster Scruggs character had me wondering what he was going to do next. I expected him to be a recurring character that tied the stories together, but no such luck. Then came James Franco's story, which had a promising setup, a hilarious bank telling side character, and an abrupt ending that brought the story nowhere. Okay, I'm still interested. Then I was subjected to four horrifically boring segments that all went absolutely nowhere with no satisfying payoffs or memorable moments. I would have described the rest, but I struggle to remember anything about them.
I don't know what the Coen Brothers are doing anymore. What was the point of this movie? Was it to relay that all stories of the Wild West don't have satisfactory payoffs or actual endings? Was this movie a metaphor for greed? I mean, a majority of the characters get into their predicaments over greediness, but again, there's no payoff. The movie doesn't even end on a high note; the final story is just confusing, uneventful and yet presents itself like a revelatory thing. To see this movie get such high praise is baffling. There is no way anyone who enjoys an actual cinematic experience can claim they were interested the entire time. In fact, I'm sure the Coens dumped this film on Netflix because they knew people could fast forward the slower scenes, the sometimes overbearing dialogue and the many, many musical numbers that drag on for much too long and bear little importance to the stories being told. Take off your blinders and chill out-- This is not one of the Coens' best films, and it's most certainly not even close to being one of the best movies of the year.
I hope their next film is a good one. -
alex-125018 November 2018Finally a movie that feels genuine start to finish and a movie that entertains. You are never sure where it starts and where it will end,all the characters immediately feel real without wasting any time. And perhaps most importantly, this is a movie that does not insult your intelligence like almost all other movies do.
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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. I gave it 7 stars, although I feel a second viewing will likely lead to me wishing I had given it 8. It seems that a lot of the reviews here, even the ones that give it high marks, might still be missing the thread of it all. The stories ARE all related, and they are all about death. Every story uniquely captures the moments of a persons life just before their death. What makes all this interesting is the gold miner story and the final story. I think these two episodes really and subliminally distract you from that fact. I don't know, I guess I'm not bringing anything new to the table, I just keep seeing the same comments about how people wished the stories were connected, and that the last two stories were reversed in order. I think once you make the connection, you will see that the stories are connected and the last scene has to be last. It's the only one that takes the viewer to the other side. either that, or I'm seeing things that aren't there...
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portmanrobson12 October 2018This is a fantastic movie - beautifully shot and acted showing the dark and bleakly funny side of the lawless Wild West. If you love the Coen Bros (who doesn't?) then you'll love this.
The movie is made up of six different stories - so you get 6 for the price of 1!
Highly recommend. -
SnoopyStyle7 December 2018The first part has a chipper Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson) who turns out to be a deadly gunslinger. Nelson is such an odd choice for a gunman which only highlights the comedic surrealism of the Coens. It sets a great tone for the rest of the movie.
A nameless cowboy (James Franco) gets caught in a bank robbery. He's strung up to hang when the posse is massacred by Indians. He's left to die when he is rescued by a cowboy leading some cattle. This seems to be the most obviously funny. Franco does some sly humor.
An Impresario (Liam Neeson) takes his armless, legless charge from settlement to settlement as a sideshow where he reads from the classics. This one is kinda boring and repetitive. The actual act is kinda boring, too.
A prospector (Tom Waits) arrives at a remote creek. He's alone in a place without people. He finds gold flakes in the creek bank. I love the beauty and isolation of this natural setting. There is a zen to his digging and the climatic event starts with an intriguing shadow.
Alice Longabaugh (Zoe Kazan) is with her older brother on a westward bound wagon train. It's a tough journey that culminates with a desperate fight against an Indian war party. This section starts rather bland. It seems like it's going for a slow romance when it suddenly turns into a old-fashion fight against the Indians. The fight is tense but it does reek of old westerns where the Indians are nameless savages.
A stagecoach is carrying five passenger and a dead body. The set is static. This one is the least compelling. With no background, the dialogue is meaningless. It's almost background noise. I don't care about these characters and the reveal has no shock value.
The Coen brothers are doing an anthology western. The movie flips through a book where each chapter is presented as a vignette. The last vignette is the most problematic and perplexing. It has few action beats. I can see the guys loving the dark quirkiness but it's not the one to close with. I'd probably close with The Gal Who Got Rattled and its shootout ending. -
philip-davies3121 November 2018I agree with all of the '10 out of 10' reviews here. This is a superb piece of authentic Americana, and a beautiful meditation on the history of the old West.
There is so much in this magnificent film, and all of it i.m.h.o. perfect. It stands far above most contemporary films.
I particularly admire the elegiac tone, which the comically surreal first episode sets up by parodying all the popular dime novel tropes. Once the nonsensical hyperbole of this cheap tradition of stereotypical tall tales is amusingly disposed of, we can proceed with the sheer cinematic poetry that follows.
In so many ways, this film is the definitive Western epic, and the truest and greatest tribute to the heart and soul of that vast American experience that I have yet seen. It captures the grand simplicity of all great things. Yet it is in small, precisely observed details that this Homeric telling of tales channels the immortality of the American West - such details lodging like Indian arrows in the stunned mind.
These recollections are now intimately my own, fixed for all time. At random I see again the hard men, made dangerously irritable by the boredom of sobriety in a ramshackle tavern under the prohibition of their dry County - - - then the burrows of small prairie dogs felling the charging horses of an Indian war-band and thus helping to save a white man's life - - - then the smiling-through-tears of a man condemned by ill-luck to hang for the second time, attempting awkwardly to make conversation with one of his fellows awaiting their fate on the town gallows, who is weeping openly, by asking him, 'This your first time?' - and who in the next moment observes a young woman in the watching crowd who smiles sweetly up at him, as he thinks, 'That's a pretty gal' as if his imminent death were an impossibly distant prospect, whereupon oblivion immediately supervenes - - - then I am amazed and profoundly moved by the spectacle of the performing quadriplegic child-prodigy exploited by a travelling showman, who begins his every performance of literary classics, before unlettered hicks in obscure towns, with Shelley's portrait of total ruin, 'Ozymandias, King of Kings,' until finally this so-styled 'Wingless Thrush' is murderously supplanted when the money-grubbing showman on whom he must absolutely rely for all necessities, owing to his radical handicap, invests in a rival's more profitable attraction, a 'Pythagorean Pecker' of a novelty chicken, who can by trickery be made to seem able to solve mathematical problems - - - then the film takes off Sergio Leone's Italian style of epic Western in an eccentrically contrived bank robbery scene where the bandit is foiled by a cashier armoured by pots and pans hung around his person, as if with the progress of civilisation the domestic use of metals is overcoming the casting of bullets - - - then there is the edible golden yolk of an eagle-owl's egg frying on a pan like that which an ancient prospector in a remote region also uses to pan for crumbs of the mineral that is so much less enriching than the sustenance freely provided by unspoilt nature - - - and then I see that the sole survivor of a tragic household, consisting also of a young brother and sister, who were travelling hopefully West through the savage hazards of the Oregon Trail, is a nervous and unloved little terrier - incongruously named 'President Pierce' after the President who's pro-slavery policies set the stage for Southern secession and the savage bloodletting of the American Civil War - - - and on and on we are conducted along the lost tracks of a America's painful birth, lined with the anonymous and unvisited graves that compose the very soil of it's growth - conveyed, as in a trance, from one breathtaking scene to the next.
The last episode - and they are all linked by Death, as another reviewer here rightly observes - is definitely in it's correct place to sum up, in it's sophisticated and witty dialogue of characters who are trapped aboard an increasingly disturbing stagecoach journey, the sublime tone of our now concluding journey through tragedy, dark comedy and patient endurance, leavened by fugitive glimpses of happiness and hope, glimpsed throughout our progress towards that undiscovered land, indifferently a land of glory and damnation as it is sensed alike by the religious and the profane. This recalls not only Ford's seminal Western, 'Stagecoach,' but even more the European cinema of Victor Sjöström's haunting 'The Phantom Carriage.'
(There is perhaps also something chillingly Kubrickian in the revelation that the hotel at journey's end is an abode of Death, like the 'Overlook' of 'The Shining.' The shooting location for the Overlook Hotel's exterior was in fact Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood in Oregon - Oregon being of course the destination of the pioneer wagon trains.)
The native Americans are here, as well, of course, in their old, unapologetic guise as efficient terrorists dedicated to the starkly simple and inarguable cause of the survival of their people against the unstoppable destiny of the White Man.
Here is the sad and simple truth of the American experience: It does the troubled dream of America credit, and enriches a wondering world with a deeply humane experience.
I cannot praise this magnificent film too highly. -
melm3229112 December 2018A complete waste of time. It's made of at least five separate stories with increasingly dark endings. Until the last which is only slightly dark???
None of them connect. This move is literally Netflix money that is gifted to the Cohen brothers. They use the money to pay good actors to do nothing special.
Literally useless. -
boblipton18 November 2018When they remade TRUE GRIT, the Coen Brothers clearly thought there weren't enough John Ford westerns -- I agree with them -- so they offered the audience one. With THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS they clearly think there aren't enough movies offering the strengths of the classic B and short westerns: open vistas, lone prospectors, wagon trains, bank robbers, cattle rustlers, gunslinging, moralizing singing cowboys who wander the barren west, strumming their "Radio King" guitars for their horses, and five people inside a stage yarning to each other. So they stuck together half a dozen stories, got their usual assortment of top talent and offered them to us. I am extremely grateful.
Their cinematographer, Bruno Delbonnel, offers us a variety of lighting. I was most impressed by his choices for "The Girl Who Got Rattled", which is staged like posters for WESTWARD THE WOMEN and lit like the covers for Louis Lamour paperbacks in the 1960s. There's an air of artificiality that pervades the movie. That's common enough for the Coens, who like to mock their dead cinematic peers, but. like HAIL, CAESAR shows their fondness for their subject. -
As several people have mentioned, this is an anthology of short stories about the old West, with no character or plot continuity among them. Some of them are strikingly good, but the great majority, particularly the second-to-the-last one about a wagon train, also have sad or tragic endings. Only the one about panning for gold, with Tom Waits as the main character, can truly be said to end happily. I realize a happy ending is a cliche and not necessarily required in a movie, but an anthology of stories, almost all of them tragic, left me feeling impressed, but rather bleak.
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tiki_chik16 November 2018I went into this collection with no way of knowing what I was getting into. I laughed so hard at certain points I thought I was going to pee my pants. Not too long after, I found myself sob out loud, once, in total heartbreak. I can't say I'm surprised that one or two critiques have lolled over their lazy brains to call this 'slow'...unless someone is having gratuitous sex and fouling up their ears with unnecessary explicates, few people can find entertainment in the quiet intensity between people when nothing is spoken. There is beauty in these vignettes. Realization and laughter and a myriad of emotional wealth if people would slow down for a half a minute and allow themselves to FEEL. Well done, Cohen brothers. Well done.
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rorymarsh0013 October 2018The Coen Brothers have a catalogue spanning multiple genres and time periods, the vast majority of which considered landmarks in the cinematic landscape of the 1990's and 2000's. With the release of the enjoyable yet troubled 'Hail, Ceaser', however, they hit a speedbump. Whilst this anthology film is definitely a step above their 2016 effort, it shares many of the pitfalls which, for all its credit, remain as noticeable as ever. Being an anthology film, each segment is isolated in it's own narrative, with no overarching plot or recurring characters, granting a certain creative freedom, but also significantly weakening lesser sections which, when not completely immersing the audience, appear more an unnecessary dampener than a valid contribution to this jamboree. The titular section, 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs', opens the picture, presenting a jovial incarnation of the Wild West complete with musical numbers, a metatheatrical performance from the infallible Tim Blake Nelson, and a surrealist edge absent from the remaining episodes. This proves more of a fantastical approach, with creative action sequences and a charming lead. Whilst it features the most Coenesque feel, it serves more as a breezy opener, than the real meat of the piece - a welcome introduction back to the Coen-dictated West. The shortest sequence is the James Franco starring 'Near Algodones', which serves as the action-packed counterpart to the aforementioned fantasy-musical of Buster Scruggs. The comedic moments here are pitch-perfect, with engrossing sequences to boot, however, our time with these characters is all too brief to make it anything more. Following close suit is by far the weakest portion of the film, Liam Neeson's 'Meal Ticket'. Here, the Brothers take an almost non-dialogic approach, instead utilising visual storytelling to comprehensive, oft-comedic, but ultimately repetitive effect. There's little to say of the narrative, featuring recurring Coen quirk, but little more. The final three portions are the strongest additions to this anthology, each gaining a longer runtime and for good reason. The characters appear far more engrossing and the tone more serious, which is no bad thing. 'All Gold Canyon' is gorgeously shot, providing a vastly different colour pallet and an expose on the harsher sides to living in the West, with Tom Waits perhaps proving the best addition to the cast. 'The Gal Who Got Rattled' likely shares the most with Westerns of old, blending character-centred drama with beautifully executed and tense action sequences, and featuring a warm turn from Bill Heck. Finally, 'The Mortal Remains' proves the most ambitious and starkly unique segment, crafting an almost Beckettian atmosphere with infinite metaphorical value and an assortment of expertly acted characters that finely blend a concoction of tension and side-splitting humour. It stands out like a sore thumb from its predecessors, but may be the freshest addition to the anthology, ending the film on a melancholic yet intriguing note. 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' accurately portrays the Coen's love for the Western genre, allowing them to create a series of vignettes exploring areas of the genre that otherwise remained untouched. Blending a musical, an action film, black comedy, drama, epic and existential think-piece together in an incoherent yet delightful feature, this may not be a whole they are remembered for, but certainly features parts that will remain evergreen in their catalogue. If only the opening three segments were stronger, this could have been a standout. Furthermore, they incite excitement for the Coen's to develop another serious feature, a la 'No Country for Old Men', as it affirms that this is where they excel.
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jjordmaniakk26 October 2018He way The Ballad of Buster Scruggs subverts any type of label is a credit to the writing ability of the Coen brothers. After 30 years of filmmaking, they have moved into new territory yet again, creating an anthology with stories that define any label or genre. Each chapters is taken from a book, where a basic visual effect is used as the cryptic words in the book fade as the desert of the West comes into focus, the mountains providing an incredible looking environment.
Chapter one of this anthology is short and gets to its point quickly. We meet Scruggs, whose singing and guitar playing is something to behold. Dressed in all white, the 'good guy', this chapter is filled with violence and gun-slinging, the Coens having fun and paying tribute to John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, and other classics of the genre. Of course though, there is a Coen twist to this homage.
Tim Blake Nelson is Scruggs, the singing cowboy, but when he enters a saloon, the people around him are touchy, dangerous and aren't impressed with Scrugg's singing. The burst of violence that soon follows is not only amazing to watch, the script is flawless as laughs are almost a guarantee: the singing cowboy cracking wise with his overly optimistic attitude while he uses his six shooter to effect. However, he then meets a fellow singing cowboy, this one dressed in all black. Played by James Franco, he nails his role in this new territory for him. The interaction and chemistry between the two is beyond interesting as we wonder how their meeting is going to end.
The chapters slowly get longer as the overall themes come into focus. The chapters are, at its core, about life and death. There is death in every chapter, while life causes the basic human instinct to fire: fight or flight, to try and survive at all costs even if violence is required. It is a constant theme that connects each short story, with a dark cloud always above.
The second chapter features Franco again, this time in a precarious position. Laughs are still apparent while again and explosion of violence hits the screen. Franco manages to free himself, only to decide to try and rob a bank.
We next see an old man hunting for gold near a river, pick and shovel in hand as he tries to track down his goal. The scene of his glimpses towards his methodical hunt is long and patient, the camera placed perfectly to capture his reactions and also what he has found. Again, this chapter ends with another violent encounter.
The next scene is rather disturbing, as Liam Neeson as an Impresario has his armless and legless (and possibly his son) perform on stage. It is another desperate need for survival as the Impresario tries to gather money from audience members, whose numbers begin to swindle. There are many scenes of the child singing the same song, showing just how many times he performs. But again, the ending of the the chapter is deeply unsettling and again displays the human instinct to survive.
Next is the best and longest chapter of the film. We see a convey of carts crossing a dry desert. A woman is heading in their direction and becomes a part of the group. The ride through the desert is long and hard, and survival instincts again take over. When native Americans attack, more violence erupts as arrows and bullets fly, with some of the violence again funny in a very black way. The chapter ends much like those that preceded it.
Lastly, a cart ride in the dark, with five strangers, is incredibly awkward and again patient as different conversations render the ride long, yet interesting. It is eventually made apparent that two of the passengers know each other, and happen to be bounty hunters. Yet again, this chapter ends on an extremely somber note that provokes discussion. This is an anthology that needs to be watched many times over. Much like many of their previous films.
Each chapter of the book is excellent in its telling of a story within a short time, meanwhile the cinematography of both the characters and the incredible backdrops, not to mention the script, mark this as a instantly recognisable Coen film. It is new territory, and unsurprisingly the result is a success, as it is thoughtful, emotional, and certainly a step up from Hail Ceaser. This film is one of the best creations from the brothers. This is amazingly unique, unlike any film or anthology in existence.