Before the Coen brothers made their highly lauded film of crime, murder, and Minnesotan politeness, Fargo, which featured enough twists and turns to delight even the most jaded purveyors of its respective genres, they created Blood Simple. It’s a small film, similar to Fargo in its tendency to introduce new wrinkles to a story that already features characters of less-than-noble intentions, and it’s a work of brooding atmospheric brilliance. The story, on the other hand, suffers from plotting issues at the outset before it ratchets the tension and drama into high gear and becomes a nail biting thriller with great performances by Frances McDormand and M. Emmet Walsh.
Ray (John Getz) and Abby (McDormand) have no illusions about their affair, it’s pretty clear that Abby’s husband Julian (Dan Hedaya) has an inkling of what’s transpiring between the two of them. To get his proof, Julian hires the sleazy private detective Loren (Walsh) who succeeds in getting photographic evidence of their illicit activities at a hotel only to be hired for a follow-up service that sets into motion a chain of events that will leave a trail of evidence and bodies in its wake. In the end, no one is innocent and everyone gets a fair amount of blood on their hands, figuratively and literally.
If you’ve grown weary of crime thrillers and procedurals that insist on high-tech forensics and obvious plot twists to keep things “interesting”, it’s amazing how a film from 1984 seems to forego all of it and still works off of minute details and compelling character motivations to create an involving story filled with characters who are at once despicable and yet engrossing. As much as Ray and Abby are defined as our protagonists attempting to pursue a love whose path is obstructed by Julian, who initially seems little more than a domineering sleaze of a businessman, by the film’s climax, the lovebirds don’t look nearly as innocent and Julian seems deserving of sympathy. Yes, he’s a crook hiding behind a legitimate business, but he’s on the wrong end of two raw deals whose consequences he simply doesn’t deserve. Conversely, Loren emerges as more than just a simple investigator for hire but rather a ruthless bloodhound, whose meticulous plotting and covering of his own tracks define everyone he works with as a potential trail back to him.
Just as Fargo receives more recognition than Blood Simple, Frances McDormand’s role in the Minnesotan caper often overshadows her work here, even though Blood Simple was the film that put her on the map. The character of Abby is a complex construction that simultaneously exhibits the vulnerability and an initial squeamishness at the thought of murder, only to be overrode as the danger of her situation bears down on her and she loses her inhibitions in order to save her own life. To call her a femme fatale seems off, even if she is the woman who drew Ray into the dangerous path of Julian’s ire and the murderous agenda that followed, because she doesn’t have some cunning overarching motivation – she just wants to get out from under Julian’s thumb. She might not be as well kept in Ray’s care, but she’ll escape Julian’s possession and that’s what she wants.
Where the noir element truly arises is the dark canvas upon which the story is set and the cinematography that harkens back to many classic noirs. The Coen’s did well in recreating the visual aesthetic as well as the atmosphere of the story being set in a simpler time, with moments like Julian’s meeting with Walsh at a scenic lookout point feeling reminiscent of many 50s era noirs. Once Blood Simple gets past its poorly defined opening third, it dives into darkness in its final two acts, and it doesn’t look back; at which point it feels like a quintessential noir. The character archetypes may have been updated to reflect a more modern approach to sexuality, but there’s no denying the mold that shaped this thriller.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Despite being the first film written and directed by the Coen brothers, there’s surprisingly little on this Blu-ray release, and certainly not as much as you’d expect to find 27 years later. All we get is an audio commentary featuring Kenneth Loring of Forever Young Films; not even a statement or reflection from the Coens themselves. The film’s theatrical trailer is the only other feature.
"Blood Simple" is on sale August 30, 2011 and is rated R. Crime, Thriller. Directed by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen. Written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen. Starring Dan Hedaya, Frances McDormand, John Getz, M Emmet Walsh.
