Of the movies I’ve watched so far for the challenge, this is one that I’ve studied the most next to Jaws. In fact, it’s probably been studied even more than Jaws as I taught it alongside the Odyssey when I taught English. O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which has a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, is a movie I’ve seen twenty-plus times, but I got to introduce it to a friend who’d never seen it.
O Brother, Where Art Though? is a journey movie following Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Pete Hogwallop (John Turturro), and Delmar O’Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson) as they escape prison to recover a treasure that Everett has buried in an area that is about to be turned in to a lake. They meet many people along the way, some friends and some foes that add intrigue to the quest and push the group to their breaking point. The story parallels The Odyssey in many ways, but requires no knowledge of the source material in order to make it enjoyable and add in some amazing music and this film is a success.
I can’t pick a single character in this movie as the trio works so well off each other that picking one doesn’t seem fair. The performances are great and some of the little repetitions used for humor like “Damn, we’re in a tight spot!” and “Want some gopher” crack me up. The film’s dialogue is a fun ride as Everett never shuts up and Pete often seems lost at all the words being flung his direction. The ever-persistent optimism of Delmar is always a pleasant counter to the arguing often held by the other two leads.
My favorite scenes in the film definitely revolve around John Goodman’s character Big Dan Teague. Representing Polyphemus from the Odyssey, the scenes feature some great moments and he is one of the bigger antagonists in the film. I don’t want to spoil this film for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but their first meeting doesn’t end entirely well for the trio. Everett’s role in the scene is contrary to the character as he doesn’t seem to understand what exactly is happening until it is far too late. It’s very memorable and quite comedic on John Goodman’s part.
This is definitely a fun film with some great songs. The look is beautiful as is the norm for a Coen film. I give O Brother Where Art Though an 8 out of 10 soggy bottoms.
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