The Coen brothers’ third feature film, 1990’s Miller’s Crossing, once again pays tribute to the hard boiled noirs of old, much like their first motion picture, Blood Simple..
Set during the Prohibition Era, the story draws us into the beginnings of an all out gang war. The unofficial king of the city is aging Irishman Leo (Albert Finney), a well connected guy who often leans on his right hand man, Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne), for advice and leadership amongst his pack of goons. Tom is a degenerate gambler going through a rough patch.
The man challenging the kingpin is Italian-American Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito), an equally violent man with an unusual and rather skewed view on ethics. His sidekick is the ominous and quite quiet Eddie Dane (J.E. Freeman). The straw that breaks the camel’s back and causes the turf war is that Leo is not willing to give Caspar his blessing in killing a bookie named Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro) – who has slighted the man.
Further complicating things, Leo has fallen head over heels in love with the much younger Verna (Marcia Gay Harden), who just happens to be the sister of Bernie – it may have something to do with why the man is sticking his neck out for the bookie (wink wink nudge nudge). Unbeknownst to Leo, Tom is carrying on his own affair with the wily woman.
When Tom finally reveals that he has been sleeping with Leo’s beloved gal, things turn sour fast, and Caspar reaches out to his opponent’s second in command – looking to bring him into the fold. With ever-changing allegiances and tough to read guys and dolls, Tom’s motto says it best, “nobody knows anybody. Not that well”. Will bonds hold true? Will friendships come to bloody ends? Will anyone survive the all-out violence?
Reuniting with cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld for the third and final time, the future director of The Addams Family and Men in Black franchises adds his palpable, noir-infused visual flair to each and every shot. Bringing an impressive amount of texture out of the colour picture, it is rare to find a non black and white film that has this much moody lighting. It demonstrates the man’s expertise – for another quality example, make sure to check out the above mentioned Blood Simple. for more exquisite cinematography.
Infused with the Coen’s very unique brand of humour, comedy flows just below the bloody surface. Also rich with drama, gangland violence and crime-filled thrills, it is a movie that cannot be placed in one perspective box, as it blends all of these genres under the neo-noir brand and comes out all the better for it. It is not predictable, one-dimensional or the least bit boring, feeling like its own unique vision.
Filled with visually enticing set pieces, there are so many enthralling moments. One sequence finds a simple shot of a dog looking puzzled (if a dog can look puzzled). It is then followed with a visual of a young boy gazing at something. We are eventually shown that it is a dead body. Then flashing to the whole picture and the three moving pieces, the boy plays with the man’s toupee – only to decide that he is going to run off with it. It ultimately leads to some of the gangsters comically fretting over the situation, wondering who the sicko is who killed their man and took his hair as a statement. There is also the iconic scene with a hat. With the title etched on the screen just above what we later learn is Tom’s fedora, we eventually hear him tell of a dream that resembles the oddly moving sequence which finds the hat flying off into the distance on the strong breath of the wind.
The acting must also be mentioned. Each of the stars play their respective part to perfection. Using his thick Irish brogue, Byrne is our main protagonist. Wise and cynical, he is not the toughest boy in the playground, but he knows how to play the game. Falling out of favour with his boss, Finney is like the man’s aging patriarch – though not someone you would want to cross. The best example of this: when he delightedly takes out some hitmen who try to ambush him in his expansive home (moving like a much younger and lighter man). Turturro’s first time in a Coen film, he plays the fast talking, slimy, say anything to survive (or make a buck) bookie to a tee. As the competing mob boss, Polito is pure perfection. Also a motor-mouth with a short fuse and quickly rising blood pressure, the irony of his viewpoints on double-crossing and ethics (found within the profession he so enjoys) is wholly entertaining (i.e. “You double-cross once – where’s it all end? An interesting ethical question”). There is also something entertaining about Caspar’s mismatched thugs, played by Mike Starr and Al Mancini. The former, a giant, and the latter a diminutive dude, neither are the sharpest tools in the shed – they fail to grasp the little things that are kind of important in completing a job successfully. You will also find small parts from Steve Buscemi (his first of many roles with the Coen brothers – they cast him because he could talk faster than anyone else) and Frances McDormand (who is married to Joel Coen) as the mayor’s secretary. The Coen’s good friend, director Sam Raimi, also makes a cameo appearance as a laughing gangster in the Sons of Erin Club shootout.
With a rich concluding note that oozes noirish apathy and loss, the Coen brothers’ Miller’s Crossing is an all-around superlative piece of film making that features nuanced performances, brilliant cinematography, spot on direction and a rich score (regular Coen collaborator Carter Burwell adds an Irish tinge to his composition). So, don’t watch as this lovely motion picture pulls away, you’d be deceiving yourself to think it’s not worth a shot.