I’ve come across a number of older films from the 1970s that feel as though they could be made today—movies with a freshness and a certain pop to them that comes across as contemporary rather than dated. There are far fewer examples of this from the 1980s, but one such movie is the first feature from the pair that would go on to become the storied Coen brothers. Blood Simple is such an impressive debut effort that the fact that these guys have become such a directing powerhouse 30 years after its release should really come as no surprise.
The direction in this film is the kind that is so precise that it feels like it comes from seasoned movie veterans, not rookies. It draws from a traditional film noir aesthetic, giving it an aura that is simultaneously new and classic. It plays its moments up beautifully, but is written in a way that makes every set piece flow perfectly and logically from one point to the next. The brothers would go on to attempt stories of far greater ambition, but for a debut effort in 1984, this is an astounding working of filmmaking, something that took me more than a couple of viewings to figure out on for myself.
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