MovieFreak.com - "Fargo" Special Edition DVD Review by Dennis Landmann

DVD REVIEW

Fargo - Special Edition (1996)

Starring: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy

Director: Joel Coen

Rating: R

Distributor: MGM Home Entertainment

Release Date: September 30, 2003
Review posted: October 20, 2003

Spoilers: Minor

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

"Just keep it still back there lady or we're going to have to, you know, shoot you." - Carl Showalter

Synopsis

Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is in deep financial trouble, but his father-in-law is rich as hell. So he hires two odd individuals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) from the northern reaches of Fargo, North Dakota, to kidnap his wife and demand a ransom. The plan is to split the ransom in three, but when three innocent people die everything turns upside down. Adding to Jerry's troubles is pregnant Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) who's investigating the murders.

Critique

The Coen Bros. are a terrific team. They write, produce, and direct their films. They almost always come up with the most outrageous characters, sometimes leading and supporting, or at times both. Characters like H.I. in Raising Arizona, Barton Fink and Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink, Norville Barnes in The Hudsucker Proxy, and Delmar in O Brother, Where Art Thou? are not only fun to watch but they also have distinguished personalities that in addition to the respective actors' performances make the Coen Bros.' films so appealing.

I think I'll devote at least two sentences to The Big Lebowski, which seems fitting since the film is one hell of a fun time. Lebowski features the most hilarious characters and storyline of all the Coen's films. The team of the Dude, Walter and Donny are the ones to beat, if you know what I mean. In fact, I find Lebowski is the most enjoyable of their films while the most intense is perhaps their first feature, Blood Simple. It's hard to place Fargo on a scale with the brothers' other films since they're all very good, though I do have to say I don't agree with the film's AFI placement among America's Top 100 Films of All Time. Granted, it's a very good film, but not that great.

The second most appealing part of a Coen Bros. film is the story and screenplay. Case in point, the story in Fargo is really a simple one, yet the accumulation of events get more complicated for the characters, which adds a swell amount of either conflict, drama, comedy, or all three combined. Supposedly, the evens in Fargo are based on an actual Minnesota kidnapping and murder case, but really they're not. Still, the Coen's persist at the beginning of the film that "this is a true story."

True or not, it doesn't really matter. The characters in Fargo are all completely different individuals. William H. Macy plays Jerry, a dejected car salesman with a short temper when under pressure. Macy interacts with Steve Buscemi mainly over the phone, but the conversations reveal a lot of about their characters. Buscemi's Carl Showalter doesn't want "to argue" and likes things to go his way, much to the digression of his quiet partner-in-crime Gaear Grimsrud (Stormare). Frances McDormand plays Marge Gunderson like the everyday woman she is; friendly, smart, thorough, keen, and pregnant. And did I mention the funny names of these characters? Oh ja, only in North Dakota.

Fargo is not really a murder mystery or a drama. It appears in the overall sense it's more of a quiet thriller. Quiet refers to the slow scenes, which don't take away from the storytelling or enjoyment of the film. The term could also refer to the way the events unfold in the story, specifically the low-affair type of attitude I guess. As storytellers and directors the Coen's certainly bring a lot to the table in Fargo. Helping them achieve the right kind of looks and moods are director of photography Roger A. Deakins and composer Carter Burwell, respectively. The film also benefits from some memorable/disturbing moments, which include, among others, the early morning conversation with Marge and a fellow officer over cups of coffee, the ransom drop-off, or Gaear forcing down inanimate objects into the wood chipper. All in all, Fargo proves to be a very good time investment.

The Video

MGM presents Fargo in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer here is pretty nice. Colors are vibrant and detail is mostly sharp. Blue hues appearing in the horizon, as well as the pure white color of the snow, give the film a cold feel. The print image looks good, too, with only very minor discrepancies. Some instances of grain appear also, but they don't distract. In all, Fargo looks pretty nice. Also, side B presents the film in 1.33:1 fullscreen format, but no need to go there, right?

The Audio

MGM presents Fargo in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. The presentation is nice and fitting with clear dialog that's easy to understand, unless you don't pick up on some of the characters' accents. Sound effects are scarce, but sounds of a gun going off and the buzzing of the wood chipper are effective. Rear speakers react to different things at small intervals, but most of the soundtrack is located in the front. In the end, Fargo receives a cordial sound presentation.

A second audio option includes a French 5.1 dub track.

The Extras

Fargo is certainly worthy of a special edition label as MGM presents some noteworthy extras here.

The special features menu first lists an all-new documentary called "Minnesota Nice" (30 mins). The Coen's and the principal actors, like McDormand, Macy, Buscemi and Stormare, appear as they look back on the film, discussing its themes, recounting the experience while making it, and so forth. This is a very good reason to spend half an hour. Also on hand is a mostly technical-driven audio commentary by Roger A. Deakins. His comments are usually scene-specific as he explains set-ups and "looks" in the film, though there are gaps of silence here as well. Next, Frances McDormand and both Ethan and Joel participate in an interview segment on "The Charlie Rose Show" which lasts about twenty minutes. Rose asks some good questions and all four make for interesting conversations that are surely appreciated.

Then, the trivia track option integrates "pop-ups" on the screen as the film plays. Here you'll learn both interesting and fun trivia. MGM last used this feature on the Valley Girl: Special Edition DVD release (read my review). Also on hand is an American Cinematographer article on Roger A. Deakins, which spans over several pages and includes a good amount of in-depth information. Rounding out the special features is a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, an advertising gallery, trailers, and a TV spot.

You can select to view the film with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. The 98-minute feature is organized into thirty-six chapters.

Overall

Fargo is a very good reason for anyone to spend two hours. Let's say you're late for an appointment or date, simply state the reason of your tardiness, "I was watching Fargo." The film looks, sounds, and feels very good. Video/audio quality is generally very nice and the special features are enjoyable. A purchase is worth it. Fans who own the previous bare-bones DVD should upgrade right away.

RATINGS SUMMARY