The Rule of the Wild: No Country For Old Men

A review of No Country For Old Men

Move over Hannibal Lecter. Anton Chigurh is here. Without doubt, the most fear-inspiring character in recent times, No Country For Old Men is to a large extent overshadowed by Javier Bardem’s rendition of Anton Chigurh, the villain with psychopathic shades. Chigurh is not your average killer. His deadpan eyes, hulking screen presence and untraditional hairstyle are all part of a persona that seems intricately thought out. The way he walks - his unwavering steps intent on his aim of execution with the compressed-air cattle gun that he wields - all contribute to making you feel that you would not want to be caught anywhere within ten feet of this man. And that is Bardem’s achievement.

Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon $2 million, some dead bodies and a considerable amount of heroin while he is out hunting in West Texas – clearly the scene of a deal gone wrong. He makes off with the money, and soon Chigurh is on his trail. On the other end, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones, in a role that looks like it was written for him – which makes it a little less interesting for the lack of novelty), calmly sets upon Chigurh himself.

Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name, No Country For Old Men is less about this story though than about the art of film-making itself. The Coen brothers are clearly masters of the art of film-making – certain shots, such as the one where Chigurh and later Bell enter Moss’ empty trailer-cabin in his pursuit, sit down on the sofa in front of the switched-off TV and then look at the shadows that play on the screen say more than any dialogue. Not, of course, to say that the dialogue is not noteworthy – it very much is. Consider these lines by Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson), who is hired to track Chigurh down privately: ‘Just how dangerous is he?’ Wells: Compared to what? The bubonic plague?’ and you get a whiff of the sarcastic humor that plays throughout the film, entertaining you and scaring you ever so little at the same time. The Coen brothers have used the camera very carefully. There is the sense that each shot has been carefully planned, and visually it makes the story even more suspenseful, such as the scene where Bell stands outside the scene of the barred-off crime, holds the doorknob and looks through the blasted-off hole where the lock used to be. The shadows that play on the knob show us Chigurh hiding behind the door, and his realization that Bell is right outside – no words are needed, but the sense of the scene is conveyed brilliantly.

Tommy Lee Jones is all at once the perfect actor for the role of the Sheriff and the most predictable. The multiple wrinkles on his forehead tell of his character’s – and possibly his own - vast wisdom and experience. The more one thinks about it, the easier it is to understand that perhaps he was taken on for a reason. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell has seen all that he wants to in his career and is considering retiring because he feels ‘outmatched’. He cannot believe the extent of murder and mayhem that people go to for the sake of money. When his deputy asks him whether Moss has any idea of the kind of people that are hunting him down, Bell replies, ‘I don't know, he ought to. He's seen the same things I've seen, and it's certainly made an impression on me.’ Words spoken from experience, and as Tommy Lee Jones utters it, the truth of it hits you in the face with full force. As he reads a news item in the paper about a man running out wearing a dog collar when a house is held up, he says, sadly and honestly, that no one can make things like that up.

No Country For Old Men is a taut thriller that draws some notable performances from its cast, but more than anything it is worth watching because of its strength as a film – a complete product. The Coen brothers know what they’re doing. Let’s give them that.