In his 1996 film Fargo, director Joel Coen's overall style is predominantly realistic, though, as with most of his films, it also contains expressionistic elements. Virtually every aspect of the film, from shot composition to editing to sound use, conveys a sense of realism, which is clearly what Coen was attempting to create. The few expressionistic elements of the film are quite subtle and might be overlooked with attentive viewing.
The sequence in Fargo in which Police Chief Marge Gunderson's investigation begins occurs relatively near the start of the film. A large portion of the action of the film takes place before this sequence, however, and this action is the reason that Marge is brought into the story in the first place. Before this sequence, William H. Macy's character, Jerry Lundegaard, is seen making a deal with two shady men (played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) in which they will kidnap his wife in exchange for a car. Shortly after this, the two men follow through with this task, and on their way out of town, the men are confronted by a cop, whom they end up killing, along with two men in another car who witness the ordeal. The firstly mentioned sequence follows, and the rest of the film chronicles Marge's laborious piecing together of the crime.
The sequence featuring the beginning of Marge Gunderson's investigation has many functions, including one that is quite crucial. Narrative-wise—and the most important function of the sequence in general—is the introduction of the character of Marge Gunderson. Whether the audience realizes it at the time or not, Marge is not only one of, if not the main character of the film, but also becomes the primary antagonist in the story, hindering the success of Jerry Lundegaard in reaching his goal of making enough money to buy some land, as well as that of the two kidnappers (and eventual murderers).
The primary function of this sequence, however, is one of characterization. Not only does it introduce the character of Marge Gunderson, but it also tells us a few things about her. First, that she is dedicated to her job, as indicated by her willingness to hop out of bed very early in the morning after being called into work. This also shows that there are few others who share her job in the area, which means that she works in a small town. Second, that the job to which she shows dedication is one as a police officer, or, more specifically, a police chief. This is determined by the police uniform she wears, as well the fact that she is investigating a crime scene. Third, that she is pregnant. The shot of her getting out of bed and walking toward the camera, as well the shot of her standing up and walking away from the kitchen table both make this fact very plain. However, if a viewer failed to recognize this from those shots, he or she would then realize it when a wave of morning sickness overcomes Marge while she examines the crime scene.
The sequence also characterizes Marge's husband, Norm, as well as her partner, Lou, to some degree. Norm is seen as very loving of his wife as well as fairly selfless, in that he is willing to wake up when his wife does in order to make her breakfast. Based on the duck carvings and paintings that open the scene, as well as Norm's seeming lack of intent to get out of the house, it is possible to induce that he is some sort of artist who works from home. The sequence also establishes the motif of Norm and Marge's fondness of eating together and lying in bed together, one of which they are doing in every single scene of which they are both a part. As for Lou, though his character is not especially developed or round, the thoughts that he expresses in this sequence portray him as a man of questionable intelligence, which provides a nice contrast to Marge, and emphasizes her smarts.
The mise-en-scène of Fargo—and that of the sequence in which Marge Gunderson begins her investigation—obviously plays a very large role in establishing its realism. The film was shot entirely on location, and this is not difficult to notice with the seemingly endless snow-covered landscape that surrounds every part of the action of the film. In fact, it could be argued that this snow plays at least some role in the development of the plot, as the two men in the car who witness the crime scene of the murder of the police officer likely would not have lost control of their car under normal conditions. Had this been the case, they could very well have reached the police in town before the murderers escaped, and a different story might have developed.
Also in regards to the mise-en-scène of this sequence is the expressions on the actors' faces, particularly those of Marge and Lou. Both are notably deadpan, especially the latter, while the former also communicates a bit more emotion. The props in the scene mostly exist in the Gunderson household, which seems nice enough, though reasonably modest. The props are what one might expect to see in the household of a working-class couple, under which wildlife painters and small-town police chiefs would certainly exist. The costumes that are worn In this sequence are of the same ilk. The fur-lined trooper hats sported by Marge and Lou are sensible, (and, in fact, these hats have gone on to be marketed as Fargo hats) and their preference of economy over convention is pragmatic and therefore it, along with the aforementioned props convey, perhaps even subconsciously, a sense deeper sense of realism.
Another aspect of Fargo that points it in the direction of realism is its extensive use of natural lighting in outdoor scenes and low-key lighting in most indoor scenes. In the sequence in which Marge Gunderson is introduced, the first two scenes, which take place in the Gunderson household, feature fairly dim key-lighting, which reminds the audience that they take place very early in the morning. They both feature use of one or two lightbulbs, and this is a reflection of the (perhaps exaggeratedly) simplistic life that the Gundersons lead. The very next shot is almost blinding compared to the light in their house. From this point on, the lighting in the remainder of the sequence is all natural. Joel Coen needed not to reflect the light of the sun to equally illuminate the scene, because the pervasive snow does the trick. While this use of natural light would be considered realistic, in this case, it could also be perceived as slightly expressionistic in that its extreme brightness and the resulting contrast are symbolic of the innocence of the small town of Brainerd, in which the crimes take place. In fact, upon viewing the murder victims, Marge Gunderson herself states that she would be “very surprised if [the] suspect was from Brainerd.”
This sequence also features one of the very few uses of non-diegetic music in the film. The minute or so of music at the very beginning of the sequence is a reprise from the film's theme, and mostly serves as an aid in the transition from the ghastly murders committed just prior to the warm, pleasant bedroom of the Gundersons. Beyond this, the sound in the remainder of the scene is all diegetic and realistic, consisting primarily of dialogue, as well as some on-screen sound effects, such as a closing door or a speeding car. The first shot of the police car driving down the long stretch of highway as well as the similar last shot of the sequence would be opportune moments to include some upbeat pop/rock songs, and if Fargo was the product of one of many directors who is not Joel Coen, those opportunities may very well have been seized. Luckily, Coen did not add distracting music to these shots, which significantly contributes to the realism of the sequence, along with the film as a whole.
The editing in this sequence of Fargo featuring the introduction of Marge Gunderson is yet another realistic aspect. As is typical with most of the Coen brothers' films, Fargo features predominantly minimalistic editing. The first two shots of the sequence, the first in the Gundersons' bedroom and the second in their kitchen, each consist of a single, long shot with a small amount of camera movement. These long, unobtrusive shots gives the audience a sense of real time and space within the scene. As the sequence progresses, there is a fair amount of shot/reverse shot while Marge and Lou investigate the crime scene, and while they drive away in the police car. However, this is done very tactfully and still in a minimalistic way. The cuts are made only when absolutely necessary, such as when one person in a conversation is too far away to be heard clearly unless a cut is made to a closer shot of them. These two types of shots pretty much entail the variety of different shots in the entire sequence. All of this once again reinforces the realism of the film. Another notable aspect related to the editing in this sequence of Fargo the graphic relationship formed between the very end of the bedroom shot, which is essentially a close-up of Marge's pregnant belly, and the very beginning of the kitchen shot, which ties together Marge's pregnant state and her affinity for eating (which is assumed to be the result the fact that she is with child).
One of the most memorable features of Fargo is the heavy Minnesotan accent that most of the characters possess. While Joel Coen, and his brother Ethan Coen, who co-wrote and produced Fargo, would certainly have the knowledge to make the accent realistic, as they were born and raised in Minnesota, it is generally accepted that the accent is at least slightly exaggerated. The Coen brothers have been criticized for the decision to portray Minnesotans in this manner, but they clearly have a reason for doing so. One simple reason is for comedic effect. The repeated uses of “yeah” pronounced like “yah,” as in “Yahweh,” is funny in a silly way. But the accent could also be considered one of the most expressionistic aspects of the film, albeit a very subtle expressionistic aspect. The seemingly limited vocabulary of those from Brainerd, the fact that those people are always upbeat, and the simple manner in which they speak reflects the simple and somewhat unusual lives that they appear to lead.
Although Joel Coen's 1996 film Fargo is, by most contemporary judgments, a bit strange, it is truly grounded more deeply in reality that most modern films have the courage to be. With almost every aspect of it being overwhelmingly realistic, and a few subtle expressionistic elements scattered throughout, it is not hard to say that Coen's overall style is one of realism, and that it is an especially remarkable film not only due to its quirky and incredibly well-developed characters, but also because of this realism.
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