One of the most outstanding things about Coen brothers films, especially the two we watched in class, is the regional accuracy of acting. In No Country For Old Men, based in Texas, every actor in the film had a very strong accent, which accurately portrays Southern Texas. The Coen brothers also portray the South Texans as overly simple, which is not necessarily accurate, but helps to immerse the viewer in the setting, as every great film should do. In Fargo, the Minnesotan accents are spot on, and sometimes exaggerated. This way, the viewer never forgets where the movie takes place (North Dakota, actually) and the overall quality of the film is enhanced. Perfect accents along with regional symbolism and great setting (shown below) make No Country For Old Men and Fargo two great American films.
Another interesting quality of Coen brother films is their versatile media adaptability. No Country For Old Men was originally a book that was adapted by Joel and Ethan Coen into a great film. Some things were added and omitted, but overall, the film stays fairly true to the book, and adapts to the big screen brilliantly. Fargo was an original screenplay written by the Coen brothers, and is now being brought to the screen once again as a FX television series. From what I've heard, the show is very good. It's interesting that the Coen brothers make so many movies that are direct or loose adaptations of literature. Another example is the Coen brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou? which, interestingly enough, is loosely based on Homer's "The Odyssey."
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