O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000) is a must-watch film set in 1930s deep south Mississippi. Three convicts escape a chain gang to pursue a hidden treasure while the law continually tracks them. Spoilers may follow.
Our trio of convicts includes George Clooney (Everett), Tim Blake Nelson (Delmar), and John Turturro (Pete). All are exceptional in their respective roles. Clooney and Nelson are southern boys themselves being from Kentucky and Oklahoma, but Turturro is a native of Brooklyn.
This film is loosely based on the epic poem Odyssey by Homer. This classic text influenced the Coen brother's Oscar-nominated script. Our protagonists are trying to get somewhere and encounter various people and oddities. There's the cyclops (John Goodman the salesman) and the sirens (women at the river).
Perhaps the most famous aspect surrounding this film is the music. While each song is a cover, they're all incredible. The film's album won the grammy and the single, "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow", won as well. I sang a men's choir version of this, and I catch myself singing these other songs all the time too. Listen below to the single with the timestamp 1:15 to 2:56.
Besides the Odyssey references, there is another interesting influence. The character named Tommy Johnson is based on Robert Johnson. In the movie, this character claims to have sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads to be an exceptional guitar player. Like Delmar says, I don't mean to be telling tales, but that is the lore behind the real man also. Robert is a Mississippi-born man who pioneered blues-style music. The tale becomes stranger due to the uncertainty surrounding his death at just the age of 27.
So many scenes and so many quotes are terrific. "I'm a Dapper Dan man." "We thought you was a toad." "He's bonafide." That's just to say a few. I really enjoy the baptism scene too.
Other splendid aspects of the film are the editing and cinematography (Oscar-nominated). All-time great Roger Deakins (1917, Blade Runner: 2049, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall) captures the country-side beauty of the south through a sepia-tinted tone. Apparently, it was too green and too beautiful.
This is a great film that's a must-see. My film rating is an A+.
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