Review of Barton Fink

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Cooper McNiel Professor Handel ENG 2102 9 September 2013 Review of Barton Fink If you can manage to wrap your head around a number of different themes in the same movie, Ethan and Joel Cohen’s Barton Fink (1991) is a viewing experience you’ll thoroughly enjoy. Not atypical of a film directed by the Cohen brothers, Barton Fink struggles to call any one genre “home”. Rather than settle into the category of Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, or Romance, a little bit of each is peppered in, giving the entire film fascinatingly broad range. George Booker of noripcord.com attributes the underwhelming box office performance to the movie’s lack of a true genre. “Barton Fink may be an impossible film to categorize, so oddly personal and difficult to compare as it is. It is not surprising that many have reacted to it with detached confusion.” The character study of a talented playwright’s adjustment to Hollywood is what the first 20 minutes will lead you to believe is the focus of the film. With a little more time, however, we see that the Cohen brothers are subtly exposing the entertainment industry as the money-grubbing monster that it is. Additionally, an unexpected romance blossoms and is destroyed in a much unexpected manner, giving way to a very, very unexpected ending. Sounds like a lot to swallow doesn’t it? It is. But that’s the beauty of the film: despite all the twists and turns and oddball characters, it is incredibly easy and enjoyable to follow. This is largely due to the outstanding performances of John Turturro as Barton Fink, our protagonist, and John Goodman as Charlie Meadows, Barton’s friendly neighbor (for now). Turturro’s apprehension and awkwardness is captured brilliantly through his mannerisms, and Goodman is an excellent counter to that as a character the audience couldn’t possibly like any more. Additionally, the film’s visuals were

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