O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Faber and Faber Screenplays) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Joel Coen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Brothers Coen (of Fargo fame, among others) have an uncanny ability to up the quirky cinematic ante with each new project. This, their latest effort (featuring George Clooney in his Golden Globe Award-winning performance as Everett Ulysses McGill) is a Homerian epic meets Preston Sturges comedy. Three prison chain gang escapees are on the lam in Depression-era Mississippi. Throughout their odyssey, they encounter a cyclops (an ominous, eye-patch-wearing salesman), numerous sirens, and a rogue claiming to have compacted with the Devil to trade his soul for mastery of the Delta blues guitar. This edition emphasizes the text and offers very little in the way of camera shots, angles, and points of view. The Coens' ever-broadening fan base should make this popular in all film collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"[The Coen brothers are] two of our most dependably provocative filmmakers." --Mike Clark, USA Today

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1st edition (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571205186
• ISBN-13: 978-0571205189
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #872,920 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading, December 30, 2000

By	A. Lucas "teachem2" (Roanoke, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a fan of the Coens' movies for years and I do believe I've figured out a way to enjoy them more thoroughly: READ THE SCREENPLAY. There's no writing that's better in the movies right now. I'm not a film maker, I'm not a script writer, I'm not a director, I'm not an actor, I'm not a movie critic, I'm not even the damn guy who tears the ticket and stands behind that big velvet rope sayin' "To your right" or "To your left." All that I am is a fan of the movies as well as a fan of literature. These guys know how to make words create people and they do it well time after time.

Specifically "O Brother ..." is a screenplay that mixes Homer with Bluegrass with Old Movies with (whether the Coens know it or not) Mark Twain and folks along those lines. In fact, there's a scene in Huck Finn in which Huck states he'd prefer his dinner all cooked together in one pot so that the juices swap around and make things go better. That's a pretty good metaphor for "O Brother ..." Rather than the screenplay that's about hicks or racism or a woman scorned, the Coens mix it all up and believe me things go better that way.

This is the literature of our time. You should watch AND READ these movies.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coens Are Truly Learning How To Write!, March 22, 2001

By	Allen W. Nyhuis (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a fun and wacky screenplay to read! It really puts images into your mind that will make you laugh and wonder. I haven't even seen the movie yet, and I still was able to "get" the jokes and laughed a lot. Just think to yourself, "This is going to be a lot like Raising Arizona" and you'll figure it out.

Ranks right up there with the Coens' Fargo script, which is also a good read.