Product Details

• Actors: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter
• Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
• Writers: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Homer
• Producers: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Eric Fellner
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
• VHS Release Date: November 6, 2001
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (637 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005QATY
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,464 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer team behind art-house hits such as The Big Lebowski and Fargo and masters of quirky and ultra-stylish genre subversion, would dare nick the plot line of Homer's Odyssey for a comic picaresque saga about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi. Our wandering hero in this case is one Ulysses Everett McGill, a slick-tongued wise guy with a thing about hair pomade (George Clooney, blithely sending up his own dapper image) who talks his chain-gang buddies (Coen-movie regular John Turturro and newcomer Tim Blake Nelson) into lighting out after some buried loot he claims to know of. En route they come up against a prophetic blind man on a railroad truck, a burly, one-eyed baddie (the ever-magnificent John Goodman), a trio of sexy singing ladies, a blues guitarist who's sold his soul to the devil, a brace of crooked politicos on the stump, a manic-depressive bank robber, and--well, you get the idea. Into this, their most relaxed film yet, the Coens have tossed a beguiling ragbag of inconsequential situations, a wealth of looping, left-field dialogue, and a whole stash of gags both verbal and visual. O Brother (the title's lifted from Preston Sturges's classic 1941 comedy Sullivan's Travels) is furthermore graced with glowing, burnished photography from Roger Deakins and a masterly soundtrack from T-Bone Burnett that pays loving homage to American '30s folk styles--blues, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, and more. And just to prove that the brothers haven't lost their knack for bad-taste humor, we get a Ku Klux Klan rally choreographed like a cross between a Nuremberg rally and a Busby Berkeley musical. --Philip Kemp

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Disregard this Film!, December 28, 2001

By	"silevine28" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (DVD)

I watch a lot of movies and have seen all of the "classics" and O' Brother Where Art Thou rates among the best of them - no kidding! Twenty years from now, they'll be airing this film on AMC and TCM alongside the likes of North by Northwest, The Wild Bunch and How Green Was My Valley.

The story is completely engrossing and the cinematography is stunning. Realize that filming took place in June/July when the Southern countryside was a lush, verdant green. That bone dry, depression-era dust bowl aesthetic is a wonder of digital editing.

The Coen brothers have done two things that are all too rare in Hollywood these days. First, their screenplay is original (yes, it's loosely based on Homer's Odyssey but to evaluate the film solely on this narrative framework is to overlook the other aspects of the film). Second, they've produced a film that captivates not with multi-million dollar action sequences and the latest Moby track but with great dialogue and an authentic blues/bluegrass soundtrack (well worth buying) that is as much a character in the movie as the three principals - Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Delmar O'Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson) and Pete Hogwallop (John Turturro). The eclectic cast (that also includes Charles Durning, Holly Hunter, Stephen Root and John Goodman) turns in superbly acted performances across the board. Clooney, who all too often plays 2 dimensional characters, gives an award-worthy performance in what is unquestionably his best role to date. Those not familiar with Nelson or Turturro will be impressed by these wonderfully skilled actors.

I will say that a lot of people have told me that they didn't care for this film, which I find incomprehensible. I'm not sure what more you could ask for in a movie.

79 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A triumph of a movie, thoroughly enjoyable, June 4, 2001

By	yarden "yarden" (portland, or) - See all my reviews

The Coen brothers have a cult following, but until I saw this movie, I didn't count myself among the masses that love the Coens. However, with this movie, this brother team has cemented their reputation as serious and skilled filmmakers with a lot to say and a stylish way of saying it.

This movie is a loose retelling of "The Odyssey" by Homer, set in the Depression-era Deep South. George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson make an unlikely team of escaped convicts who embark on a journey of the weird and wonderful. Watch for the appearance of many famous Odyssey allusions, such as the Sirens and the Cyclops (among others). The Coens' quirky take on this classic tale is delightful and perfectly executed, and the script is beautifully and humorously written. The sets and filming are artistic and a bit mythical, and the casting choices are just great. The film is peopled with interesting characters, in classic Coen brothers fashion. Look for great supporting characters played by John Goodman, Holly Hunter, Charles Durning, and others.

And that's not all! Interwoven in this film are great depression-era songs and some original songs, with excellent music direction by T-bone Burnett. Who says Moulin Rouge is the first movie in a long while to take the musical format? This movie is just as much a musical as Baz Luhrmann's much-hyped movie.

I really believe that this movie reaches heights that previous Coen brothers movies (even Fargo) haven't reached. In addition, I believe this movie was slighted by the Academy during Oscar time. This movie was one of the best films of the year, and excelled in every aspect a film can be awarded for.

51 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Down to the river to pray in the beautiful south, April 21, 2001

By	J. Shell - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (DVD)

The Coen brothers serve up a beautifully filmed and nearly perfectly executed movie with many scenes and songs that linger in ones head. It shows both the dark and light of the South in the depression, and reminds us of the power of the music that tried to help everyone get through the rough times. The warmer sounds of songs like "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "I'll Fly Away" are yearnings for that better place far away. The premier song, "Man of constant sorrow", is a great blues\bluegrass piece, with both performances by Clooney and Cohorts being enjoyably funny. But perhaps the most impressive song and visual in this film is the baptism scene, when our heroes are suddenly surrounded by white clad Christians floating through the beautiful Southern woods like fireflies all singing a building gospel hymn "Down to the river" - a very mesmerizing moment.

The performances are great. Clooney has an energetic wild eyed zeal and pulls of some great rapid dialog as Ulysses. Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro do well as the slow witted traveling companions. Daniel von Bargen (probably known best currently for his role as the Commandant at the military school on "Malcom in the Middle") fits the old image of the sherrif perfectly with his cool mannerisms, black outfit, sunglasses (the only person wearing them) and black hat.

While generally funny, the film also has reminders of the effects of the depression on already poor farmers. It also doesn't forget racial issues in the form of the KKK and how many of its members could make themselves out to be "normal decent folk" during the day when they weren't hiding in bedsheets carrying silly names. Some people take offense at the KKK scene in the movie, but I thought it pointed out the silliness of these people dressing in these costumes and thinking they were superior while also showing that enough stupidity gathered together can do some pretty terrible things. It can be an uncomfortable scene, but it does contribute to the story (and shows, through our heroes, that not *every* white person in the south was a bigot).

Ultimately, this movie was an enjoyable experience for me. I could even call it uplifting, as it's beautiful photography and soundtrack have caused me to start liking the South again and appeciate more of the Gospel and Bluegrass from the time. I love listening to "I'll Fly Away" from the soundtrack and picturing soaring up over the dusty roads and fields through gold tinted lenses.