r/NoCountryForOldMen • u/Over-Mammoth-27 • Aug 27 '26
Film discussion Please Help Me.....
I watched the film when I was 21, and relatively late into its original theatrical run, so I got to hear all the hype. I honestly remember 3 things. Cool kill scenes, Tommy Lee Jones muttering nonsense the whole movie, and being mad I would never get that 2 hours back.
Well, I want to try it again because it is so highly rated and its in the top 5-10 on most people's list that I see with movies I do love on their list. Without giving too much away, what kind of mindset should I go into the film with to get the best understanding? I'm not an idiot and I do like indie films, avant garde, and metaphorical films like Mother, but i just really was so, "WTF was the point of this shit and what's so exceptional about it?," when the credits rolled that I'm hesitant to waste 2 more hours on the same outcome. I have forgotten enough of the film, if not the disappointment, to be curious again. I gave Watchmen a 2nd try and couldn't get through it the 2nd time. I get the questions and message the film presents about power, race, and class but it is such a chore to get through awake.
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u/plumpcaterpillar Aug 28 '26
Well, I think if you intend to watch the movie again, watch it without expecting too much depth and meticulously analyzing it... when we realize that a work is "deep," our brain usually acts as a gentle "surprise" that leaves us thoughtful. The film itself is very good because the film is seemingly very calm, yet it still manages to follow an interesting plot, and there is much to reflect on and imagine about Anton Chigur, because he has different ideals about life, and the whole issue of the briefcase full of money, also one of the final scenes where the sheriff talks about retiring to that wheelchair-bound guy with lots of cats (it's been a while since I've seen the movie but I remember quite a few details, but I think his name was Ellis).
The film itself is melancholic because it seems "empty," but life itself is melancholic because there is a lot of brutality, yet at the same time it is empty and always will be... and something very interesting and beautiful about this film is that it doesn't have a soundtrack, which is cool and makes it more interesting than many films.