No Country for Old Men Coin Toss Flashcards
Intro
It is challenging to argue that there is a film filled with more tension than the Coen Brother’s 2008 dark thriller “No Country For Old Men”..
Conclusion
To conclude, the scene is made increasingly tense through the Coen brothers clever use of cinematic and narrative techniques to toy with the audience and make them deeply fear Anton Chigurh. Through this scene we learn of Chigurh’s innately chilling nature that makes it clear any character who meets Chigurh should fear for their lives. This makes for tense moments for the entirety of the film due his intense dialogue, alien like appearance and predator like persona, that make the film’s characters and audience scared whenever he is one screen. Through Chigurh’s intimating nature it becomes clear that while good and evil are both able to coexist, it is frequently evil that will prevail.
Paragraph one theme
Isolated setting
Paragraph two theme
Power disparity
Paragraph three theme
Theme of death
Paragraph four theme
Coin toss
Paragraph one evidence
- Establishing Shot
- Framing
- Lack of Soundtrack
- Approaching Storm
Paragraph two evidence
- “Friendo”
- Chigurh eating
- Framing of Chigurh
- Lack of Soundtrack
Paragraph three evidence
- Cable ties
- Wrapper
- Digger
- Dark Clothing
Paragraph four evidence
- “What’s the most you ever lost in a coin toss”
- “ I didn’t put nothin up”
- “You’ve been putting it up your whole life”
- Link to themes
- Plot Twist
Film Summary
Set in 1980, the neo-western style drama focuses upon Llewelyn Moss, a Texas resident who happens upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and discovers a briefcase containing two million dollars. Moss decides to take the money and is then pursued psychopathic hitman Anton Chigurh. The action is distantly followed by Sheriff Bell, an old-fashioned sheriff who becomes increasingly disillusioned with the modern world as the film reaches its climax with Moss’ early death.
Scene Summary
A peak in the film’s tension occurs during scene in which Chigurh stops at a remote desert shop and intimidates an innocent yet naïve store clerk before challenging him to a coin toss on which his life rests.
Intro - Techniques and themes
Through a varied use of cinematic techniques such as camera angle, motif, mise en scene, dialogue, the film cleverly explores the relationship between good and evil, and the role fate and destiny play in death and its inevitably
- Establishing Shot
The scene opens with an establishing shot of the desert, with the shop framed within the bottom of the screen. The shot clearly reveals the very isolated and remote nature of the store’s location, making it clear that the clerk is far from support and is increasingly vulnerable to anything that may come his way.
- Framing of setting
The framing of the shot reenforces the isolated and vulnerable nature of the store and in the clerk as the audience can clearly see how insignificant the shop is, in contrast to to the vast desert. This isolated nature of the scene created a sense of fear and trepidation as the audience are aware that the clerk is completely alone in the face of danger. The quiet and remote scene makes it seem like something must be about to happen to contrast the isolation present in the beginning of the scene, building the tension as the audience begin to a cop age this.
- Lack of Soundtrack - setting
The isolation of the scene is tied together with the lack of soundtrack. The only sound present within the scene is the dialogue between the characters, this lack of music makes the scene seem very realistic and natural to the desert location. As a result the audience become immersed in the setting yet unsettled by the silence as they anticipate something dramatic to fill the void left by the lack of sound.
Approaching storm
Within this establishing shot use of pathetic fallacy further contributes to the tension, as dark stormy clouds are seen looming over the horizon. The approaching storm creates an atmosphere in which it is clear that action and drama are upon the horizon but just like a storm it is unclear when it will hit and what the possible damage will be. The clouds cast a dark, death like shadow upon the desert, establishing a dark and negative atmosphere and forshadowing the negative events that may follow. This builds the tension as the audience brace for the impact of the storm of action foreshadowed to com
Friendo
Nothing makes the power imbalance clearer than the threatening dialogue between Chigurh and the clerk, such as when Chigurh addressed the clerk as “Friendo,” which is said in an extremely creepy and sinister tone suggesting that Chigurh means the complete opposite; they are not friends. This continues to build the tension as it gives the impression that the clerk is likely going to be harmed by Chigurh. The dialogue clearly illustrates that Chigurh does not view the clerk as an equal, showing that he is more powerful than the clerk. Although the audience can see that sinister meaning behind Chigurh’s words, it appears the clerk is unaware of Chirgurh’s tone making it all the more tense with this gap and dramatic irony between the clerk and the audience’s perception of Chigurh and is attention.
- ## Chigurh eating
Chigurh is further established as the dominant character as he eats. This makes him appear like a predator, as if he is warming up to ‘eat’ or overpower the clerk. The fact that he is eating during their interaction shows his disregard for accepted social etiquette shows his power of the clerk as he is acting disobediently. This also proves that he would be willing to kill the clerk as he has a complete disregard for the rules of a lawful society which adds to the audiences concern for the clerk.
- ## Framing of Chigurh
Throughout the scene Chigurh is made to appear intimidating as he takes up full frames, while the clerk is made to appear small and victim like through higher angle shots and taking up smaller proportion of the scene. This clearly intimates both the clerk and the audience and the clerk and further emphasises the point that Chigurh is a powerful predator and the clerk as his prey. This framing makes the audience focus upon Chigurh and view him as the key source of action in the scene, building the tension as the audience becomes increasingly aware of Chigurh’s power and intention.
Lack of Soundtrack - power
The lack of soundtrack again illustrates the power Chigurh holds over the Clerk as the audience are forced to place all their attention on Chigurh’s abhorrent dialogue, making his words seem all the more dramatic and increasing anxiety around the clerks life. Without sound the audience are placed in the clerk’s shoes as there is not any non diagetic sound to reveal Chigurh’s emotions or intentions, making the scene all the more tense as the audience are left to foreshadow the clerk’s fate on their own.
Cable ties
Hanging behind the clerk are bundles of cable ties, which take on a noose like appearance. This makes it seem like the prospect of death is surrounding the clerk and always has done. By linking to the film’s key theme of the inevitability of death, audience are drawn closer to the notion that by the end of the scene the clerk is likely to lose his lifE and they begin to ancipate this.
Wrapper
Following Chigurh finishing his snack, he places the wrapper upon the counter. The focus on the slow unfurling of the wrapper is symbolic of the unraveling of life and the slow and unremorseful nature of death, which draws the audience to apply this to the possible death of the clerk, making the auidence feel the possibility of the clerk’s death even stronger. The focus upon the wrapper makes it seem as if it is squirming and writhing which makes the audience deeply uncomfortable as this seems as if Chigurh is cruelly toying with the clerk. The tension is built as the attention of the scene away from the characters, this pause draws out the scene to build the tension and is representative of the deeply uncomfortable and dramatic nature of the scene.
Digger
Death is hinted at furthermore by the mise en scene and motif of the digger in background of the scene, as through his oblivious nature the clerk begins to ‘dig his own grave’ as Chigurh becomes more frustrated with the Clerk’s confusion and then panic at Chigurh’s questioning. It further reveals that the Clerk is surrounded by the prospect of death throughout the scene and reminds the audience of the idea that every action a character takes it a step closer or further from their death and fate.
