Barton Fink; Miller's Crossing

by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Book Overview

The award winning Barton Fink is a dark psychological thriller set in Hollywood in the 1940s. It concerns an aspiring writer who gradually becomes sucked into a grisly world of violence and terror. Miller's Crossing reinvents the 1930s gangster film in a complex story of love, friendship, and betrayal. Also in this edition is an introduction by Coen brothers' sometime editor Roderick Jaynes, who offers a rare insight into their world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571129250
• ISBN13: 9780571129256
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Roderick Jaynes = Joel and Ethan Coen

I fully agree with everything the other reviewer has said, but I thought it should be noted that Roderick Jaynes is the psuedonym under which the Coens both jointly edit their movies that should make the dour introduction all the more enjoyable for the Coen fans out there

Two of the Finest Screenplays of the Last Ten Years

The Coen brother's films have never failed to astonish and entertain me. From BLOOD SIMPLE to FARGO, they have shown an uncanny knack for vivid characteriziations and photographic style.But the question is, are the scripts as good by themselves?Thankfully, the answer is yes. The Coen's scripted prose is dramatically satisfying, and makes one yearn to see the films again, which is the highest compliment I can give them.BARTON FINK is a bold and unusual piece, centred on a playwright who ends up selling his soul in Hollywood. It may sound like the usual pointless drivel, but the Coen's take a surprisingly dark twist into the bizarre, with insane roommates, creepy bellhops, and drunken authors. It only never fully captures the ominous presence of the hotel Barton stays in. On film, it is the most foreboding motel since Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING.MILLER'S CROSSING (my favorite film of ALL time) is a different period piece. It centres on Irish gangsters in the 1930's. But while the plot is an ingenious homage to the gangster film's of Bogart and Cagney, it is the dialogue which makes it shine. Once again, astonishing characterizations rule the day, as the conflicted Tom Regan plays both sides against each other for reasons even he may not understand.An added bonus is the introduction, written by the Coen's sometime film editor. It is an unusual choice, as he goes to great lengths to describe how much he does NOT like the scripts, or film in general. It serves to heighten interest in their content, and does prove that the Coens are not for everyone. For those of us you cannot wait for their next film, this is a treat.