The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film

by William Preston Robertson

Book Overview

Ethan and Joel Coen have carved out their niche as America's preeminent independent filmmakers. Their films are quirky, arresting, comic, and intelligent. Not given to talking publicly about their work, they have given access to William Preston Robertson and Tricia Cooke to interview the cast and crew of their latest film, The Big Lebowski. In a prose style that complements the Coens's filmic one, the book discusses the Coens's oeuvre, the themes...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393317501
• ISBN13: 9780393317503
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 182 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Lewbowski Rules!

I am glad I got this book. It proves to me how much the Big Lewboski really rocks!

A Great Read For Filmmaking Enthusiasts

Every once and while I look for books to re-inspire my need to make films. This is one of those useful books for people interested in the real filmmaking process. This book doesn't have useless interviews about how much fun the actors had working with a director but covers every thought and decision the crew had to make in the production. If you're a Coen Brother's fan, you'll also be interested to gain some insight into how they invent and produce their signiture films.

One of the best books written about the Coens

This book was co-written by William Preston Robertson who is someone, if you've studied the end credits of the Coens' early film, who has worked on their films in various capacities. He's often provided voiceovers where needed and even offered a place for them to crash when they developed writer's block while working on the screenplay for Miller's Crossing.So, he writes this book with an insider's perspective. At every opportunity he makes fun of them (as only a close friend can) and spends the first part of the book tracing their career up to The Big Lebowski. The rest of the book plays out as a quasi-Making Of that is quite an entertaining read. For example, he places their film in the grand tradition of bowling noir, a very rarified subgenre of the film noir. Robertson is quite funny as he pontificates about this subgenre at some length.If I had one complaint about the book is the amount of detail that is gone into about the storyboarding process which I could have done without. But this is a minor quibble at best.Robertson's style of writing is very casual and easy to read--it won't take you long to get through this book. If you are a hardcore fan of the Coens, then you will definitely enjoy this book and all the little, inside jokes. It will certainly deepen your appreciation for the film and acts as a great companion-piece.

Gotta love...

Got to love the Coens, and thheir style of filmmaking. Read it.

Buy it

This is a terrific book for anyone interested in the Coen brother's films, or indeed anyone interested in the filmmaking process. While the book is true to its title, other Coen films such as 'Raising Arizona', 'Miller's Crossing' and 'Barton Fink' are also briefly discussed. Along with spotlighting Joel and Ethan's work practises, the book looks in detail at the storyboards, cinematography, set and wardrobe design on 'The Big Lebowski'. Of particular interest is the comparison of still frames with their orginal storyboards during a detailed breakdown of 4 Lebowski scenes. Also appreciated is Robertson's practise of actually explaining many of the film terms used is the book, recognising that not all his reader's are Directors!