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From Amazon.co.uk
Leave it to the wildly inventive Coen brothers (Joel directs, Ethan produces, they both write) to concoct a fiendishly clever kidnap caper that's simultaneously a comedy of errors, a Midwestern satire, a taut suspense thriller and a violent tale of criminal misfortune. It all begins when a hapless car salesman (played to perfection by William H. Macy) ineptly orchestrates the kidnapping of his own wife. The plan goes horribly awry in the hands of bumbling bad guys Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare (one of them being described by a local girl as "kinda funny lookin'" and "not circumcised"), and the pregnant sheriff of Brainerd, Minnesota, (played exquisitely by Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning role) is suddenly faced with a case of multiple murders. Her investigation is laced with offbeat observations about life in the rural hinterland of Minnesota and North Dakota, and Fargo embraces its local yokels with affectionate humour. At times shocking and hilarious, Fargo is utterly unique and distinctly American, bearing the unmistakable stamp of its inspired creators. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Product Description
Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Harve Presnell, William H. MacyDirector: Joel Coen
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By C. Graham
Format:DVD
In this 1996 masterpiece, a complex tale of murder and kidnapping in snowy Minnesota, the Coen brothers find themselves in similar terrain to that explored in their debut feature film "Blood Simple". Both films are brilliantly constructed studies of criminal behavior spiraling out of control, but whereas "Blood Simple" stayed true to the rules of film noir, "Fargo" turns the genre on its head, resulting in a truly unique film-going experience.
The most obvious example of Fargo's subversion of the genre to which it loosely belongs must be the use of Minnesota's stark, snow covered landscape in setting the mood of the piece. Some truly stunning cinematography, combined with a haunting score, produce a backdrop to the film which is undeniably bleak, but also oddly beautiful. The Coen brothers populate this landscape with a host of memorable characters, most noticeably Brainerd's heavily pregnant police chief, Marge Gunderson (played to perfection by Francis McDormand). No hard-boiled copper here, the Coens again toy with convention by imbuing the character of Marge with warmth, humanity and optimism. It is she who must untangle the web of deceit created by desperate car salesman Gerry Lundegaard (the excellant William H Macy) and the incompetent hoods he has hired to do his dirty work (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stromare), and ultimately it is Marge who provides the moral counterpoint to the movies amoral plot.
In conclusion, Fargo was one of the greatest American films of the 1990's, well deserving of it's two Oscars and required viewing for anyone who considers themselves to be a true fan of cinema.
The most obvious example of Fargo's subversion of the genre to which it loosely belongs must be the use of Minnesota's stark, snow covered landscape in setting the mood of the piece. Some truly stunning cinematography, combined with a haunting score, produce a backdrop to the film which is undeniably bleak, but also oddly beautiful. The Coen brothers populate this landscape with a host of memorable characters, most noticeably Brainerd's heavily pregnant police chief, Marge Gunderson (played to perfection by Francis McDormand). No hard-boiled copper here, the Coens again toy with convention by imbuing the character of Marge with warmth, humanity and optimism. It is she who must untangle the web of deceit created by desperate car salesman Gerry Lundegaard (the excellant William H Macy) and the incompetent hoods he has hired to do his dirty work (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stromare), and ultimately it is Marge who provides the moral counterpoint to the movies amoral plot.
In conclusion, Fargo was one of the greatest American films of the 1990's, well deserving of it's two Oscars and required viewing for anyone who considers themselves to be a true fan of cinema.
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful
By qzhig king
Format:DVD
By turns funny, chilling, gripping and moving, this is a film that I would recommend to anyone. Coen Brothers fans will already be aware of their unique approach to movie-making, but for those who are wondering what the fuss is all about, watch this film. Everything is excellent - the photography is beautiful, the music haunting and the performances...!! William H. Macy's desperate car salesman is a peach and Frances McDormand judges her part to perfection. As you'll guess, I cannot say how much I enjoy this film, but the real beauty of it is that it's a great story, well told. It will keep you watching and make you want to watch it again to catch all the bits you missed the first time round ... then you'll watch it again just for the sheer enjoyment of it!
PLUS the DVD has good extras - a trivia feature that is interesting and funny and an excellent commentary track. Do buy this DVD - you won't be disappointed!
PLUS the DVD has good extras - a trivia feature that is interesting and funny and an excellent commentary track. Do buy this DVD - you won't be disappointed!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By K. Oppegaard
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having owned Fargo both on laserdisc and DVD, watching the Blu-ray transfer projected onto a 200 inch screen is like seeing the film for the first time at the cinema. The picture quality and detail are fabulous - the blood really gushes out of the screen - and one can actually see what is going on in all the murky interior scenes. There is a lot of film grain visible, so thankfully no digital noise reduction applied here. The aspect ratio and framing are correct and the sound and dialogue are much clearer than on the very thin-sounding DVD. There are minor gripes: halos around black objects placed against white backgrounds (see the opening titles, or the lamp posts in Gunderson's car lot) - but this shouldn't prevent any film fanatic from shredding the DVD in the wood-chipper and upgrading to this version.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fargo
Another of Coen Brothers masterpieces. I watch it quite often & William H Macy's acting is superb. Would hate to live there though
Published 1 month ago by Sheila Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Murder in a cold climate. Great film by the Coen brothers.
This DVD has English subtitles. Sound and vision good.
This is a very unusual thriller set in a small town in Minnesota. Read more
This is a very unusual thriller set in a small town in Minnesota. Read more
Published 1 month ago by F. J. Pyne.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Coen brothers film
William H Macy and Steve Buscemi star! The best film of 1996! Basically the start of the film is in the winter of 1987, Minneapolis automobile salesman Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) is... Read more
Published 1 month ago by I write reviews on the toilet
5.0 out of 5 stars
awesome film
well worth the money, super cheap, dispatched amazingly quickly, film is a classic and would recommend everyone watch it! brilliant.
Published 2 months ago by emma chappelle-hedges
1.0 out of 5 stars
I'd think about purchasing the ordinary disc
I've bought TWO of these Bluray "Fargo" disc's and neither one played.
The first disc the picture froze and would'nt play
The second came up with the message... Read more
The first disc the picture froze and would'nt play
The second came up with the message... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Baden Smales
5.0 out of 5 stars
mint
mint x c v b n m , m n b v c xz c v b n m , m n b v c
Published 4 months ago by PD Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fargo
Classic coen brothers movie which is both dark and amusing at the same time, supposedly based on a true story but research says that this was a hoax by the coens to give it a bit... Read more
Published 5 months ago by J. Cadey
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Sticky' movie - you'll watch again and again!
This is simply one of those movies where the performances are so good and the script so funny that every now and then you take it down from the shelf and watch it yet again. Read more
Published 5 months ago by NGSpeaking
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Piece of Humour
The reviews of the BluRay have put me off upgrading from my Special Edition DVD, but I cannot for the life of me understand the negative reviews of this piece of great cinematic... Read more
Published 6 months ago by NumptyDumpty
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, entertaining with a good moral.
I don't watch many films twice but this was one of the ones i was happy to. I've also lent it to my family and they have also enjoyed it as much as i did. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Damian
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