O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

One of the last stops on my quest to see every Coen brothers movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a delightful (and musical!) quest of its own loosely based on Homer's Odyssey. During the Great Depression, Everett (George Clooney), Pete (John Turturro), and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) bust out of jail to hunt down the hidden treasure Everett scored from a bank heist right before being arrested. Along the way they encounter a treacherous cousin, a mass-baptizing ritual, a bipolar bankrobber, seductive sirens, and a Bible salesman with a big appetite (John Goodman), while the dedicated and taciturn Sheriff Cooley (Daniel von Bargen) hunts them down for most of the journey. They hear about a music contest held by a local DJ (Stephen Root) with an award and record a song with the help of hitchhiking guitarist Tommy Johnson (Chris Thomas King), and it becomes a huge success while they continue traveling. When they reach their destination, Everett's wife (Holly Hunter) is waiting with a new beau, and it seems everyone is on the boys' trail.

This is a really cool way to adapt The Odyssey. There's a certain romanticism and adventure intrinsic to the period that just suits the famous epic. I really like the way musical sequences are worked into various parts- it's not spontaneous or unrealistic, but an active part of the scene and storyline. This also gives the sometimes-erratic story more cohesion, aided by the various connections that different impermanent characters have to one another or to the main three. The cast is great, with some unexpected people popping up in smaller roles. The music is awesome- sort of bluegrassy/folksy (aka "old-timey"), but unfortunately I don't have the soundtrack to share with you.

Otherwise I admit I just don't have much to say about O Brother, Where Art Thou?. It's a really fun and exciting film, with a funny and slightly ridiculous script. The Coens did a great job adapting Homer's tale to a Depression-era setting, relating various aspects to the time period in an interesting way. I found Holly Hunter's character too flat and flaky, which as the only real female character in the whole movie was a bit frustrating, but no one was exceptionally well-developed or taken very seriously here so it wasn't a surprise. Basically it's a very good movie, but doesn't have me gushing. It does make me want to re-read the Tank Girl version, though.

4/5