The Coen Brothers: Unconventional Genre Filmmaking

Joel and Ethan Coen are two of America's most prolific, generation-defining filmmakers. While their films examine love, guilt, and the darker parts of the human psyche, they often do so by subverting or playing with classic genre filmmaking. From a neon-bathed Texas neo-noir to a darkly comedic yet blood-soaked gangster flick, the Coens' use their unmistakable cinematic voice to lovingly honor and deeply satirize their cinematic influences. 

In this class we'll examine the Coens' career through the lens of four movies that approach traditional genre in uniquely unconventional ways creating iconic films of striking originality.

Films:

12/2: BLOOD SIMPLE (1984, 96 min)

12/9: MILLER’S CROSSING (1990, 122 min)

12/16: O’ BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU (2000, 107 min)

12/23: TRUE GRIT (2010, 110 min)

This class will be taught by Dylan Reiff, a writer/performer who co-founded Kickstand Comedy and has worked with the Sundance Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, the Stanley Film Festival, and Overlook Film Festival.

Enrollment is limited to 18 students.

Email us at education@moviemadness.org if you have any questions.