Cinematography – The cinematography of the Joel and Ethan Coens’ movies is simple, unique, and very well done. When Joel and Ethan first began their careers as filmmakers with Blood Simple (1984) they enlisted the talent of director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld, who was also starting his career in the filmmaking business. Sonnenfeld continued to work with the Coens for their next two films after Blood Simple; Raising Arizona (1987), and Miller’s Crossing (1990). After Miller’s Crossing Sonnenfeld went on to pursue a directing career. The role of the Coens’ director of photography (DP) fell to the great Roger Deakins.

Roger Deakins has been the Coens’ DP for all of their films since Miller’s Crossing, except for Burn After Reading (2008). Deakins is a very successful cinematographer whose work includes great movies such as The Shawshank Redemption (1994), A Beautiful Mind (2001), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), and Doubt (2008).

Viewers and critics have largely applauded the cinematography of the Coens’ movies. All in all four of the Coens’ films have been nominated for an Oscar in Best Cinematography. These movies, photographed by Roger Deakins, include Fargo (1996), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001), and No Country for Old Men (2007).

Some of the camera techniques the Coens used early on in the movies included the “Raimi cam.” The “Raimi cam” consisted of a camera mounted to a piece of wood. Two operators would grab the board by either side and would have the ability to run with the camera fairly quickly while maintaining a fairly stable shot. This method was cheap and easy to do, and provided a great camera move for the Coens as they started their careers. The technique was named the “Raimi cam” after their friend/director Sam Raimi, who used this technique on his film Evil Dead (1981).

Examples of this technique include the rush toward and over Marty (Dan Hedaya) and Abby (Francis McDormand) as she struggles to break free from him in Ray’s (John Getz) front yard. The “Raimi cam” is also used in Raising Arizona in the shot where the camera flies through Nathan Arizona’s (Trey Wilson) yard, over the fountain, up the ladder, and into the baby’s room.

Joel and Ethan Coen are renowned for the organization and planning prior to shooting their movies. They storyboard and visualize their movie in their head in great depth. This preparation greatly helps when working in conjunction with their cinematographer. The Coens are able to effectively communicate and discuss what they are looking for with Roger Deakins prior to shooting. Not only does this save time when designing a shot, but it also allows improvement to the camera work from the Coens visualization and Deakins following input.

The cinematography of the Coens’ films only parallels their stories. Shots are designed and composed in unique and simple ways as to not draw attention to the camera work and allow the story to flow smoothly. This is a staple for Deakins who favors shots that work well together, but are not distracting to viewers. Flashy lighting, over emphasis on color, tricky camera techniques, etc. can make an image exciting or superficially interesting, but it can also not correctly portray what the story or what the shot is about.

A memorable scene from Miller’s Crossing that is composed very well is when the two gangsters come to Leo’s (Albert Finney) house to kill him. The smooth tracking shot from the window (remarkably transitioning from a previous scene) down across the chair and the end table to the man who has just been murdered, bleeding out on the floor. It is so well done as an introduction to the next scene. The preceding tracking shots of the gunmen’s feet intercut with shots of Leo alone allow the audience to see what Leo is in store for and how Leo calmly deals with it. The following “tommy gun dance” is another great spectacle of camera work.

Another scene demonstrating Deakins remarkable cinematography is the showdown between Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) and Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Deakins is able to capture the scene with such a little amount of light. The only light produced comes from local store signs and dim streetlights. Shafts of lights and shadows intertwine to create a unique look and feel during the scene. The shots are so well composed that they flow seamlessly and there is no attention drawn to the camera placement or movement. Chigurh is constantly in the shadows or silhouetted, furthering the notion that Moss has no idea who is after him and what he is capable of. Moss’s only glimpse of Chigurh comes when Chigurh walks into the light toward the crashed truck thinking Moss to be seriously hurt or dead.

--Kyle Daniel