{"product_id":"the-whole-durn-human-comedy-joseph-mcbride-9781839983313","title":"The Whole Durn Human Comedy: Life According to the Coen Brothers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Coen Bros. have attracted a wide following and have been rewarded with Oscars and other honors. Some of their films such as \u003cem\u003eFargo\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Big Lebowski\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eNo Country for Old Men\u003c\/em\u003e are cult favorites and box office hits. Yet this team of filmmaking brothers remains misunderstood in some critical circles, partly because, like John Ford, they mischievously refuse to explain themselves to interviewers, preferring to let their work speak for itself. Ethan and Joel Coen also delight in unsettling cinematic conventions and confounding audiences while raising disturbing questions about human nature.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMixing film genres and styles, playing with narrative in postmodernist ways, the Coens' films display shocking tonal shifts as they blend comedy and drama and, most controversially, comedy and violence. This potent m駘ange of themes and stylistic approaches makes the Coens' films adventurous, unpredictable probes into social anxieties and reflections on the omnipresence of evil in the modern world. In their trenchant satire, these brilliant writer-directors are heirs to Preston Sturges and Billy Wilder, and as satirists tend to do, the Coens sometimes provoke audience anger and incomprehension along with enjoyment of their penchant for black comedy. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFilm historian and critic Joseph McBride jousts with the Coens' detractors while defining the filmmakers' freshness and originality. The quirkily individualistic Coens are the kind of personal filmmakers the increasingly conglomerated American cinema rarely fosters anymore, a distinction partly attributable to their following in Europe and their partial financing by European sources. This critical study goes beyond the often-superficial and confused nature of Coen criticism to illuminate their artistic personalities and contributions to cinematic culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Joseph McBride\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1839983310\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781839983313\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Anthem Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/01\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 118\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.35lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.40d","brand":"Joseph McBride","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44048454123775,"sku":"9781839983313","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_1c686e30-638d-4245-bf02-79af51dc37a0.jpg?v=1684995858","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-whole-durn-human-comedy-joseph-mcbride-9781839983313","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}