Friday, November 23, 2018

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Dave and I love movies by film making geniuses, the Coen Brothers, Ethan and Joel.  Their latest is on Netflix.  What's it about?  The old West,  and how brutal and beautiful it was.  But to me, it's mostly about death and human nature and irony.  Oh, and it's also dripping with all kinds of symbolism and theological implications.  And it's funny.

The two hour plus film is divided into six totally different short stories.

1.  The Ballad of Buster Scruggs -  Buster is a happy go lucky singing cowboy; delightful and entertaining.  Oh, he's also a killer.

2.  Near Algodones - James Franco is a bank robber.  The story is short and to the point.  The arbitrary justice of the old West was swift.  So was Franco's life.

3.  Meal Ticket - Liam Neeson stars in this, one of the most disturbing, sad stories I've ever seen.  Somebody suggested that it's about the predatory nature of show business.  I think it's way more than that.

4.  All Gold Canyon - An old prospector pans for gold.  The old West is stunningly beautiful until human beings show up.


5.  The Gal Who Got Rattled - This is a sweet love story about a quiet young women who kept her wits about her until the one time she didn't.


6.  The Mortal Remains - The entire story takes place in a stage coach.  Spoiler alert:  I think they're all dead.

If you watch The Ballard of Buster Scruggs (and I hope you do) let me know what you think.  They're all great stories and great discussion starters.  What are they saying about human beings? About the natural world?  About God?  The only places you'll get answers are from having discussions with other people.  The Coen Brothers aren't talking.


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