The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together

by Adam Nayman, Little White Lies (Producer), Telegramme Paper Co. (with Oliver Stafford and Jason Ngai) (Illustrator)

In The Coen This Book Really Ties the Films Together , film critic Adam Nayman carefully sifts through their complex cinematic universe in an effort to plot, as he puts it, “some Grand Unified Theory of Coen-ness.”

Ethan and Joel Coen have cultivated a bleakly comical, instantly recognizable voice in modern American cinema. They have given movie fans classics of all types—comedy, history, drama, romance. Their movies have a distinctive style and point of hilarious, sad, thoughtful, musical, sometimes all at once. When someone says a movie is Coen Brothers–like, every serious movie lover knows exactly what they mean.

Combining critical text—biography, close film analysis, and enlightening interviews with key Coen collaborators—with a visual aesthetic that honors the Coens’ singular mix of darkness and levity, Adam Nayman covers all their popular, award-winning, and unforgettable Featuring film stills, beautiful and evocative illustrations, punchy infographics, and hard insight, this is the definitive exploration of the Coen brothers’ oeuvre.

“Fans . . . will appreciate this oversized guide to their offbeat oeuvre.” ― Newsday

“A great gift for any Coen fan-boy or fan-girl in your life.” ―NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour

“Filled with glossy, well-chosen pictures as well as thoughtful, eloquent analysis.” ― Filmmaker

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Biography, Audiobook, Pop Culture, History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2018

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to determine who the target audience of this book is supposed to be. On the one hand, I can't imagine it meaning much to someone not already intimately familiar with the Coen brothers' work, but on the other, it's hard to imagine anyone with that familiarity not being disappointed by this. I gave up listing factual errors early on (not even to mention incorrectly used vocabulary or bizarre phrases like "rust-gray"), although I will mention one for the sheer number of levels on which it was wrong. "The original VHS release of Blood Simple substituted Neil Young's 'The Believer' in its place," writes Nayman of the rights-related replacement of the Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song" with Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer" (and his in a songwriting sense only, as the version included is an egregious performance by Jim Roberge, unheard of before or since). So, the book could have used some editing and fact-checking, yes, but also maybe an entirely different sense of direction.

This sort of coffee-table book focusing on the oeuvre of a filmmaker (or two, in this case) has proliferated in recent years, spawned as far as I can tell by Matt Zoller Seitz's The Wes Anderson Collection, not coincidentally the only one I've seen that takes advantage of the format, using film frames to illustrate visual style and filling the pages with a variety of marginalia that allows him to include all sorts of thoughts and commentary, however brief. The Coen Brothers is filled with evidence that it wasn't suited for this format: copious white space on pages, film frames that rarely do much to make or expand on points, illustrations that add little (imagine my disappointment when a shot from "The Hudsucker Proxy" of a secretary reading volume one of War and Peace was included, without the accompanying two images that complete the joke—next volume two, and then Anna Karenina; on the other hand, the opposing shots on pages 202 and 203 are hugely effective), and captions and sidebars meant to add some visual interest and failing to do even that, instead just closely repeating what's already been said in the main text and certainly adding nothing in the way of understanding or context.

What's odder than the failures of the book as object and formal conceit is the degree to which that main text itself is often uninspiring. I have often appreciated Nayman's criticism, and especially that which relies on his copious knowledge of the work of the Coen brothers, so it's hard to explain why much of his prose here falls flat. (If I had to make an argument, it would be that he's actually not given enough length with which to work—which he could have potentially had in a more text-focused approach—and that the desired approachability of a coffee-table book didn't allow him to strike quite as rigorous a tone as he usually does. He may have strived a little too hard here, also, to produce a book living up to its sub-title, drawing a number of tenuous minor connections between films but really ducking the question of larger through-lines. (The interconnectivity between the Coens' films that interest Nayman so much would have seemed to be the perfect set-up for any number of thematic groupings that follow one after another in a loop, befitting their subject matter; simply falling back on a chronological approach felt like a missed opportunity.) Nevertheless, I really liked his reading of No Country for Old Men and found many smaller insights to be valuable as well; his interviews with Mary Zophres, Michael Miller, and Roger Deakins were especially compelling (the interviews with key collaborators have the potential—not always realized—to be very informative, given how the Coens tend to work with the same people over and over); and I even found myself a bit sad for the book to be wrapping up (though, admittedly, likely owing more to the subject matter than the book itself).

[Karl O' · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel I had to review this like a book of short stories rather than an individual work. Where some of the individual studies were excellent (Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink) it lost credibility as a whole when trying to push cultural relevance on the lesser movies (Intolerable Cruelty, The Lady Killers). I didn’t feel there was a lot in terms of connecting their themes, there was a lot of stretching there. The “Warning” and percentage breakdown approach to every chapter was painful . Is the person that wrote the ode to Donny a friend ? Another relevance stretch. Started great , limped to the finish.

[Jennifer Ozawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discusses themes and motifs common in the films of the Coen brothers. I liked this book; it pointed things out that hadn't occurred to me, yet I felt it was lacking some depth. I do now want to go back and rewatch some movies, though.

[Shawn McGuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this when it came out back in 2018 and have been sitting on it until I could commit to a full rewatch of the Coen canon, which thankfully came this year with the Blank Check podcast finally tackling the Boys and their filmography. Nayman’s breakdown of each film is well researched and insightful, though occasionally he seems to wallow in some far flung stretches of “tying the whole thing together,” much like the Dude’s purloined rug. But along with the design and illustrations, this is a beautifully constructed ode to our greatest contemporary filmmakers (and as it ends at HAIL, CAESAR!, I will not be fielding any questions or arguments about including some regrettable post-2018 solo efforts in my claim).

Mostly I just appreciate that after years of me ranting like some kind of lunatic about the recurring circular motif in the Coen films - both visually and narratively - I finally have this brick of well-crafted essays to back up my claims.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life changing experience (re)watching these films and reading Nayman's insightful commentary on each one. I learned a ton, and will, I'm sure, enjoy rewatching all of these movies with a keener eye for the rest of my life.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extensive look at the Coen brothers' movies and the motifs they keep returning to. I enjoyed most of the essays, but it didn't change my mind about the movies I didn't care for.
It did reference several classic movies and books that I am now interested in pursuing.

[Fabulous Book Fiend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I bought it for a gift for someone else but ended up reading it as I worked my way through the films. Plus we have an epic rug on the end pages of the book, it really is beautiful!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly photos

I would like there to have been more text. There’s a ton of white space in this book, and no captions to explain some of the more obscure photos.

[Kyle A Massa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This aggression will not stand, man.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to really dig into the Coens' body of work, this book is a brilliant companion. It covers all of their films up to Hail Caesar, with an insightful essay on each, plus a handful of illuminating interviews with key Coen collaborators including Roger Deakins and Carter Burwell. Tip of the hat to Adam Nayman, this is exemplary writing on eminently worthy films.

[Nick Kozel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very basic summary of Coen Bro films. Interesting tid bits here and there, but ultimately nothing all too interesting.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the Coen Brothers (and who isn't?), this is a must read! The perfect summation of all of their films to date.

[Ystyn Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to be convinced to rewatch the Coen Brothers oeuvre then this book will seal the deal. The insights relating to each film individually along with the tropes found nestled across their body of work are very well-considered even if I totally disagree with the author’s reading of “The Man Who Wasn’t There”, but that adds to the enjoyment of the analysis. It’s a one-sided conversation that you would love to be a part of.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

As beautifully produced and designed a book as you'd expect from the Little White Lies team -- fortunately Nayman's essays and interviews are every bit as strong as the design. Finds lots of new insight in the Coen's filmography, and will make you want to revisit even their lesser work.

[Abdul Alhazred · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version which apparently loses most of the draw in the coffee table presentation with visuals; perhaps you weren't supposed to pay that much attention to the words, and the audio necessarily forces you to.
Many reviewers seem focused on the surface level of the information and takes, wondering who it's for (since you'd need to be a fan to buy this, consequently you already know most of it) - but for me what was much more grating were the attempts at a deeper interpretation and (as the title suggests) tying all the movies together (instead of letting them be their own works). As one of the first examples of this consider that the author attempts to tie the entire theme of Miller's Crossing to hats, and chasing hats, and either having a hat or not. This is either a symbol of masculinity (or lack thereof), or - brace yourself for this one - it's about the search for heart because of the way the actor pronounces hat sounding similar to that word. On the other hand the author manages to miss 'living without intestines' being a very unsubtle 'no guts' reference. In other interpretation misses the book wants to paint Chigurh (No Country For Old Men) as an avatar of avarice which the movie pretty strongly belies at several points. This, and the constant resurfacing of the fucking hat reference, 'big head', and other verbal tics are all in service of trying to "tie the movies together" as if they had a universal thematic message. It does not succeed.
The most interesting bits of the book end up being the interviews with close collaborators like Deakins, Burwell and costume designer Zophres, but since the brothers themselves are famously reclusive and the author apparently couldn't get sitdowns with the main actors we get filler interviews such as the people who made a movie about an urban legend about a japanese woman searching for the buried treasure from Fargo (Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter), and a band who wrote a song about Donnie from Big Lebowski. Frankly just baffling inclusions amounting to 'ain't they great' commentary.

Maybe the photos are enough to bump this up on the coffee table edition but it really fell flat for me.

[Seán · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this from a library and got halfway through within a couple of days. Before I could finish however I moved away for work, so had to return it. As soon as I had some money I splashed out and bought it, even knowing that I only had half left and that I would have to give it away when I was done.

The screengrabs are beautiful and well-picked. The illustrations are striking and get to the heart of each film. The layout and design are wonderful and it looks spectacular. The actual written content is mostly engaging, and did illuminate some aspects of Coen films that had remained hidden from me, and draw some interesting parallels between Coen films. But this is where an issue in the analysis comes up. The book’s tagline is “This book really ties the films together”. And unfortunately it does attempt to do just that. Although sometimes thematically and visually similar, the Coen Brothers’ films are not unified by a set of principles, locations, ideas or characters. This book tries hard to insist that they are, and goes to great and laborious attempts to justify this belief. It can be bothersome and dull at times. There is also a pretty typical desire to over-analyse the content in the hope of breathing meaning into any aspect the author turns his gaze too. Also bothersome and dull. But overall the analysis is insightful and informative, and wasn’t too high above my grade when it comes to film history in the references it employed.

The interviews and material from Coen-collaborators were also interesting and informative, and the book does paint a good picture of what the men themselves are actually like, as people and as filmmakers. Apart from a few gripes about the analysis I am very glad to have stumbled upon this book and that I tracked it down to finish it.

[Julien L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd Nayman book I've read about a director(s), and it feels like the most cohesive of the bunch. True to his analysis of the Coen's films, Nayman's own writing here has a kind of circularity to it where he wheels and loops back around to his own thinking on previous films and adding them to whatever chapter he's currently on i.e. the talk of doubling in multiple chapters, crises of faith, literary and cinematic allusions, etc. Nayman, almost similar in his book about Fincher movies, uses the techniques of the filmmakers as a structuring principle for his own writing, to mostly good results.

The book's weakness lies in its own self-referential smarminess, the kind of thing I hate when I read essays, where it works in the title of something or a quote from something else as part of its own writing with the sole purpose of either being clever or going like "see! see! See how everything is connected?!" Example from the end of the book: "There is no shortage of intolerable cruelty in the Coens' films,..." It works in the title of their movie Intolerable Cruelty to make a point where I groaned and winced every time he did this. It would be like if I wrote a book about Richard Linklater movies, and said something like "The hallucinatory structure of many of Linklater's films leaves the viewer dazed and confused...".

A stupid and annoying writing tic aside, his analysis is good and made me go back and watch all of their movies to look for these rhings, as well as figure out my own analysis.

[Brenden Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working in Hollywood, you find many artists and creative types who abhor criticism. Critics, they argue, are "bitter" or "don't get it." Because I was obligated to take theater criticism, film criticism, and literary criticism in college, and because I made my bones as a blogger in the lean years while trying to break into TV and film, I personally love criticism. But, I recognize I am a Hollywood rarity.

Even if you don't love criticism, if you love the Coen Brothers, you ought to love "The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together." In this book, Adam Nayman writes a beautiful hybrid work that combines analysis, history, and interview to create what I think will endure as the definitive critical appreciation of the Coen Brothers. If the Coen Brothers show us how great film can be, with this work, I think Nayman demonstrates how nourishing and stimulating criticism can be.

If there is a filmmaker I look to as a key influence on my own work, it is the Coens. Their understanding, appreciation, and mockery of America is something I aspire to in everything I write. The way they let their regional settings inflect their work is something I strive for as well. In this book, Nayman opens up the Coen's films expertly, explaining the technical and literary origins of their fantastic work, and explicating how their unique set of influences shaped their unique view of American life.

Moving deftly from commentary on symbolism to lists of source material to analyses of shots to assessments of performances to histories of the critical reception of their work, Nayman confidently glides in whatever direction he feels necessary to best explain and elevate the Coen Brothers' movies, dollying through their films and lives without shaking.

Nayman clearly loves the Coens and his writing on them is pure joy. There is probably not a filmmaker whose work I have seen and appreciated more often, and yet even with "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and "The Big Lebowski," films I have seen more than almost any others, he finds new and exciting material to help any reader better understand the films.

Criticism can be joyous, rigorous, rollicking, and fascinating. And as Nayman insists with the book's title, it can unite a sprawling body of work with clarity and admiration. Nayman is a critic worthy of his subject. May his analysis of their work endure as long as the films themselves.

[A Cesspool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up specifically for making-of anecdotals & b-t-s stories; And (after reading Nic Cage biography) wanted more on Raising Arizona's (1987) lead casting and frequent fallouts with Cage (during Raising Arizona's principle photography).

This is way more Analytical: interpreting aesthetics, recurring motifs, filmmaker's running thesis and influential directors; Than Objective-oriented, á la making-of, directors' favorite filmmaking cheats, studio compromises, etc. etc. -- with reoccurring oral history vignettes.
That said, the chapter on Miller's Crossing's (1990) interpretation and meaning is remarkable; with Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) a close second [place].

Was not expecting so many Post-production tidbits and insights (author is clearly fascinated with Brothers' editing alias: Roderick Jaynes) -- would have for sure read sooner if I had.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my favorite movies are by the Coen brothers, and I'd recommend this book to anyone who can identify the following quotes:
In a Georgian / Southern accent: "Gimme that baby, you warthog from Hell!"
Irish accent: "Where's me hat?"
Minnesotan accent: "Okay, are ya sure?"
Korean accent: "Accept the mystery."

Recently I met J. Todd Anderson, the storyboard artist for almost all of the Coens' movies, at a screening of The Hudsucker Proxy here in Dayton. I bought a copy of his book of storyboards for The Big Lebowski, and he personalized it with an illustration of The Dude and the quote "It really tied the room together."

As the title suggests, this book really ties the films together, with lots of astute analysis of all of the films up to 2016's Hail, Caesar! J. Todd is interviewed, along with seemingly all of the talented designers, composers, and cinematographers who regularly work with the Coens and help create their unique, inimitable films. It makes me want to watch them all again. Yes, even Burn After Reading.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal and intricate overview of the Coens' filmography (well, up through "Hail, Caesar!" at least) from one of the best and most impassioned writers about film of this era or any other. Nayman's enthusiasm about everything he explores in his writing is irresistibly infectious, and never more so than in this collection of critical essays and interviews.

However, it's not just Nayman's enthusiasm that carries the day. He has a genuine knowledge of what goes into the filmmaking process, and understands how important the Coens' collaborators are to the success of their films. This isn't just something to read if you've already seen all of their films (although spoilers abound, so tread carefully if you haven't), this is a guidebook for how to build a filmography in their image. The sheer, indefatigable density of the Coens' body of work is gobsmacking, and it speaks to both the difficulty of mastering this medium and to the joy the mastering of it engenders in an audience.

In short, it's delightful.

[Matthew Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Love the Coen Brothers’ films - none more than The Big Lebowski, which the subtitle of this book cleverly pays homage to - so I was excited to take a deeper look at the methods and motivations of these inimitable filmmakers, and to discover some of the Easter eggs that I knew I was missing. This book delivered on both fronts.

If you too love the Coen Brothers, and especially if you’ve seen many of their films, this book is well worth a read and lives up to the promise of the subtitle. It unfolds in a mostly linear way, diving into each of their films chronologically, starting with their 1984 debut, Blood Simple. Interspersed between chapters are in depth interviews with people who have worked on their films, including crew members who have been with the brothers through most of their career. It’s a fascinating look into how they've developed their craft over time, as well as how they’ve held true to an originality and style that makes their films so instantly recognizable.

While each of the main chapters center on a specific film, the author does a great job of showing the various inspirations, tributes and nods that the brothers have subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) stitched into the film, and how it “ties together” with their other films. There’s plenty of background and context as well, making it almost feel like a documentary at times. It’s fascinating, insightful and nerdy, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

[Gary Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with gems of insight

Perhaps the best book about Joel and Ethan Coen I have read. A chapter for each film from Blood Simple through Hail, Caesar!, plus interstitial pages on several of the people who contribute to the films as actors and creative talent. Film chapters analyze the plot and style of each movie, with thematic connections and details about the making (and problems in making) these films as their career progresses. There's a good deal of dry humor characteristic of the Coens as well as statements by the people who work frequently with them as to what makes collaboration such a worthwhile adventure. Hopefully, there will be an updated edition to cover the films Joel and Ethan have made since 2016. The Ethan & Tricia lesbian trilogy should be especially interesting.

[Brian J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the biggest Coen Brothers fan. I actually only like a couple of their films--No Country For Old Men and Fargo. And True Grit is okay. Some of their stuff I can't stand, like Raising Arizona. And most of the others I'm totally indifferent to.

Yet they continue to interest me, and I find it interesting that so many of their films are hailed as masterworks. I thought this criticism tome from Adam Nayman might give me some insight into their processes, or some kind of secret doorway into appreciating their other films. But mostly it just reiterated what I already know: I love Fargo and No Country For Old Men, I like True Grit, and I don't give two shits about the rest of their catalog.

[olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this while taking a film class about the coen brothers. the book offered a lot of interesting information about the coen brothers and some solid analyses of their films, but i could not help but notice there were a fair amount of typos and things that were factually wrong. i wish i wrote the errors down so i could back my claim up but i did not and i’m not about to read this book over again just looking for the errors. but overall it was fine. really awesome that i got this book for free using my book voucher and it’s a great coffee table book with pictures from the films and what not, so i’ll be happy to let this massive book live on my family’s coffee table now that i’m done with it.

[Eric Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a gift from my son, and we enjoyed watching each movie, then reading the analysis. For most, this is probably a coffee-table book, and the large pictures contained within are very beautiful. For the most part, the analyses are fun to read and enlightening, and the author clearly enjoys the Coen's films. The interviews with long-term co-collaborating cinematographers, costume designers, actors, and production designers are fascinating. Four stars because a couple of the analyses fall flat, and a couple trend too far into movie-name dropping and self aggrandizement, but highly enjoyable and recommended.

[John DiLillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book’s beautifully presented and the interviews with Coen colleagues are incredibly engaging but the central text contains some of the most thuddingly literal film writing i’ve ever seen. I like Nayman as a writer and there are moments where he hits on interesting insights about the brothers’ body of work, but all too often it feels like he’s just straining to solve the Coen Puzzle™ instead of just writing about how and why their movies are good. Felt pretty frequently like i was reading a well-written college essay instead of a really critical consideration. Still, very readable and it’s always nice to think about these movies

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I absolutely devoured this thing. This is serious, top tier, Film Comment-level writing (but, like, never, ever boring). The author Adam Nayman gives incredibly thoughtful and sharp analysis about the look, style, and philosophical underpinnings the Coens’ films. Nayman also shines a spotlight on the themes and arguments that appear again and again in their work. More than anything, this book justified my multiple big screen viewings of A Serious Man (2009) and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) and shamed me for not taking Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and The Ladykillers (2004) more seriously (though I’m going to rewatch both films asap).

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a "pick up and read cover to cover" kind of book. Definitely a coffee table, "pick up from time to time and thumb through" book - would be a great gift for hardcore fans of the Coens. Lots of great pictures, quotes, and insights from cinematographers, composers, and other collaborators. The bulk of the book is made up of VERY in-depth, critical essays about each film. I read and enjoyed most of these, but again, probably for pretty serious Coen fans, or at least readers that consider themselves "film buffs".

[Gary Fowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Nayman does a decent enough job of linking the Coen’s filmography in a way that doesn’t require the reader to have attended film school. There are a few mistakes within though, Nayman incorrectly stating the method of death that draws The Man Who Wasn’t There to a close for instance.
Personally, I would have preferred a little more critique with some of the Coen’s weaker films such as The Ladykillers, which according to this tome manages to improve on the original in various ways.
Worth a read if you have any interest in the subject.