O Brother, Where Art Thou? Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen

About the film Considered an adventure film Set in rural Mississippi in 1937 during the Great Depression. Title is in reference to the 1941 film Sullivan’s Travels, in which the protagonist wants to film a story (called “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”) that would capture the plight of the poor and the “problems that confront the average man.”

About the film Considered a loose satire of Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. The film borrows from the plot of the Odyssey to move the story forward, and the Coen Brothers use irony, humor, and ridicule to critique the deep South in the 1930s. Both the Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? depict a protagonist’s journey home, during which he faces trickery and obstacles in the form of a cyclops, sirens, and more. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is considered a hit, both critically and commercially, due to its cinematography, offbeat humor, and unique soundtrack.

Poster for 1941 film from which the title O Brother Where Art Thou is derived. The sirens, “weaving their spell” on our protagonists, Ulysses, Pete, and Delmar, in O Brother, Where Art Thou? Illustration of the Cyclops from Homer’s Odyssey.

Music and color Period-specific music dominates the film. We hear Virginia Bluegrass, traditional African American Gospel, and even a capella. The music is supposed to be a major component of the film. It can almost be seen as a character, and should not be considered merely “background music.” The music emphasizes that the movie is about the things that bring people real laughter, joy, and hope.

Music and color The movie was one of the first to extensively use digital color-correction. This creates a sepia-tinted, autumnal appearance. The Coen Brothers wanted the scenes to look like “old, hand-tinted picture[s],” and they achieve this effect.

About the Coen brothers The Coen Brothers have written, produced, and directed more than 15 films together and are often said to be “genre-busting.” They have covered comedy, crime, Westerns, horror, neo-noir, romance, and more. Their other films include Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, True Grit, and Hail, Caesar! The brothers grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. As kids, they saved up the money they made mowing lawns to buy a small camera and began remaking movies they saw on television.

Joel attended New York University and studied film, while Ethan studied philosophy at Princeton. Blood Simple, The first commercial film they wrote and directed together, was released in 1984. Although O Brother Where Art Thou draws influence from the Odyssey and Ethan Coen described the epic as one of his “favorite storyline schemes,” neither Ethan nor Joel had actually read the Odyssey when they began filming.

Although some criticize the Coen brothers for creating characters that “mock” different minorities, others disagree, pointing out that everybody gets exaggerated in a Coen film--even the rich, even the powerful. What do you think? How might this “mockery” relate to the satire and political commentary in O Brother? Things to consider! Many critics and fans comment on the Coen brothers’ use of dialects and accents. They assert that a “flavor of language” can give a person a specific geographical placement. How does the exaggeration of dialect in O Brother shape our understanding of the characters’ identities?

Things to consider!!! Keep in mind that this film is supposed to be a little absurd. How can we still find hope and heart in sometimes painfully stupid, over-the-top characters? Remember: the music is a character! How does it serve as a constant, participatory voice in the story? Keep an eye out for that thing up there, too! Enjoy!