Barton Fink

Day 32 - 2/1/09 - Movie #33

BEFORE: It's Super Bowl Sunday, perhaps I should watch a movie about football - but this one's been on the books for such a long time... I'm a big fan of "Fargo" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" - I think I might have tried to watch this one before and failed...

THE PLOT: In 1941, New York intellectual playwright Barton Fink comes to Hollywood to write a wrestling picture..

AFTER: Two bits of film theory come to mind - I just learned about "gearshift" movies - films that completely change direction midway through, and this seems like a good example of that. To me, there's usually nothing more tedious than a film about how hard it is to make a film, or a story about a writer who can't write - what do you do when THAT is your only idea? My guess is that there was no way to properly finish this film, so they threw in a curveball with the serial killer.
Secondly, on Jeopardy! today, they mentioned a famous filmmaking "rule" - if you introduce a gun, it should go off, someone should be shot. No plot points should be wasted - but this film leaves so many loose ends - What was in the mysterious box? Are Barton's parents OK? Will Barton Fink change hotels, or tell the police how to catch the killer? Am I the only one asking these questions? More of a NON-Ending if you ask me.

RATING: 4 out of 10 typewriters