« FARGO » — A TYPICAL U.S. STORY

“This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.” — Epigraph at the start of the film “Fargo”

“Fargo” (1996) is the 6th film directed by the Coen brothers, Joel, and Ethan, based upon a scenario they wrote as well. This black comedy crime film has been awarded the Cannes Festival’s Prix de la Mise en Scène (Best Director Award). In addition, it has received seven Oscar nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for W. H. Macy, winning two: Best Actress for F. McDormand and Best Original Screenplay for the Coens. This movie was a popular success, internationally acclaimed.

As a matter of fact, it is extravagant that the Coens created a funny and breathtaking film with the kind of set up they decided to deal with. First of all, it is happening in Minnesota that is not the most attractive state in the USA. In addition, it is happening during the winter that is the most harnessing time of the year in that flat region. On top of that, during this season everything is covered by snow that makes the landscape as monotonous as the lives of those living there during this long and boring period of the year.

My opinion is the success relates to the many subtleties about the American way of life this film caricatures. Furthermore, the American culture is so well spread all over the world that even non-Americans can get the essence of that movie.

Here are some of the very U.S. ingredients I have spotted and that deserve further interest for non-Americans to get the inner sense of “Fargo”.

Paul Bunyan

A statue of Paul Bunyan makes various appearances in the film and strikes the memory of the audience. For those without American roots, this wooden piece of art, with its naive style that could be inspired by Grandma Moses, is nothing more than an example of how kitsch the US style of decoration can be in the countryside.

Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. He and his band of loggers cross America, clearing the path for frontier settlers. He is a representative of the entrepreneurial spirit that made the USA of today: a mix of self-enhancement without fear of conquering virgin land and taking up unknown challenges.

The main character of the film wants to be part of this epic. Unfortunately, he is such a loser that he fails in all his attempts. But, instead of reviewing his plan, he prefers to persist until he achieves irreparable failure. By the end of the story, he is miserable and ridiculous, far from the American dream symbolized by Paul Bunyan.

Minnesota Nice

It is common to hear from Europeans how friendly Americans are. This is a wrong perception of local politeness.

In Europe, being polite implies that you show respect to your counterpart. In the USA, politeness means you make them feel comfortable. Therefore, an informal behavior is not the sign of a special kindness toward you, but just standard interaction.

This way of interacting is patent in the rural areas and small cities. All the characters in “Fargo” are keen to be courteous and make sure they won’t use any coarse language. Please note that an expression like “Damn it” is considered offensive in areas like Minnesota, even in your close circle of friends. You’re not in New York City.

As a consequence, the “Fargo” characters have an aversion to conflict and won’t be straightforward. Whatever could be a source of friction is avoided and/or hidden. This leads to emotional restraint, passive-aggressiveness and is the cause of various misunderstandings that serve the comedy.

The conversation the main character has with an annoyed customer is a specimen of that kind. Later in the film, it is his turn to be treated a similar way by a parking employee.

The nuclear family

The U.S. family is often depicted as a nuclear family: husband+wife+1–2 children. The family of the miserable hero in “Fargo” is no exception. Because the story happens in a rural area, the conservative gender role is well established:

- The husband is the breadwinner. He has to be competitive with colleagues and acquaintances, e.g. neighbors. When successful, he is awarded trophies in recognition that he can exhibit without arrogance. The latter is critical in Minnesota.

- The wife is the homemaker. In “Fargo” she has no job and is held responsible for the education of the single teenage boy.

- The son is offered a comfortable life, encouraged to be autonomous and take responsibility, and expected to perform successfully in both school and leisure activities. The father is supposed to be the example to be followed.

The Coen’s character is constantly making hopeless efforts to match the traits of a winning family breadwinner. He wants to conform to the American dream. Once this goal is attained, he could get premium treatment by his family, including his grand-parents, and the community. Unfortunately, due to his lack of cleverness and talent, he is a victim of the Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time.”

This caricature of a man trying his best to live the American dream is hilarious.

Negotiation and Business

In their approach to business, like in other types of interactions, Americans are quite casual, with some variations according to the seriousness of the deal being discussed. Most of the time, they have no hidden agenda and they like all parties to state their position clearly right from the beginning. To establish your credibility, do not hesitate to mention your successes and references. You gain trust on the basis of your experience and results. Newcomers in the game have to pay an entrance ticket. Therefore, they have to be prepared to compromise and must not expect the lion share if they want to close the deal. The famous Win-Win concept is often not the reality. Some are more equal than others in business in the U.S.A.

Once again, every time our miserable hero is in a position to negotiate a deal for his own benefit, he is either knocked back in a very blunt way due to his lack of credentials or offered a miserable share of the profit to be generated by the business as a consolation gesture.

The Coen brothers depict a U.S. citizen who seems to have forgotten the basic rules of the U.S. dynamic economy. Consequently, he turns into a ridiculous individual and you can’t help laughing.

Morality

Previously in this essay, we have already discussed the importance of kindness as a moral value in the U.S.A. and how it feeds the comedy of “Fargo”.

Two other values are deeply rooted in the American culture: honesty and justice. Hence, you must act responsibly and for the benefit of your community and your country. Any U.S. citizen believes that all acts of malignity are reprehensible and must be punished. Therefore, the Police are the first instrument of Law & Order and show determination in that role.

The female head of the local police investigating the case in the film is a typical representative of these moral values. She is determined in her task and convinced that the villains must be apprehended to protect society at large. She is so convinced of the value of her job that her candor and naivety are not a handicap when she deals with suspects and witnesses.

An American public considers that this character is a good representative of what an honest citizen must be and can only sympathize with her. As a European you might think she is an anti-hero. She is not. The Coen brothers created her that way because they knew that she would bring the public on her side in the U.S.A. This was certainly in favor of making this movie a great success.

Gender Role

This ingredient of the scenario is not U.S. specific. It targets non-American men as well.

Beside a gang of male morons, there is a gem that is not spoilt by this tide of stupidity. This is the female police chief Marge Gunderson played by Frances McDormand. Even her male colleagues and subalterns do not show any skill for intelligence comparable to her clear-sighted brain. She is far above them. To make the difference even more tangible, the Coen brothers decided that she is pregnant while investigating the case. To make use of this gender specific feature is an excellent way to stress the fact that she has something unique; she is a woman in a leading position in a men’s world.

To further demonstrate that she can feel very lonely, even when she is in the company of some other women, and further demonstrate her loneliness due to her exceptional talent, there is a scene where she interviews two prostitutes who are witnesses of the case. Both exhibit their low intellectual level and Marge behaves with them like she behaves with average males, with diplomacy and patience.

The spectators, including the non-American ones, find the situation very realistic when she masters the art of diplomacy in order to not damage the ego of her male colleagues and avoid their resentment. In the real world, women in a leading position act the same to “survive” professionally.

Men in the audience feel or realize how their outdated stereotypes made them silly. Moreover, this is another trait that serves the purpose of the story.

Many other ingredients of the film support this comedy with an unexpected plot. Like a good meal is the result of a recipe made of well-balanced ingredients, this film is made of a right dosage of various aspects of the U.S. lifestyle that the Coen brothers caricature with genius.

I believe that Joel and Ethan Coen are genuine “Grand Chefs” of the American cinematographic gastronomy.