Coen Brothers' O' Brother, Where Art Thou? Uses Biblical Narrative

Religion is primarily about mankind's quest for answers in the Coen Brother's film, "O' Brother, Where Art Thou?' Biblical references are relied on to add structure and significance to the work. The audience is witness to characters that seek meaning through redemption, greed, and exclusion. However, these characters only find themselves becoming models of a warped detraction of a Christian worldview.

Characters who seek redemption through cultic ritual are mocked by the Coen Brothers. When a singing congregation passes the newly escaped convicts, Everett remarks, "they must be looking for answers." This phrase will repeat itself several times before the film's conclusion; thus becoming key in the structure of the narrative. The communicants proceed to sing and are dunked by a man into the water of a river, supposedly an act of baptism and redemption mirroring the acts of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. Delmar and Pete are quick to follow suit, thinking the act will spare their immortal souls and "wash away their sings and transgressions." Obviously, this act does not matter in reality, for they are sill wanted by the law, as Everett is quick to point out. He states, "Baptism! You two are dumber than a bag of hammers. Well, I guess you're my cross to bear." The Coens, by choosing Everett to be the most intelligent character of the three, are showing that folly of some of the Christian churches' practices, and how a dip in the river will not give anyone answers.

The Coen Brothers continue to satirize the use of the Bible in "O' Brother, Where Art Thou?" The hackneyed (almost TV evangelist) version of the Christian narrative - one which operates exclusively for profit - is embodied in the sleazy one-eyed Bible salesman, Big Dan Teague. In this greed, he states that he sells "The truth! Every blessed word of it from Genesis on down to Revelations. That's right, the word of God - which let me tell you, there is damned good money during these times of woe and want. People are looking for answers - and Big Dan sells the only book that's got 'em." Big Dan proves to be a louche character of excessive greed. He tricks Everett and Delmar to pay his dinner bill, then eats their suppers, while refraining from conversation - the only reason he was welcome to join the two in the first place. Later he attacks Delmar and Everett, betraying their confidence (and squishing their frog) yelling, "It's all about the money, boys!" Additionally, this character later appears at a meeting of the Ku Klux Klan, which further seals his image as a perversion of a Christian worldview.

This stigma of the church and many of its followers' commoditfying the word of God has often spoiled its reputation. The Coens are aware of this, and effectively prove through their film that the Bible, particularly those who try to sell it, will not answer life's questions.

Separateness and exclusion were crucial elements of the Old Testament, and modern interpretations of this are criticized by the Coens. For example, the idea of separateness was without a doubt evident in the Torah. Leviticus 19.19 states "Ye shall keep my statuses. Thou shalt not let the cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow the field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee." While looking back on these statements, it seems ridiculous not to grow different kinds of seeds in a field, or wear polyester fabrics, but the installment of the attitude was to preserve the Hebrew culture from being lost while they were being disbursed. However, elements of separateness that the Old Testament spoke of were re-interpreted by the Ku Klux Klan in more contemporary society. In "O' Brother, Where Art Thou?" The head speaker of the Ku Klux Klan, (Homer Stokes) exclaims, "Brothers, we have all gathered here to preserve our hallowed culture and heritage from intrusion, inclusion, and dilution of color, of creed, and of our old-time religion, we aim to pull evil up by the root before it chokes out the flower of our culture and heritage." These issues have been taken to the extreme, and the Coens show the ludicrousness of this warping of the church (the audience is reminded of the religious connection via visual relations such as a flaming cross in the background, cross symbols on the members' costumes, and a sort of dance formation where a cross and roses are formed.) Ironically, the Ku Klux Klan are acting more like the executioners of a Christ-like figure, Tommy, then the keepers of God's work. Obviously, the Coens intend for there to be no elements here to be taken as sources for answers for human ills.

To conclude, the Coens desire their audience to look to themselves for their own salvation. Penny states that her children, "look to her for answers" and Everett rambles while psyching himself up to go on stage and sing, "I'm God damn bona fide! I got the answers!" Here, the Coens show that the most intelligent characters are looking within rather than to cultic traditions, greed, or exclusion to save them. It is a message the Coens give to their audience in all their films - to think about what we are shown on the screen, to draw our own conclusions, and laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Works CIted:

The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Doubleday Publishing, New York, New York, 1992.

King James Version of the Holy Bible. Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 2000.