O Brother, Where Art Thou (Movie Review)

Whaddaya git if'n you cross the Three Stooges with the Greek poet Homer?

O Brother, Where Art Thou, that's what!

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is one of the best comedies I've seen in many, many years! Starring (among others) George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, John Turturro, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning, and finely crafted by screenwriters/ producers/ directors Joel and Ethan Coen, this film features a brilliantly written script, superb acting by a wonderful ensemble cast, and a musical score that is simply second to none.

THE PLOT:

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is really a simple story, set in the Mississippi delta region during the Great Depression (1937 to be exact). It's the tale of three petty criminals who escape from the chain gang in quest of buried treasure, and experience a series of misadventures along the way. Ulysses Everett McGill (Clooney) is the mellifluous, self-appointed leader of this odd threesome, a man who claims to have stolen and buried over a million dollars in cash. Delmar O'Donnell (played to perfection by Tim Blake Nelson) is a likeable, amiable dimwit willing to follow anyone's lead; the third member of our little gang is an irritable, acerbic fella named Pete (played by John Turturro).

Together they set off, chained to each other, in search of McGill's treasure. The loot is buried somewhere in an area that's about to become a lake created by a dam. Everett, Delmar, and Pete have only four days to find the money before it's lost forever at the bottom of the newly created reservoir.

As they begin their strange journey, our trio of protagonists runs across an old blind seer who prophesies that they will find a fortune, but not the one they seek. Everett, Pete and Delmar, with a posse of law enforcement officers and vigilantes hot on their heels, first ditch their chains and prison garb, then continue on their quest. At one point, soon after stealing a car and picking up a guitar-playing hitch-hiker, our heroes stop at a local radio station and, posing as a country music group called the "Soggy Bottom Boys," they cut a record entitled "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrows" an "old-timey" song that's soon all the rage throughout the Mississippi delta region.

Our three travelers' quest to uncover Everett's treasure is anything but quiet and uneventful. They continually run into strange people and situations... a Baptist congregation at river's edge, singing a beautiful hymn, lulling our heroes into sweet forgetfulness for a few brief moments... three washer-women, also at river's edge, whose siren-like song ensnares our three miscreants... George Nelson (Michael Badalucco), a bank robber on the run, who nearly co-opts our heroes into a real life of crime... the one-eyed, fast-talking Bible salesman Dan Teague (John Goodman) who offers Everett, Pete, and Delmar a hard lesson on economics and life in general in the Depression-ravaged Deep South... and other characters as well: Governor Pappy "Pass the Biscuits" O'Daniel (Charles Durning), running for re-election against a reform-minded candidate named Homer Stokes... Everett's ex-wife Penny (Holly Hunter), about to be re-married to a real drone named Vernon Waldrip, after telling the McGills' seven daughters that their real daddy was hit by a train... and a whole gang of good ol' boys dressed in white sheets and hoods who take great exception to our heroes' intrusion into their ceremonies.

Will Everett, Delmar, and Pete make it to Everett's buried treasure before it gets forever buried under 90 feet of water? Will Everett and Penny get back together and live happily ever after? Do musical fame and fortune await our dynamic threesome at the end of their journey? Watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? to find out!

MY EVALUATION:

Very seldom have I enjoyed a film as much as O Brother, Where Art Thou?! Don't ask me why... I really can't put my finger on any single quality that sets this film apart from the many movies I've watched... end enjoyed... over the years. Perhaps it's the marvelous chemistry between Everett, Delmar, and Pete. The actors who play these parts not only bring their characters to life; they make the characters work together brilliantly. Clooney's "Everett" is the smooth, fast-talking guy who wants the other two to follow him... he's cynical, especially about religion; a man who, despite his glib exterior, can't hide the fact he's generous, caring, and committed to his family. Despite his Academy Award-winning and nominated performances in later films, I believe this remains Clooney's finest film performance of all.

Tim Blake Nelson's superb portrayal of "Delmar" nearly equals in quality that of Clooney's "Everett." Nelson wisely eschewed the temptation to make Delmar the typical "dim-bulb" found in many movies of this type. Instead, he imbues his character with a sweet disposition and a simple (meaning uncomplicated), although not-too-swift, personality. And John Turturro skillfully imbues "Pete" with a gruff cantankerousness that's a perfect foil for the silver-tongued Everett and the dimwitted Delmar.

The movie's plot is well-focused and reasonably easy to follow. O Brother, Where Art Thou? has been criticized by some as being difficult to follow because the story is made up of a series of vignettes... stories within the main story. I experienced no difficulties in understanding and enjoying the film from start to finish.

For anyone who has read Homer's The Odyssey, the parallels between O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Greek classic are pretty easy to spot. The Baptist congregation causes sweet mental oblivion in our heroes, much as the Lotus Eaters did for Ulysses in the Homeric epic; likewise, the washer-women become the sirens; Dan Teague parallels the Cyclops; and Everett's wife, Penny, represents Ulysses' wife Penelope in The Odyssey. Thus, O Brother, Where Art Thou? becomes a brilliantly conceived and very funny parody of Homer's great epic poem.

Speaking of funny... O Brother, Where Art Thou? is very good comedy indeed. It's not the type of comedy that makes audiences roll on the floor howling with laughter, although there are some superb slapstick moments in the film. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is more likely to engender broad smiles and genuine belly-laughs from viewers throughout the film's 1¾-hour running time.

One of O Brother, Where Art Thou's? greatest strengths is its musical score. As the Coen brothers point out, nary a scene goes by without some kind of music in the background. The songs... 19 of them by my count... are all wonderful. It's a sublime mixture of old-time gospel, bluegrass, country music, and African-American spirituals. From James Carter and the Prisoners' "Po' Lazarus," through Alison Krause's sweetly simple and reverent "Down to the River to Pray" (with brilliant harmonies added by the First Baptist Choir of White House, Tennessee); the old-time country classics "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" and "Hard Rock Candy Mountain," and "You Are My Sunshine;" to the old-time Gospel classics "Keep On the Sunny Side;" "I'll Fly Away" and "I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)," (and many other songs as well), the music adds an extra dimension to this already multi-faceted film. (By the way, all these songs can be found on the marvelous O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, available on compact disc... but that's another review!)

Since 2002, O Brother, Where Art Thou? has been one of the most often played movies in my DVD collection; I just never tire of the comedy or the music, and each viewing has been a genuine pleasure for me. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is clever in its conception, extraordinary in its execution, sublime in its comedic storytelling, and masterful in its music. In short... wonderfully entertaining in every respect.

A definite "must-see" for movie-lovers everywhere!