O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a
2000The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.-Top-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the United States and Canada in 2000...
adventureAn adventure is an activity that comprises risky, dangerous or uncertain experiences. The term is more popularly used in reference to physical activities that have some potential for danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing, and extreme sports...
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
directed by
Joel and Ethan CoenJoel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies to hardboiled thrillers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together...
and starring
George ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Clooney has balanced his performances in big-budget blockbusters with work as a producer and director behind commercially riskier projects, as well as social and liberal political activism...
,
John TurturroJohn Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer, and director best known for his performances in Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , and O Brother, Where Art Thou?...
,
Tim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer and actor.-Personal life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa...
,
John GoodmanJohn Stephen Goodman is an American actor. He is best known for his role on the television series Roseanne, as well as his film work with the Coen brothers.-Early life:...
,
Holly HunterHolly P. Hunter is an American actress. Her films include Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, Always, and The Piano for which she won several acting awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress...
, and
Charles DurningCharles Durning is an American actor of stage and screen.-Early life:Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York and was the second youngest of five children, James G. , Clifford John , Frances and Gerald J. Durning . His mother, Louise M...
. Set in 1937
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
during the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the film's story is loosely based on
HomerHomer is a legendary ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey...
’s
OdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work traditionally ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon. Indeed it is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of...
.
The
American rootsAmerican Roots Music is a 2001 multi-part documentary film that explores the historical roots of American Roots music through footage and performances by the creators of the movement: Folk, Country, Blues, Gospel, Bluegrass, and many others....
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized...
won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2001.
Plot
Ulysses Everett McGill, known as Everett (
George ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Clooney has balanced his performances in big-budget blockbusters with work as a producer and director behind commercially riskier projects, as well as social and liberal political activism...
), Pete (
John TurturroJohn Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer, and director best known for his performances in Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , and O Brother, Where Art Thou?...
), and Delmar O’Donnell (
Tim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer and actor.-Personal life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa...
) escape from a
chain gangA chain gang was a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work as a form of punishment. Their tasks included such as building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone...
and set out to retrieve the $1.2 million in treasure that Everett claims to have stolen from an armored car and buried before his incarceration. They have only four days to find it before the valley in which it is hidden will be flooded to create
Arkabutla LakeArkabutla Lake is a reservoir on the Coldwater River in the U.S. state of Mississippi.Arkabutla Lake is one of four Flood Damage Reduction reservoirs in northern Mississippi. Located less than 30 minutes south of the Tennessee state line, Arkabutla Lake is the only U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
as part of a new hydroelectric project. Early on in their escape, they try to jump onto a moving train with some
hoboA hobo is a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the western—probably northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike tramps, who worked only when they were forced to, and bums, who didn't work at all, hobos were...
s, but fall off due to Pete's inability to get on. They then encounter a
blind manIn Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for being transformed into a woman for seven years...
traveling on a manual railroad car. They hitch a ride, and he foretells their futures, similar to the oracle of Homer's Odyssey.
The group sets out for the treasure. They walk to Pete's cousin's house, who removes their chains. He turns them into the authorities because he needs the money to support his family. They escape from the burning barn where they were sleeping, and continue on their journey. When they pass a congregation on the banks of a river, Pete and Delmar are enticed by the idea of
baptismIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
. As the journey continues, they travel briefly with a young guitarist named Tommy Johnson (a character with similarities to blues guitarist Tommy Johnson, played by real-life blues musician
Chris Thomas KingChris Thomas King is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based blues musician and actor.-History:King was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is the son of blues musician Tabby Thomas. He has won awards including "Album of the Year" for both Grammy Award and Country Music Awards. King has sold more than 10...
). When asked why he was at a crossroad in the middle of nowhere, he reveals that he
sold his soul to the devilDeal With The Devil is the fifth studio album by the American hard rock/heavy metal band Lizzy Borden released in 2000 .A return to form, featuring a cover by Todd McFarlane.2 covers were recorded...
in exchange for the ability to play the guitar. Tommy describes the devil as being
"White, white as you folks... with empty eyes and a big hollow voice. He loves to travel around with a mean old hound." This description happens to match the policeman who is pursuing the trio.
The four of them record the song "
Man of Constant Sorrow"Man of Constant Sorrow" is a traditional American folk song first recorded by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally recorded by Burnett as "Farewell Song" printed in a Richard Burnett songbook, c. 1913...
" at a radio
broadcast stationA broadcast station may be:*a radio station*a television stationIt does not include television networks or radio networks.See also: broadcasting, station...
, calling themselves the Soggy Bottom Boys. While they initially record the song for some easy money, it later becomes famous around the state. The trio parts ways with Tommy after their car is discovered by police, and they continue their adventures on their own. Among the many encounters they have, the most notable are a car trip and bank robbery with the famous bank robber
George NelsonLester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s better known as Baby Face Nelson due to his youthful appearance and small stature.-Early years:...
who when robbing a bank, is angered by an old woman who calls him
Baby Face NelsonLester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s better known as Baby Face Nelson due to his youthful appearance and small stature.-Early years:...
, a run-in with three sirens who seduce the group and hypnotize them to sleep (using a technique similar to those in the Odyssey) before apparently turning Pete into a
toadA toad can refer to a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura. A distinction is often made between frogs and toads by their appearance, prompted by the convergent adaptation among so-called "toads" to dry habitats. Many "toads" have leathery skin for better water retention, and brown...
, as a reference to the witch
CirceIn Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic living on the island of Aeaea....
who turned Odysseus's men into animals, and a mugging by a
cyclopeanIn Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, a cyclops , is a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of its forehead. The classical plural is cyclopes , though the conventional plural cyclopses is also used in English...
Bible salesman named
Big Dan TeaguePolyphemus , the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa, is a character in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclops. His name means "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey:...
(
John GoodmanJohn Stephen Goodman is an American actor. He is best known for his role on the television series Roseanne, as well as his film work with the Coen brothers.-Early life:...
).
Everett and Delmar arrive in Everett’s home town only to find that Everett's wife, Penny (
Holly HunterHolly P. Hunter is an American actress. Her films include Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, Always, and The Piano for which she won several acting awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress...
), is engaged to Vernon T. Waldrip, campaign manager for gubernatorial candidate Homer Stokes. She refuses to take Everett back and is so ashamed of him that she has been telling their daughters he was hit by a train and killed. While watching a movie in a cinema, Everett and Delmar discover that Pete is still alive, the sirens having turned him in to collect the bounty on his head. After Everett and Delmar rescue him from jail, he tells them that he gave up the location of the treasure. Everett reveals that there was never any treasure; he only mentioned it to persuade the other men (to whom he was chained) to escape so he could reconcile with his estranged wife. Pete is outraged at this news, primarily because he had only had two weeks left on his original sentence, which has now been extended 50 years in light of his escape.
As Everett scuffles with the furious Pete, the group stumbles upon a
Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan , informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in...
lynch mob, who have caught Tommy and are about to hang him. The three disguise themselves and attempt a rescue. Big Dan, one of the Klansmen, reveals their identities, and chaos ensues, in which the
Grand WizardGrand Wizard was the title given to the leader of the earliest form of the Ku Klux Klan, which formed during Southern Reconstruction. Nathan Bedford Forrest was believed to have held the title before the Klan was dissolved...
of the gathering reveals himself as Stokes. The trio flee the scene with Everett cutting the supports of a large burning
crossThe Christian cross is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity. It is a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is related to the crucifix and to the more general family of cross symbols...
, which falls on and crushes a group of Klansmen, including Big Dan.
Everett convinces Pete, Delmar, and Tommy to help him win his wife back. They sneak into a Stokes campaign dinner that she is attending posing as musicians, disguised as old men. Everett tries to convince his wife that he is "bona fide," but she brushes him off. The group begins an impromptu musical performance, during which the crowd recognizes them as the Soggy Bottom Boys and goes wild. Stokes, on the other hand, recognizes them as the group who disgraced his mob and shouts for the music to stop, angering the crowd. After he reveals his white supremacist views, the crowd
runs him out of town on a railRiding the rail was a punishment of Colonial America in which a man was made to straddle a fence rail held on the shoulders of two men, with other men on either side to keep him upright on the rail. The victim was then paraded around town or taken to the city limits and dumped by the roadside...
. Pappy O'Daniel, the sitting state governor of Mississippi, seizes the opportunity and endorses the Soggy Bottom Boys, granting all of them a full pardon while the entire event is being recorded and played on the radio. Penny accepts Everett back, but she demands that he find her original ring if they are to be married. This series of events is similar to the return of Odysseus to Ithaca and his task of winning his wife Penelope from her suitors. As they leave the dinner, they run into a mob taking jubilant George Nelson to the jail to be electrocuted. Delmar comments, "Looks like George is right back on top again."
The group sets out to retrieve the ring, which is at a cabin in the valley that Everett originally claimed to have hidden the treasure in. When they arrive, the police order their arrest and hanging. Everett protests that they had been pardoned on the radio, but the leader of the police force tells them that it is of no consequence, since the law is only a human institution, plus they have no radio. The guys begin to despair while Everett improvises a prayer to be saved. Suddenly, the valley is flooded and they are saved from hanging. Tommy finds the ring in a desk that he is floating on in the new lake, and they return to town. However, when Everett presents the ring to Penny, she tells him it is the wrong one and demands that he get her ring back. As Everett protests the futility of trying to find it at the bottom of the lake, the blind prophet the trio met earlier rolls by on his railway handcar, ending the film.
Cast
- George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Clooney has balanced his performances in big-budget blockbusters with work as a producer and director behind commercially riskier projects, as well as social and liberal political activism...
as Ulysses Everett McGill. A dashing, fast-talking Dapper Dan type, Everett was imprisoned for practicing law without a license. He claims to be escaping from prison so that he can find his buried loot in a lake bed, though in reality it was so he can get back to his family before his wife attempts to remarry. Ulysses is the Latin language form of the name of OdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
, the hero of Homer's OdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work traditionally ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon. Indeed it is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of...
.
- Tim Blake Nelson
Tim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer and actor.-Personal life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa...
as Delmar O'Donnell. Delmar is good-natured but simple-minded. He was imprisoned for robbing a Piggly WigglyPiggly Wiggly is a supermarket chain operating in the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States, run by Piggly Wiggly, LLC, an affliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. The current company headquarters is in Keene, New Hampshire....
supermarket in Yazoo CityYazoo City is a city in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle. "Yazoo" is said to be of Native American origin, meaning "River of Death"...
; he claims at first that he is innocent, but later admits to the crime. Delmar says that he will spend his share of Everett's nonexistent $1.2-million buying back his family farm, believing that "you ain't no kind of man if you ain't got land."
- John Turturro
John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer, and director best known for his performances in Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , and O Brother, Where Art Thou?...
as Pete. A crude, brutish criminal, Pete reveals little about his past. He believes in being true to your kin, even when his cousin Wash (Washington B. Hogwallop) betrays the group. He dreams of moving out west and opening a fine restaurant, where he will be the maître d'The maître d’ in a suitably staffed restaurant or hotel is the person in charge of assigning customers to tables in the establishment and dividing the dining area into areas of responsibility for the various servers on duty...
. He agreed to go along with the breakout, even though it is revealed that he only had two weeks left on his sentence.
- John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American actor. He is best known for his role on the television series Roseanne, as well as his film work with the Coen brothers.-Early life:...
as Daniel "Big Dan" Teague. Big Dan is one of the main enemies of the trio in the film. Masquerading as a BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
salesman, he cons Everett, then robs him. Later, he reveals the true identity of the trio when they are in disguise at a Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan , informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in...
rally. Big Dan is blind in one eye; this is similar to PolyphemusPolyphemus , the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa, is a character in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclops. His name means "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey:...
the CyclopsIn Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, a cyclops , is a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of its forehead. The classical plural is cyclopes , though the conventional plural cyclopses is also used in English...
in The Odyssey, who has only one eye. It has been suggested that the character is based on the itinerant Bible salesman who exploits a naive woman in the short story "Good Country People" by Flannery O'ConnorMary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist.An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries...
.
- Holly Hunter
Holly P. Hunter is an American actress. Her films include Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, Always, and The Piano for which she won several acting awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress...
as Penny McGill, née Wharvey. A demanding woman, Penny Wharvey is fed up with Everett's previous behavior and divorces him while he is in prison, telling their children that he was hit by a train. She is engaged to Vernon T. Waldrip until Everett wins her back. Her name is believed to be taken from Odysseus' wife, PenelopeIn Homer's Odyssey, Penelópē is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and is eventually rejoined with him....
.
- Charles Durning
Charles Durning is an American actor of stage and screen.-Early life:Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York and was the second youngest of five children, James G. , Clifford John , Frances and Gerald J. Durning . His mother, Louise M...
as Governor Menelaus "Pass the biscuits, Pappy" O'Daniel. Pappy is the incumbent Governor of Mississippi. He is frequently seen berating his son and his campaign managers, who are depicted as simpletons. Pappy O'Daniel's first name, MenelausMenelaus may refer to;*Menelaus, one of the two most known Atrides, a king of Sparta and son of Atreus and Aerope*Menelaus on the Moon, named after Menelaus of Alexandria.*Menelaus , brother of Ptolemy I Soter...
, is the name of a Greek hero who fought alongside Odysseus in the Trojan WarIn Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
. His character is loosely based on former Governor of Texas W. Lee O'DanielWilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel was a radio personality and a Democratic Party politician from Texas.O'Daniel was born in Malta, Ohio, and as a young child moved to Reno County, Kansas. He worked in the flour milling business and moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1925 to work for Burrus Mills...
, who also hosted a radio show. The O'Daniel character also shares similarities with former Governor Jimmie DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as a Democratic governor of Louisiana ....
of LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, a onetime gospel and country singer famous for the song "You Are My Sunshine"You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by...
" (which Pappy sings throughout the film).
- Chris Thomas King
Chris Thomas King is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based blues musician and actor.-History:King was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is the son of blues musician Tabby Thomas. He has won awards including "Album of the Year" for both Grammy Award and Country Music Awards. King has sold more than 10...
as Tommy Johnson. Tommy Johnson is a very skilled blues musician. He is the accompanying guitarist in the band that Everett unwittingly forms, the Soggy Bottom Boys. He claims that he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his skill on guitar. He seems to be loosely based on actual blues guitarist Tommy Johnson (see below).
- Daniel von Bargen
Daniel von Bargen is an American film, stage, and television actor.While probably best known as Commandant Edwin Spangler in the TV comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Von Bargen's film credits include RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Philadelphia, A Civil Action, O Brother, Where Art Thou?,...
as Sheriff Cooley. The sheriff pursues the trio for the duration of the film. He eventually captures them after they have been pardoned by the governor himself on the radio; he proposes to hang them regardless of this. He fits Tommy Johnson's description of the devil in that his sunglasses look like "big empty eyes" and he travels with a bloodhoundA bloodhound is a large breed of dog that was bred originally to hunt deer and wild boar, later specifically to track human beings by scent. It is famed for its ability to follow scents hours or even days old over great distances...
. The closeup shots of the mirroed sunglasses is reminscient of the main prison guard in another Deep South film, "Cool Hand Luke," a character who George Kennedy describes as "the man with no eyes." Most of the times he appears in the film there are flames nearby, usually reflected in his glasses. He further indicates his otherworldliness when, advised that it would be illegal to hang the pardoned fugitives, he sneeringly opines that "the law is a human institution."
- Wayne Duvall
Wayne Duvall is an American actor, known for playing Homer Stokes on O Brother Where Art Thou?, and also playing Sgt. Phil Brander on The District . He also appeared in the 1998 film Hard Rain; playing 'Hank'. In 2002, he married Denise Guillet. Duvall is the cousin of actor Robert Duvall...
as Homer Stokes. Homer Stokes is the reform candidate in the upcoming election for the position of Governor of Mississippi. His travels the countryside with a midgetMidget is a term used to describe an exceptionally short person. The terms "midget" and "dwarf" are often used synonymously, as both terms mean someone who has been short in stature since birth, but those terms were not originally synonyms....
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, who depicts the "little man," and with a broomA broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibres attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
, with which he promises to "sweep this state clean." He is secretly a Grand WizardGrand Wizard was the title given to the leader of the earliest form of the Ku Klux Klan, which formed during Southern Reconstruction. Nathan Bedford Forrest was believed to have held the title before the Klan was dissolved...
in the Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan , informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in...
.
- Ray McKinnon
Ray McKinnon is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. He has been married to actress and producer Lisa Blount since 1998....
as Vernon T. Waldrip. Waldrip is Penny Wharvey's "bona fide" suitor. He is a weasel of a campaign manager, working for Homer Stokes in his campaign against Pappy O'Daniel. It has been suggested that the character's name is a subtle nod to novelist Howard Waldrop, whose novella A Dozen Tough Jobs is one of the inspirations behind the film. The character's name can also be taken as an allusion to William FaulknerWilliam Faulkner was a Nobel Prize-winning American author. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, his reputation is based on his novels, novellas and short stories. He was also a published poet and an occasional screenwriter.Most of Faulkner's works are set in his native state...
's If I Forget Thee Jerusalem, which includes a character named Vernon Waldrip. The character, the situation, and the performance almost directly parallel a similar situation in John Ford's The Searchers.
- Michael Badalucco
Michael Badalucco is an American actor most famous for his role as lawyer Jimmy Berluti on the ABC legal drama The Practice...
as George Nelson. A serial bankrobber who dislikes being called "Baby Face." His character, possibly based on Lester Joseph Gillis (better known as Baby Face NelsonLester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s better known as Baby Face Nelson due to his youthful appearance and small stature.-Early years:...
), is depicted as being manic-depressive.
- Stephen Root
Stephen Root is an American actor. He is principally known for his comedic work, but has won acclaim for his occasional dramatic roles.-Early life:...
as Mr. Lund the Radio Station Man. He is the blind radio station manager who pays musicians to "sing into a can" and originally records the Soggy Bottom Boys' hit, "Man of Constant Sorrow."
- Lee Weaver
Lee Weaver is an African-American actor. He has been in films and television since 1955. One of his more famous roles was as the blind seer in the film "O Brother Where Art Thou?". He also appeared in one episode of One World. He is currently married to actress Ta-Tanisha and they have one child...
as the Blind Seer. An important character in the film, the Blind Seer accurately predicts the outcome of the trio's adventure as well as several other happenings. In The Odyssey, a similar role in the story is played by the shade of TiresiasIn Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for being transformed into a woman for seven years...
.
- Ed Gale as the Little Man. Homer Stokes's mascot.
Critical reception
The film was entered into the
2000 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2000 Cannes Film Festival started on May 14 and ran until May 25. The Palme d'Or went to the Danish film Dancer in the Dark by Lars von Trier.-Jury:* Luc Besson, President * Jonathan Demme * Nicole Garcia...
.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? was critically successful, with much praise going to its more modern adaption of
The Odyssey, and the film received a 78% on
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films. The name derives from the historical cliché of throwing tomatoes and other produce at stage performers if a performance was particularly bad.- History :...
.
Southern politics
A major theme of the film is the connection between
old-time musicOld-time music is a form of North American folk music, with roots in the folk musics of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. This musical form developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre...
and political campaigning in the southern U.S. It makes reference to the traditions, institutions, and campaign practices of
bossismBossism, in the history of the United States , is a system of political control centering about a single powerful figure and a complex organization of lesser figures bound together by reciprocity in promoting financial and social self-interest. Bossism was a very large issue in the late 1800s and...
and
political reformA reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society rather than rapid or fundamental changes. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary movements.Reformists' ideas are often...
that defined Southern politics in the first half of the twentieth century.
The
Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan , informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in...
, at the time a political force of white
populismPopulism is a political discourse that juxtaposes "the people" with "the elites." Populism may comprise an ideology urging social and political system changes and/or a rhetorical style deployed by members of political or social movements...
, is depicted burning crosses and engaging in ceremonial dance. The character of Menelaus "Pappy" O'Daniel, the Governor of Mississippi and host of the radio show "The Flour Hour," is similar in name and demeanor to
W. Lee "Pappy" O'DanielWilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel was a radio personality and a Democratic Party politician from Texas.O'Daniel was born in Malta, Ohio, and as a young child moved to Reno County, Kansas. He worked in the flour milling business and moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1925 to work for Burrus Mills...
, one-time Governor of Texas and later U.S. Senator from the state of Texas. W. Lee O'Daniel was in the
flourFlour is a powder made of cereal grains or roots. It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many civilizations, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
business, and used a backing band called the
Light Crust DoughboysThe Light Crust Doughboys were a Texas western swing band formed in 1931 by Bob Wills, Milton Brown and W. Lee O'Daniel. The band achieved its peak popularity in the years leading up to World War II. In addition to launching Wills, Brown and O'Daniel, it provided a venue for many of the best...
on his radio show. In one campaign, W. Lee O'Daniel carried a broom, an oft-used campaign device in the reform era, promising to sweep away
patronagePatronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
and
corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. His theme song had the hook "Please pass the biscuits, Pappy," emphasizing his connection with flour.
While the film borrows from real-life politics, there are obvious differences between the characters in the film and historical political figures. The O'Daniel of the movie used "
You Are My Sunshine"You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by...
" as his theme song (which was originally recorded by real-life Governor of Louisiana
James Houston "Jimmie" DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as a Democratic governor of Louisiana ....
) and Homer Stokes, as the challenger to the incumbent O'Daniel, portrays himself as the "reform candidate," using a broom as a prop.
Music
Much of the music used in the film is
folk musicThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
from the period in which the film is set, including that of
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
folk/
bluegrassBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has roots in Irish, West African, Scottish, Welsh and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland , and African-Americans, particularly...
singer
Ralph StanleyRalph Stanley , also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.-Biography:...
. The music selection is drawn from spiritual music of this region (including that of the
Primitive BaptistPrimitive Baptists are a group of Baptists that have a historical connection to the missionary / anti-missionary controversy that divided Baptists of America in the early part of the 19th century...
Church) and other popular religious music, most notably the Fairfield Four, an
a cappella quartet with a career extending back to 1921 who appear in the soundtrack and as gravediggers towards the film's end.
There is a notable use of dirges and other macabre songs, a theme that often recurs in Appalachian music ("Oh Death," "Lonesome Valley," "Angel Band") in contrast to bright or corrective songs ("Keep On the Sunnyside," "You Are My Sunshine") in other parts of the movie.
The lead-guitarist character (Tommy) of the Soggy Bottom Boys is an intended reference to the legend surrounding acclaimed
Delta BluesThe Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, the Mississippi River on the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
artist Tommy Johnson, who claimed to have sold his soul to the devil in return for being able to play the guitar.
Soggy Bottom Boys
The Soggy Bottom Boys are the fictitious Depression-era "old-timey music" trio and accompaniment from the movie
O Brother, Where Art Thou? The name Soggy Bottom Boys is possibly a reference to the famous
Foggy Mountain BoysThe Foggy Mountain Boys was an influential bluegrass band that performed and recorded during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.-Biography:Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs met as members of Bill Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys, in 1946. The two left that band early in 1948, and within a few months had...
, a West Virginia bluegrass band of the 1940s with
Lester FlattLester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist.-Biography:Flatt was born in Duncan's Chapel, Overton County, Tennessee to Nannie Mae Haney and Isaac Columbus Flatt. A singer and guitarist, he first came to prominence as a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1945...
and
Earl ScruggsEarl Eugene Scruggs is a musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger style on the 5-string banjo that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. Although other musicians had played in 3-finger style before him, Scruggs shot to prominence when he was hired by Bill Monroe to...
, but also a humorous name given the two backup singers who were wet from being
baptizedIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
earlier in the film. The Soggy Bottom Boys’ hit single is
Dick BurnettRichard Burnett was an American folk songwriter from Kentucky.Burnett was born near Monticello, Kentucky. He was known to play the fiddle and was blind in one eye...
's "
Man of Constant Sorrow"Man of Constant Sorrow" is a traditional American folk song first recorded by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally recorded by Burnett as "Farewell Song" printed in a Richard Burnett songbook, c. 1913...
," a song that had already enjoyed much success in real life.
After the film's release, the fictional band became so popular that the actual talents behind the music (who were
dubbedDubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting schedule. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who...
into the movie)
Ralph StanleyRalph Stanley , also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.-Biography:...
,
John HartfordJohn Cowan Hartford was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore...
,
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
,
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists.-...
,
Gillian WelchGillian Howard Welch is a singer-songwriter whose musical style combines elements of bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old-time string band music, and folk into a rustic style that she dubs "American Primitive". Her recordings feature the harmonies and unconventional guitar work of her...
,
Dan TyminskiDaniel "Dan" Tyminski is a bluegrass composer, vocalist, and instrumentalist. He is a member of the band Alison Krauss and Union Station and has released a solo album entitled Carry Me Across the Mountain on the Doobie Shea Records label.He is best known for his updated version of the song "Man...
,
Chris SharpChris Sharp is a singer and musician who participated in the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack of Oh Brother Where Art Thou....
, and others, performed music from
O Brother, Where Art Thou? in a
Down from the MountainDown from the Mountain is a 2000 documentary and concert film featuring a live performance by country and traditional music artists who participated in the Grammy-winning soundtrack recording for the Joel and Ethan Coen film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? The concert, held on May 24, 2000 at the Ryman...
concert tour and film. However, "I'll Fly Away" in the original soundtrack is
performed not by Krauss and Welch (as it is on the CD release and was on the concert tour) but by the
Kossoy SistersThe Kossoy Sisters, Irene Saletan and Ellen Christenson, are an American folk and old time music act based around the identical twin sisters Irene Saletan and Ellen Christenson. In their music, Irene sings mezzo soprano vocal, and Ellen supplies soprano harmony, with Irene on guitar and Ellen...
with Erik Darling (of The Weavers, Tarriers and Rooftop Singers) accompanying on long-neck 5-string banjo.
The voices behind the Soggy Bottom Boys are well-known bluegrass musicians:
Union StationUnion Station, Union Terminal, Union Depot, or Union Passenger Station may refer to any one of many places of that name, most being current or former union stations allowing passengers to transfer between two or more railroads. See also List of union stations which includes other joint stations,...
's
Dan TyminskiDaniel "Dan" Tyminski is a bluegrass composer, vocalist, and instrumentalist. He is a member of the band Alison Krauss and Union Station and has released a solo album entitled Carry Me Across the Mountain on the Doobie Shea Records label.He is best known for his updated version of the song "Man...
(lead on "Man of Constant Sorrow"), Nashville songwriter
Harley AllenHarley Lee Allen is a country singer and songwriter.He is a son of well-known bluegrass performer Red Allen. Married to singer Debbie Nims.Allen has appeared on several 1970s albums with his brothers as The Allen Brothers...
, and the
Nashville Bluegrass BandThe Nashville Bluegrass Band is an American bluegrass music ensemble founded in 1984.The group's members first played together in 1984 as a backing band for Vernon Oxford and Minnie Pearl; each of the members were established musicians from the Nashville bluegrass community. They signed to Rounder...
's Pat Enright. The three won a
CMA AwardThe Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
for Single of the Year and a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, both for the song "Man of Constant Sorrow."
Tim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer and actor.-Personal life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa...
, playing Delmar O'Donnell in the movie (one of the Soggy Bottom Boys), sang the lead vocal himself for the song "In the Jailhouse Now."
"Man of Constant Sorrow" has five variations: two are used in the movie, one in the
music videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
, and two in the soundtrack. Two of the variations feature the verses being sung back-to-back, and the other three variations feature additional music between each verse. Despite its subsequent success, "Man of Constant Sorrow" received little significant radio airplay and only charted at #35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in 2002.
Similarities between the film and The Odyssey
The opening credits explicitly state the story of the film is based on
The Odyssey by Homer. The similarities between
O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Homer's
OdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work traditionally ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon. Indeed it is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of...
are numerous, ranging from the obvious to the obscure. While the Coens did not originally intend to base the film on Homer's epic, Joel Coen has been quoted as saying:
While the overall plot is only vaguely similar to that of the Odyssey, there are certain "episodes" that closely mirror the film's classical influence.
Parallels with the journey of Odysseus
- During the movie, Everett
- Places :*Everett, Washington*Naval Station Everett*Everett, Massachusetts*Everett, Pennsylvania*Everett Township, Michigan*Everett, Ontario, Canada*The Everett Range, Antarctica- Surname :* A...
denied the power of God although both Delmar-Places in the United States:*Delmar, Alabama*Delmar, Delaware*Delmar, Iowa*Delmar, Maryland*Delmar, New York*Delmar Township, Pennsylvania*Delmar, South Carolina*Delmar, West Virginia*Delmar, Wisconsin*Delmar Loop, a neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri...
and PetePete is a diminutive from Peter. It may refer to:In athletics:* The Pete, Petersen Events Center, athletics complex and basketball arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh* Pete the Penguin, mascot of Youngstown State University...
felt saved by God after they were baptized in the river. At the end, Everett prays to God and apologizes for his denial and asks Him to save the three heroes from the hanging they are about to fall victims to. A sudden flood comes and saves them. During The Odyssey, OdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
doesn't want to give the gods credit for helping him win battles in the war. This pride causes his journey home to be immensely prolonged. At the end, OdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
sees the error of his ways and thanks the gods for what they have done for them.
- The old man on the railroad handcar is most likely an allusion to Tiresias
In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for being transformed into a woman for seven years...
, who prophesied the trials and tribulations of Odysseus' journey home when Odysseus visited him in the underworld. The underworld here is represented by the chain gang, from which our heroes escape.
- The merciless sheriff is analogous to the god Poseidon
In Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea and, as "Earth-Shaker," of earthquakes. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
, who torments Odysseus and prolongs his journey home. A link between SatanSatan is an embodiment of antagonism that originates from the Abrahamic religions, being traditionally considered an angel in Judeo-Christian belief, and a Jinn in Islamic belief...
and PoseidonIn Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea and, as "Earth-Shaker," of earthquakes. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
may be being made when Everett mentions that SatanSatan is an embodiment of antagonism that originates from the Abrahamic religions, being traditionally considered an angel in Judeo-Christian belief, and a Jinn in Islamic belief...
carries "a giant hay fork" (a trident); both figures are often depicted with just such an instrument. In the penultimate scene of the film, the sheriff's dog and his hired men are killed in a surprise flood (though we do not know if the sheriff himself is dead, as no body appears), while Everett and his friends save themselves; Poseidon, god of the waters, destroyed all who had manned a ship sent to aid Odysseus, turning them into a rock in retaliation for the blinding of his son Polyphemus, and also plagued Odysseus himself constantly with floods. The sheriff may also reference the god HadesHades refers both to the ancient Greek underworld, the abode of Hades, and to the god of the underworld. Hades in Homer referred just to the god; the genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades"...
, who, as ruler of the underworld, is sometimes compared to Satan; the sheriff's hound echoes CerberusCerberus, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of Hades, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
, the three-headed watchdog of the underworld. The sheriff also wore dark sunglasses, which on at least one occasion reflected the fire from a torch. Homer would refer to character who desired to hunt or defeat someone as having "fire in their eyes".
- The travelers' siege in the Hogwallop barn parallels Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
' dangerous course between ScyllaScylla , was one of the two monsters in Greek mythology that lived on either side of a narrow channel of water...
and CharybdisIn Greek mythology, Charybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, once a beautiful naiad and the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia. She takes form as a huge bladder of a creature whose face was all mouth and whose arms and legs were flippers and swallows huge amounts of water three times a day before...
, when Everett helplessly cries "Damn! We're in a tight spot!" several times. This also could have paralleled Odysseus' peril in PolyphemusPolyphemus , the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa, is a character in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclops. His name means "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey:...
' cave.
- There is a trancelike progression of worshipers seeking to be baptized. Their glassy-eyed placidity draws a parallel with the Lotus-Eaters
In Greek mythology, the lotus-eaters , also referred to as the lotophagi or lotophaguses or lotophages , were a race of people from an island near North Africa dominated by "lotus" plants...
of the OdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work traditionally ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon. Indeed it is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of...
.
- At one point, George Nelson shoots at a herd of cattle. Odysseus' fellow travelers slaughter the cows of the sun god Helios
In Greek mythology the sun was personified as Helios Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
; Odysseus warns his men against killing the sacred oxen; Delmar says, "Oh, George, Not the livestock!" Because of this, in The Odyssey, Odysseus' ship is struck by a thunderbolt, killing all but him. In the film, George is sent to be executed in the electric chair. During the parade to the execution, someone leading a cow behind the mob yells, "Cow killer!"
- Continuing their journey, Pete tells them to pull over at a river because he sees beautiful, singing women. These women can be compared to the Sirens in The Odyssey that attract men, only to kill them in the end.
- After their encounter with the "Sirens," Everett and Delmar wake up to find Pete missing; Delmar is convinced Pete has been transformed into a frog. This is similar to Odysseus' encounter with Circe the witch-goddess, who turns half of his crew into swine.
- In the restaurant, Everett and Delmar encounter the one eyed bible salesman who then attacks them in a field to steal their money and car. This can be seen as a parallel to when Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
and his crew discover the cyclops Polyphemus which devours many of the crew
- Everett has to enter the dinner party in disguise to avoid detection. This parallels when Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
had to enter his own palace disguised as a beggar.
- Odysseus did not reveal himself before his wife's suitors until having strung his own bow and shot through twelve axes, a feat that only he could perform; similarly, the Soggy Bottom Boys' anonymous recording of "A Man of Constant Sorrow" becomes a smash hit, a fact that they remain unaware of until they perform the song again at the dinner party.
Parallels with the underworld
- The scene in the theater, when Pete tries to warn Everett and Delmar, parallels Odysseus' descent into the underworld, Hades
Hades refers both to the ancient Greek underworld, the abode of Hades, and to the god of the underworld. Hades in Homer referred just to the god; the genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades"...
. Delmar, believing that Pete had died, mistakes him (and thus also the other people in the theater) for a ghost. In this scene, Pete parallels TiresiasIn Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for being transformed into a woman for seven years...
in the underworld.
- Following Everett's beating by Waldrip, Everett warns Delmar of the treachery of women. This is much like how Agamemnon, who had said he had been betrayed by his wife (in reality he had cheated on her with Cassandra and had also killed her daughter) and killed by her new husband, warns Odysseus not to trust women.
Miscellaneous parallels
- The dialogue in a scene between Everett and his daughters also gives a nod to its ancient influence. Using Latin terms, one of the girls says that Waldrip is bona fide, and Everett responds that he is the pater familias. The girls also use the word "suitor" at least twice.
- In the scene where the trio and George Nelson are sitting around the fire after the robbery at Itta Bena, there are Greek columns in the background. (The columns could possibly be meant to be Windsor Ruins
The Windsor Ruins are located in Claiborne County in the U.S. state of Mississippi, about 10 miles southwest of Port Gibson near Alcorn State University. The ruins are those of the largest antebellum Greek Revival mansion built in the state, and have been used in various motion...
, located outside of Port Gibson, MS.)
- Everett also comes back to stop the marriage and fight Vernon, much as Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
comes back to kill the suitors. Everett, however, is badly beaten by Vernon, perhaps creating a parallel with TelemachusTelemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central character in Homer's Odyssey...
' inability to discharge his mother's suitors.
- When Everett, Pete, Delmar, and Tommy encounter the sheriff at the cabin, the sheriff remarks, "End of the road, boys. It's had its twists and turns." The opening line of The Odyssey is "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns."
- In the KKK scene, Everett, Pete and Delmar disguise themselves as members of the clan. In The Odyssey, the blind cyclops lets his sheep out to graze, trying to make sure that no one was attempting to escape by feeling the sheep's backs, but Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey...
tied his men and himself to the undersides of the sheep and so they got out.
- Everett calls himself "The Old Campaigner" or "The Old Tactician" on various occasions, an epithet for Odysseus.
- Everett has a daughter whom he has never seen in person, much the same as Odysseus and Telemachus
Other allusions
The title of the film is a reference to the
1941The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
Preston SturgesPreston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated screenwriter and film director born in Chicago....
film
Sullivan's TravelsSullivan's Travels is a American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It is a satire about a movie director, played by Joel McCrea, who longs to make a socially relevant drama, but eventually learns that comedies are his more valuable contribution to society. The film features one...
, in which the protagonist (a director) wants to direct a film about the Great Depression called
O Brother, Where Art Thou? that will be a "commentary on modern conditions, stark realism, the problems that confront the average man." Lacking any experience in this area, the director sets out on a journey to experience the human suffering of the average man but is sabotaged by his anxious studio. The film has some similarity in tone to Sturges' film, including scenes with prison gangs and a black church choir. The prisoners at the picture show scene is also a direct homage to a nearly identical scene in Sturges' film.
The sheriff who pursues Everett, Pete, and Delmar wears a particular style of sunglasses (glacier glasses) even at night, similar to the sheriff seen in
Cool Hand LukeCool Hand Luke is a 1967 American drama film starring Paul Newman and directed by Stuart Rosenberg. The screenplay was adapted by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson from the novel by Pearce. The film features George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D. Cannon, and Morgan Woodward.Newman stars in the title...
.
The scene in which Everett, Pete, and Delmar infiltrate a
Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan , informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in...
rally to save Tommy is strongly reminiscent of the scene in
The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical / fantasy film directed mainly by Victor Fleming from a script by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, and others and based on the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum...
in which the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow arrive at the Wicked Witch of the West's castle and infiltrate the
Winkie ArmyThe Winkie Country is a division of the fictional Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color yellow which is worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings....
in order to enter the castle and save Dorothy. The KKK members march in the same formation as the Winkies and chant the same "oh-we-oh" battle chant, while Everett, Pete, and Delmar infiltrate the group in the same manner as the
Wizard of Oz scene, namely by luring three members out of the formation, knocking them out and donning their uniforms. Pappy O'Daniel's speech in which he pardons the trio also contains allusions to the Wizard's farewell speech to Oz.
The film also draws on and alludes to the
Southern GothicSouthern Gothic is a subgenre of the gothic novel, unique to American literature.Like its parent genre, it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot...
literary tradition of writers such as
William FaulknerWilliam Faulkner was a Nobel Prize-winning American author. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, his reputation is based on his novels, novellas and short stories. He was also a published poet and an occasional screenwriter.Most of Faulkner's works are set in his native state...
,
Flannery O'ConnorMary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist.An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries...
, and
Eudora WeltyEudora Alice Welty was an award-winning American author who wrote short stories and novels about the American South. Her book, The Optimist's Daughter, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and Welty was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards...
.
The scene after the creation of the lake where the three main characters float on a coffin is reminiscent of the epilogue of Moby-Dick, where Ishmael is picked up floating on a coffin.
In the scene immediately prior to KKK episode Pete realizing he'll get 50 more years in prison because of their escape says that he is becoming Papillon.
PapillonPapillon is a 1973 film based on a novel by French ex-convict Henri Charrière. The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starred Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega. Papillon was filmed at various locations in Spain and Jamaica, with the cave scenes filmed...
, a Hollywood movie based on a book of the same name, tells a story of a convict who tries to escape from prison but gets caught every time and gets old trying though finally succeeding at the elderly age.
Look of the film
One of the notable features of the film is its use of digital
color correctionColor correction by using color gels, or filters, is a process used in stage lighting, photography, television, cinematography and other disciplines, the intention of which is to alter the overall color of the light; typically the light color is measured on a scale known as color temperature, as...
to give the film a sepia-tinted look.
This was the fifth film collaboration between the Coen Brothers and Roger Deakins, and it was slated to be shot in
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
at a time of year when the foliage, grass, trees, and bushes would be a lush green. It was filmed near locations in Canton, MS; Florence, SC; and Wardville, LA. After shooting tests, including film
bipackIn cinematography, bipacking, or a bipack, is the process of loading two reels of film into a camera, so that they both pass through the camera gate together...
and
bleach bypassBleach bypass, also known as skip bleach or silver retention, is an optical effect which entails either the partial or complete skipping of the bleaching function during the processing of a color film. By doing this, the silver is retained in the emulsion along with the color dyes. The result is a...
techniques, Deakins suggested digital mastering be used. The cinematographer subsequently spent eight weeks fine-tuning the look, mainly desaturating the greens and
timingColor grading is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture or television image, either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. The photo-chemical process is also referred to as color timing and is typically performed at a photographic laboratory...
the digital files. This made it the first feature film to be entirely color corrected by digital means, narrowly beating
Nick ParkNicholas Wulstan "Nick" Park, CBE is a four-time Academy Award-winning English filmmaker of stop motion animation best known as the creator of Wallace and Gromit...
's
Chicken RunChicken Run is a 2000 stop-motion animation British film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films.-Plot:...
. In the end of the film after the great flood, filming was done with uncorrected film.
Deakins was recognized with both Oscar and
ASCThe American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
Outstanding Achievement Award nominations for his work on the film.
See also
- The Odyssey
- Homer
Homer is a legendary ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey...
- Pat O'Daniel and His Hillbilly Boys
Pat O'Daniel and his Hillbilly Boys was a Texas-based radio program broadcast during the mid-1930s. Pat O'Daniel was the band leader and the son of a Texas governor, W. Lee O'Daniel, and his Hillbilly Boys were his band. Named after his father's flour company.This fifteen-minute daily music show...
- W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel
Wilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel was a radio personality and a Democratic Party politician from Texas.O'Daniel was born in Malta, Ohio, and as a young child moved to Reno County, Kansas. He worked in the flour milling business and moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1925 to work for Burrus Mills...
External links