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Cohens Go Netflix: Ballad of Buster Scruggs


NWBuck

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  • 2 months later...
6 hours ago, BurntEyes said:

It's like they got to do whatever the fuck they wanted with no rules or oversight.

And it's fucking amazing as that sounds.

They started writing it over 15 years ago, starting with the Buster chapter.  He said they told him 15 years ago they had a character for him in mind, but they needed to actually write the movie.  He didn’t think it would take them 15 years, but, as he said, they got sidetracked. 

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First one was exactly Bugs Bunny, and it was greatness

They were all really great though.  I mean, out of all of them, the pan shot episode was maybe the least impactful, but it also lasted about 15 minutes.  Kept waiting for the gold episode to end differently - not sure if I like how it did or didn't.  Also not sure what we're supposed to think of him - interrupting the serenity, violently marring the land, literally muddying the clear water, but he put some of the eggs back and prevailed.  Meal Ticket - jeezum fucking pete.  You saw that coming ten miles away, and so did Dudley.  The money is in the lowest common denominator.  The Gal Who Got Rattled is the most complete.  And really brutal.  Of course the wagon ride was great too.

This exceeded expectations.

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I liked them all and they differed wildly in tone/theme, so it's hard to rank them.  But if I had to, it might look like this for me:

1) Ballad of Buster Scruggs

2) The Mortal Remains

3) The Gal Who Got Rattled

4) Near Algodones

5) All Gold Canyon

6) Meal Ticket

Reasons:

Spoiler

1) A true gem - unlike anything I've seen.  The dialogue, the humor, the violence, the absurdity, the music.  The saloon scene was unbelievable.  

2) Of all the stories, this one stuck with me the most, probably due to its supernatural elements and ambiguity.  They're obviously dead and on their way to some kind of judgement, but how are they different than the corpse on the roof?  Who exactly are the "reapers" and what role did they play in the 3 characters' getting on the wagon? I loved the bits about the nature of man and how we all like stories to distract us as long as we're not in them.  

3) I loved the acting and dialogue in this one.  The Indian fight was incredible.  Downer ending, but at least she was resolute.

4) This one was a bit too short, but I loved the ending.  Hey, pretty girl, snap.  

5)  This was the only one that had a "happy" ending, but I didn't know whether to root for the "good guy" at the micro level or bemoan the destructiveness of man at the macro level.  I guess that was kinda the point.  

6) This was by far my least favorite.  It was well done and I liked it, but I doubt I would watch again.  It is just so bleak.  

 

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I had no clue going in. I thought the first one was going to be the whole movie. When it ended I was scratching my head. Then the second one came on, and I realized what was going on. I’m slow. It is true Cohen. From writing - they use words I’ve never heard of. To visuals - beautiful art direction and photography, angle shots, close ups, everything. And of course the stories. Those guys are brilliant.

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I need to rewatch the carriage ride.  I started late on Saturday and dozed a bit during that one.  But the rest were really great.  Favorite was“Gold Canyon”, and I really enjoyed “Buster Scruggs” for the ridiculousness of it and a couple of great cowboy songs.  

Glad I’m not the only one, I absolutely love those songs. Going to try and learn them on my geetar
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22 minutes ago, Mileslong said:


Glad I’m not the only one, I absolutely love those songs. Going to try and learn them on my geetar

Cool, cool water.

 

He's "playing" a Recording King (I appreciate the soundhole shot and the actual guitar playing that is happening in that bit).  I recognized it as such since they are inexpensive (likely Chinese) but cool and vintage looking guitars you can find at Guitar King, and thought "makes sense, might have been cool for it to be an old Martin or something actually period correct".  Looking it up, it appears that while Recording King is now a brand of Johnson Guitars (cheap student guitars), it was Montgomery Ward's house brand in the 1930s.  It did have the perfect appearance for that vignette, and watching it a second time I love how exactly Bugs Bunny that whole piece was.  As to the verbiage - loved Buster taking umbrage to "the West Texas Twit" and suggesting that the man must mean "the West Texas Tit" on account of that particular bird's mellifluous warble.

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