Perhaps it’s just immediate post-viewing hyperbole, but I think Burn After Reading is my favorite Cohen brothers movie so far.
The trailer emphasizes schtick, and there’s certainly schtick in abundance, but if that’s all you see when you watch this movie, you’re missing a lot. It’s about how we construct our realities based upon our understanding of how the world works. It’s about lies, and the processes by which lies are found out, or not. It’s about how the act of interpretation creates meaning and imposes a narrative on events, even if the interpretation is wildly off. It’s hilarious and brutal, bleak but somehow uplifting in the midst of the bleakness, because it so clearly shows the murk we’re in.
It’s also an outstanding parody of espionage thrillers, from the over-the-top music to the paranoid cinematography to the dour (and bemused) Russians to the familiar lines of dialogue: “Who do you work for? Who do you work for?”
Who do you work for? And how does that lens color your notion of what’s going on?
Jennifer Hubert
September 21, 2008 at 6:00 amSara, you totally nailed it. I saw the movie on Friday night, I completely agree and will be using your comments around the faculty lunch table on Monday. Thanks for making it all clear–you definitely helped me clarify my thoughts on it. Critics be damned!
Sara
September 22, 2008 at 10:01 amHey, I am pleased to know that my take resonated with you!
Afterwards, we went home and watched Blood Simple, which I had unaccountably not yet seen, and sure enough, it had some of the same themes, such as drawing erroneous conclusions based on incomplete information. (Also, of course, some of the same actors.)