Joel and Ethan Coen

Joel and Ethan Coen, commonly called The Coen Brothers, are Jewish-American film directors best known for their quirky comedies such as Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski, as well as for darker film noir dramas such as Fargo and Blood Simple. The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly, alternating top billing for the screenplay. Until recently, Joel received sole credit for directing the films, and Ethan for producing, but the two brothers work so closely together and share such a strong vision of what their films are to be that actors report that they can approach either brother with a question and get the same answer. The brothers are known in the film business as "the two-headed director."

The Coen brothers' circle

The Coens used Barry Sonnenfeld as cinematographer through Miller's Crossing, then Sonnenfeld left to direct his own films and has had great success at it with The Addams Family, Get Shorty, and, most notably, Men in Black. Roger A. Deakins has been the Coen brothers' cinematographer since Sonnenfeld's departure.

Related Topics:
Barry Sonnenfeld - The Addams Family - Get Shorty - Men in Black - Roger A. Deakins

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Sam Raimi also helped write The Hudsucker Proxy, which the Coen brothers directed; and the Coen brothers helped write Crimewave, which Raimi directed; Raimi took tips about filming A Simple Plan from the Coen brothers, who had recently finished Fargo (both films are set in blindingly white snow, which reflects a lot of light and can make metering for a correct exposure tricky).

Related Topics:
Sam Raimi - A Simple Plan

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The Coen brothers frequently cast actors John Turturro, Michael Badalucco, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, John Goodman, and Jon Polito, all of whom have appeared in at least three Coen productions.

Related Topics:
John Turturro - Michael Badalucco - Steve Buscemi - Frances McDormand - John Goodman - Jon Polito

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All of their films have been scored by Carter Burwell, although T-Bone Burnett produced much of the traditional music in O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

Related Topics:
Carter Burwell - T-Bone Burnett

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