The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 Neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon Polito.

Analysis

The film was inspired by a poster that the Coen brothers saw while filming The Hudsucker Proxy; the poster showed various haircuts from the 1940s. The story takes place in 1949 and, Joel Coen admits, is "heavily influenced by" the work of James M. Cain, a pulp fiction writer most known for the stories for Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Mildred Pierce.

Related Topics:
The Hudsucker Proxy - James M. Cain - Pulp fiction - Double Indemnity - The Postman Always Rings Twice - Mildred Pierce

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The cinematography is straightforward and traditional. Most shots are made with the camera at eye level, with normal lensing and a long depth of focus. The lighting is textbook, with the usual sort of quarter-light setup. The cinematography, combined with the consistent, accurate use of 1950s props and sets, could make even a careful viewer think the film was made 50 years ago. When Ed appears onscreen, he is almost always shown smoking a cigarette, another characteristic true to the era in which the film is set.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The film has several mentions of UFOs throughout it, in dreams and in conversation, as well as in various props, including an ashtray.

Related Topics:
UFO - Dream

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~