Miller's Crossing
1990 · Directed by Joel Coen
Original language: English
- drama
- thriller
- crime
The story
Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman.
What it’s like
Autumn-brown and smoky, with the woods and the rain-soaked streets of an unnamed American city rendered in deep amber and russet, lit by sodium glow, hat-brim shadows and the warm flicker of back-room lamps. The Coens frame their dialogue with a painter's care: static, symmetrical compositions, long unhurried takes of men talking in rooms thick with cigar haze, and sudden, stylised bursts of gunfire that arrive without warning. The score is Carter Burwell's mix of lush strings and mournful, sparse melody, and the speech is ornate and fast, full of wit and menace. Vibe: noir-tinged, melancholy, darkly funny. Intensity is high: frequent shootings, a few brutal beatings and one long, unsettling execution in the woods, plus some sexual content and strong language, though the violence is stylised rather than gory. This suits a late-night watch alone or a considered rewatch. It is made for viewers who enjoy crime films that prize atmosphere, verbal dexterity and moral ambiguity over fast plot, and who can take hard violence in stride.
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