...one of the most hilariously twisted murder mysteries to come along since, well, since never.
The second-best scenes are the ones of the landscape, believe it or not--wonderful vistas of white, snowy desolation as far as the eye can see. You never know what to expect in the least likely places. At one point, the Buscemi character decides to bury part of the loot in the snow beside a highway. After he does so, he looks both ways up and down the road. The prospect is exactly the same for miles in all directions. It takes a moment for the poor, mindless soul to realize he'll never be able to find the spot again! OK, you hadda been there. It's funny. Trust me. Yawh.
Video:
As on their first disc, MGM again offer the film in two ratios, 1.74:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 standard screen, but there is not a lot to choose between them. The widescreen offers slightly more information left and right and marginally less at the top and bottom. I preferred the widescreen because it seemed a touch cleaner and better delineated, but it's really no more than liking small, sweeter apples to big, juicier ones.
White is notoriously hard to reproduce on DVD without noticeable grain, and MGM's first transfer was no more successful in this regard than most. This new transfer, however, shows the effects of a higher bit rate and lower compression, with fewer instances of grain, deeper colors, and a slightly sharper image. The only minor flaw is that horizontal lines are sometimes rendered too jittery, but it's not a distraction. Interestingly, the opening shot of snow, which had previously been in white, is now tinged in a light blue. MGM also appear to have either digitally cleaned up the new transfer or found an even better print to reproduce, because any small spots or flecks in the previous picture are eliminated here. The video quality is quite good and can hardly be faulted.
Audio:
As far as the audio is concerned, it is conveyed as before via Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. And as before, it does a good job in the front channels--clean, clear, and quiet, with strong dynamics and a wide stereo spread. But there is still very little information conveyed to the rear channels, except in a few instances of musical ambience enhancement.
Extras:
I guess the third time's the charm. We finally get an edition of "Fargo" with a few extras involved. The first is the requisite audio commentary, this one with director of photography Roger A. Deakins. Next is a newly made documentary, "Minnesota Nice," lasting about twenty-seven minutes and including interviews with virtually everyone involved with the production. Then, there's a twenty-minute "Charlie Rose Show" interview segment with the Coen Brothers and Frances McDormand, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, and an "American Cinematographer" text article. A feature I enjoyed, too, was a trivia track that places bits of information on screen throughout the film. There are now thirty-six scene selections, twelve more than before; a widescreen theatrical trailer; a TV spot; and a four-page informational booklet insert. English and French are the spoken language options, with English, French, and Spanish subtitles. Yawh, that's something, you bet.
Parting Thoughts:
"Fargo" is a wonderfully funny film and a reasonably engaging crime drama, too, which is a neat balancing act to pull off. It may not be my favorite Coen brothers film, "Miller's Crossing" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" taking that honor, but it's close. "Fargo" harks back to the brothers' early work like "Blood Simple" but with an even more sinister, comical twist. The film is rated R for profanity, sexual situations, and graphic violence.
By the way, just after the film opened a few years ago, I asked a friend of mine who had spent a year or two in the Fargo area playing in a symphony orchestra if he had ever heard any of the locals, Scandinavian or not, speak the way they do in the movie. Nawh.
Video:
As on their first disc, MGM again offer the film in two ratios, 1.74:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 standard screen, but there is not a lot to choose between them. The widescreen offers slightly more information left and right and marginally less at the top and bottom. I preferred the widescreen because it seemed a touch cleaner and better delineated, but it's really no more than liking small, sweeter apples to big, juicier ones.
White is notoriously hard to reproduce on DVD without noticeable grain, and MGM's first transfer was no more successful in this regard than most. This new transfer, however, shows the effects of a higher bit rate and lower compression, with fewer instances of grain, deeper colors, and a slightly sharper image. The only minor flaw is that horizontal lines are sometimes rendered too jittery, but it's not a distraction. Interestingly, the opening shot of snow, which had previously been in white, is now tinged in a light blue. MGM also appear to have either digitally cleaned up the new transfer or found an even better print to reproduce, because any small spots or flecks in the previous picture are eliminated here. The video quality is quite good and can hardly be faulted.
Audio:
As far as the audio is concerned, it is conveyed as before via Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. And as before, it does a good job in the front channels--clean, clear, and quiet, with strong dynamics and a wide stereo spread. But there is still very little information conveyed to the rear channels, except in a few instances of musical ambience enhancement.
Extras:
I guess the third time's the charm. We finally get an edition of "Fargo" with a few extras involved. The first is the requisite audio commentary, this one with director of photography Roger A. Deakins. Next is a newly made documentary, "Minnesota Nice," lasting about twenty-seven minutes and including interviews with virtually everyone involved with the production. Then, there's a twenty-minute "Charlie Rose Show" interview segment with the Coen Brothers and Frances McDormand, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, and an "American Cinematographer" text article. A feature I enjoyed, too, was a trivia track that places bits of information on screen throughout the film. There are now thirty-six scene selections, twelve more than before; a widescreen theatrical trailer; a TV spot; and a four-page informational booklet insert. English and French are the spoken language options, with English, French, and Spanish subtitles. Yawh, that's something, you bet.
Parting Thoughts:
"Fargo" is a wonderfully funny film and a reasonably engaging crime drama, too, which is a neat balancing act to pull off. It may not be my favorite Coen brothers film, "Miller's Crossing" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" taking that honor, but it's close. "Fargo" harks back to the brothers' early work like "Blood Simple" but with an even more sinister, comical twist. The film is rated R for profanity, sexual situations, and graphic violence.
By the way, just after the film opened a few years ago, I asked a friend of mine who had spent a year or two in the Fargo area playing in a symphony orchestra if he had ever heard any of the locals, Scandinavian or not, speak the way they do in the movie. Nawh.
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[release]11000[/release]