This video examines the recurring themes explored in the films of Joel and Ethan Coen. In a career spanning 30 years, the brothers have entertained audiences with comedies, crime dramas and gangster pictures; some would even say they have made several westerns and musicals. But whatever the genre, this video intercuts all nineteen of their feature films so that the characters appear to be talking to one another across their stories. In this way, we can more clearly recognise the Coens’ dominant concerns: identity, materialism, miscommunication, morality and philosophy. Taken as a set, these elements indicate that the Coens’ true subject is the search for value in a random and amoral universe.

This video-essay is part of a series I am uploading for education purposes and is protected under the Fair Use copyright laws of the United States.