Review: The Big Lebowski

     I've written about the Coen brothers already on this blog, but that was in a review of their least Coen brotheriest film True Grit. This films is probably on the other end of the spectrum. Unlike True Grit, The Big Lebowski is not a strong genre film, in fact I would argue it doesn't even have much of a plot. This is the Coen brothers in their most undiluted state. The film is full of surreal situations, eccentric characters, and just the right blend of comedy and violence. 

       The Big Lebowski (1998) starts with a narration by Sam Elliot describing Jeff Lebowski aka “The Dude” as the laziest man in Los Angeles (Jeff Bridges), but also as just the right man for the time and place he inhabits (early '90s LA). The Dude gets mistaken for a man by the same name by some thugs who rough him up and they urinate on his prized rug, which really tied the room together. Seeking reimbursement for the loss of his rug, The Dude pays a visit to the much wealthier Lebowski he was mistaken for. After this meeting, the Big Lebowski asks The Dude to be a courier to exchange ransom money for the Big Lebowski's kidnapped wife, Bunny (Tara Reid). What follows is a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, psychedelic dream sequences, and bowling. 

       Although the film deals with a lot of darker themes (kidnapping, murder, extortion), it's very funny and endlessly quotable. I frequently find myself quoting Walter's immortal line “This is not 'Nam, there are rules!.” The film is funny because the characters are so relatable. There certainly very eccentric, but they are just exaggerated caricatures of people we all know. I found a lot of comedy in The Dude's bluntness to those around him. Many of the characters in The Big Lebowski also exist and are introduced in the same way as in pretentious art films, but in this movie The Dude won't hesitate to ask, “What's your deal?” The film also revels in the americana style the Coen brothers love so much. Overall, this is a good movie, but it's lacking in substance and begins to overstay it's welcome towards the end as it attempts to tie up as many of it's sundry plots. 

     The film is populated by a very eclectic cast of characters. There's Walter (John Goodman), The Dude's aggressive, jewish Vietnam vet bowling buddy, the group of German nihilist's who kidnapped Bunny, and Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore), the avant-garde artist who is the daughter of the Big Lebowski. The film also include a large number of smaller, but equally eccentric characters, each with their own comedic set pieces which puts their personality on display. The most memorable of these being Jesus Quintana (John Turturro), a cocky rival bowler with a history of sexual misconduct. These set pieces are what push the film forward rather than the plot. It's comes off to some as rambling, going in many directions at once and thusly not really going anywhere. However, this is not a flaw of the film, but it's style. It mirrors the listlessness of The Dude himself, a pot smoking, white russian guzzling, slacker who just goes where life takes him. The film even ends with Sam Elliot capping everything off with a fourth wall breaking monologue which ends when he realizes he has been rambling off topic. 

Rating: 7/10 - Virtuous