“No Country For Old Men”

Ethan and Joel Cohen, 2007

Eric Wahlquist

Mast A&E Reporter

For this week’s Put it on Your Queue, turn off the TV and get out of the house to go see “No Country for Old Men.” This latest Coen brothers’s picture is ripe for movie greatness. Some reviewers have said that “No Country for Old Men” is perfect, but I disagree. This movie is better than perfect. The Coen brothers have blazed a new trail for film adaptations of books. “No Country for Old Men” follows no formulated plot structure and instead uses strong characters and intense visuals to send out a message.

With this film, the Coen brothers have established themselves as, in my opinion, the greatest American filmmakers alive. The film is full of violence, but it is not glorified like action or horror movies and is instead shown for the ugliness that it really is. This picture will be debated in film schools around the country for decades to come for its more-than-effective use of time-tested techniques in an unorthodox style. It is a bright light of genius in a movie world that has remained stagnant for the past 30 years. “No Country for Old Men” will change your perspective of what a movie can be and will leave you utterly stunned.