A
comedy of invention
The Coen
Brothers are, perhaps, the modern day masters of
intellectual filmmaking. In a world where
compromise of artistic vision and expression
often seems the rule instead of the exception,
the Coen Brothers have practically cornered the
market on filmmaking that focuses on stimulating
the mind, but with enough visual stimuli present
to create films that challenge the mind but also
satisfy the rest of one's senses.
In a career of wonderfully made, intelligently
produced and beautifully presented films, "The
Hudsucker Proxy" is, perhaps, the finest example
of the Coen Brothers' ability to create films of
depth, intelligence and style that connect with
the audience not through emotions or sensory
experiences but through stunningly presented
dialogue and drama for the mind.
In "The Hudsucker Proxy," Tim Robbins portrays
Norville Barnes, a small-town boy from Muncie,
Indiana without a lick of street intelligence it
appears. We meet Norville as he walks into
Hudsucker Industries for a mail-room job with
visions of making it to the top. On his way in,
Founder and President Waring Hudsucker is on his
way out, literally, through his 44th floor
office window.
The loss of Hudsucker sets off a panic as he
dies with no will, and company regulations state
his stock must be sold on the open market.
Determined to decrease the value of the stock,
Chief Executive Sidney Mussberger decides to
hire an imbecile to run the company into the
ground.
This leads to frequent, and insightful, hilarity
as Norville is named President and sets out on
his journey to lead Hudsucker to success.
Robbins is simply awesome as Norville, combining
his genial, small-town boy charm with the sort
of charismatic presence it actually takes to
lead a big company. The role allows Robbins to
balance straight acting with physical comedy,
but also to dish out the ideals of the film with
a gleam in his eyes.
"The Hudsucker Proxy" skewers big business like
few films ever have done successfully. The film
is possess with satire, downright nasty satire
wrapped in the prettiest of packages like only a
Coen could possibly create.
The film's dialogue is crisp, sharp, consistent
and incredibly paced. Jennifer Jason Leigh, in
particular, is simply a joy to behold as
undercover reporter whose Pulitzer prize winning
director proves to be the perfect foil for her
fellow reporters, played by Bruce Campbell and
John Mahoney.
"The Hudsucker Proxy" is, literally, a feast for
the eyes. From the opening moments of watching
Waring Hudsucker fall from his window, through
the office buildings and city streets Roger
Deakins' cinematography is stunning, production
design is stellar and costuming is beyond
reproach. "The Hudsucker Proxy" is, without a
doubt, one of the most beautiful films I've seen
in recent years.
Carter Burwell's music is a perfect
accompaniment for the scenes of the film,
enhancing both the drama and message of the
film.
"The Hudsucker Proxy" has always drawn a mixed
reaction from critics and audiences alike. It is
a challenging film for viewers, because on the
surface it appears to be a shallow film. These
are not characters with whom we will feel an
emotional bond or be able to build a
relationship. On a certain level, making that
transition towards a more emotional film was a
logical choice. In the case of Norville, in
fact, it would have been a relatively easy task
to make his character absolutely adorable.
The Coen Brothers, however, choose a different
route that enhances the intelligence of the film
and, ultimately, creates a more effective satire
of big business. Presenting the characters "as
is", we are looking at, in essence, big business
as it really is in the real world. By taking
emotion out of the equation, we are forced to
look at the facts and decide for ourselves what
the characters are saying, what they represent
and with whom, if anyone, we feel any sort of
kinship. It is a brilliant, risky choice that
works beautifully largely due to the nearly
flawless script and tremendous cast
performances.
I have, minimally, enjoyed every film from the
Coen Brothers, yet in my eyes "The Hudsucker
Proxy" is the finest of all of them. Its perfect
blend of artistic vision and intellectual
expression work together to create a film of
lasting power and wisdom.
©
Written by Richard
Propes
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
