The Big Picture

• The Coen brothers' debut film Blood Simple is a mix of genres that showcases their signature style and storytelling skills.
• Despite Joel Coen's disapproval, Blood Simple is a classic neo-noir with suspense, deception, and genre hybridity that captivates.
• The crude yet enthralling cinematic style of Blood Simple influenced independent filmmakers in the 80s, sparking a new wave in cinema.

The Coen Brothers are household names in cinema, possessing a filmography filled with critical and commercial acclaim. With a unique style of storytelling enveloped in empathy and sardonic humor, Ethan and Joel are simply naturals when it comes to filmmaking. Going back to their very first feature film, 1984's Blood Simple offers an interesting insight into the two filmmakers' relationship with their craft and art. To many, the movie was an instant classic, winning the Grand Jury Prize at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival. But despite its success, one half of the prolific duo thinks that while they had a positive experience in making it, it isn't a good film. Joel Coen said in an interview with Stephen Lowenstein for his book My First Movie: Twenty Celebrated Directors Talk about Their First Film (via IndieWire) that he thought their cinematic debut was "pretty damn bad." It's hard to comprehend how he could think this way about their directorial debut. Blood Simple is a fantastic picture, brilliantly mixing different elements of distinct genres in the signature Cohen fashion.

What Is 'Blood Simple' About?

Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya), a seedy bar owner in Texas, discovers through private investigator Loren (M. Emmet Walsh) that his wife Abby (Frances McDormand) is having an affair with his employee, Ray (John Getz). Infuriated by this discovery, he asks Loren to kill them in exchange for $10,000. Loren breaks into Ray's apartment, steals Abby's gun, and appears to have done the job. However, it's revealed to be a ruse as the private investigator shoots Julian with the stolen gun, takes the money, and gets away. Ray arrives at the bar to see a bloody Julian, as well as Abby's gun, leaving him to ascertain that she was responsible for the scene. He attempts to clean it up and takes the wounded bar owner to a field where he discovers that he's still alive. Ray proceeds to bury Julian, and, in classic Coen brothers fashion, a series of unfortunate events occurs due to their misreadings of the situation, ending with only Abby surviving the entire ordeal.

'Blood Simple' Established the Coen Brothers' Style

You can always learn a lot from a legendary filmmaker's very first film. Most of the time, viewers can see the foundations of what is to become their oeuvre. Blood Simple is no different, reveling in its fantastic blend of simplicity painted with the still-growing brushstrokes of a distinct Coen Brothers style. Immediately, the film confronts audiences with an absurd life philosophy through a monologue from its antagonist, Loren Visser. Tough talk from an equally tough but dirty individual whose misdeeds are, in hindsight, responsible for the misunderstandings that occur in the movie. Much of what happens in the picture are signature Coen brothers trademarks. The characters are farcical, the plot convoluted, and the events that materialize from these are often borne from misunderstandings.

In the middle of this, a financially motivated double-cross ensues, which is commonplace in their other films, from Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and Burn After Reading, among others. Moreover, Adam Nayman in The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together astutely notes that the first recurring Coen Brothers setup happens in this film, which is "a fateful conversation between two characters at either end of a desk." While in their prospective works, these would be filled to the brim with gallows humor, Blood Simple goes the contrarian route and extracts every seeping ounce of suspense from its story. This is branded as a neo-noir, but it relishes its genre hybridity, also leaning into thriller and horror elements.

Genre Talk and Stylistic Choices in 'Blood Simple'

Stylistically, one can notice that there is a certain crudeness in its end product. This can be attributed to their humble film school routes. Pauline Kael, in her arguably undeserved scathing review of the film, notes that "Film students looking at old movies seem to find it exciting when a cheap B thriller or an exploitation picture has art qualities" and that Blood Simple is "that kind of film on a much larger scale." Kael's assessment may be leaning towards the negative side, but she raises a valid point regarding its structure. Yes, it has embodied the inexpensive, grindhouse film aura of the exploitation pictures, but that is exactly what makes it so enthralling. Who can argue that the multitude of shots of inanimate objects posing as questions of existence isn't in any way, shape, or form, worthy of great praise? The final shot of Loren as he stares into the pipes underneath a bathroom sink is simply magnificent, leaving the audience yearning for that one inevitable drop leaking from its crevices.

Much like the lowbrow films with distinct arthouse quirks that it has taken inspiration from, Blood Simple takes what may seem to be a run-of-the-mill neo-noir and turns it into a verbose piece of cinema. Not only does it tip its hat toward the genres it steals from, but it also upends some conventions. Looking back on Blood Simple now, it really is hard to believe it's a debut. The Coen Brothers simply display a level of mastery that has been within them from the very beginning.

Despite its makers' present chagrin for the film, Blood Simple is quite influential. Film professor and critic Ronald Bergan coined it the "prime spark that helped ignite the independent film movement of the 1980s". It was also indirectly responsible for another popular filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino, to muster up the courage to make his own debut feature, Reservoir Dogs. Such is the timeless allure of this horrific neo-noir, basking in the nets of horror and exploitation. It's an immortal film that sent shockwaves into the eyes and minds of viewers. Along with it came a loud, proud, and important message: a new breed of filmmakers has arrived.