lood Simple is a 1984 crime thriller film directed by Joel Coen. Co-written by Joel and Ethan Coen, Blood Simple is also the first major collaboration of the Coen brothers . Speaking of first-timers, another person to kick start his career with the film is the cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld. The movie stars M. Emmet Walsh, John Getz, Frances McDormand, and Dan Hedaya in the major roles. Blood Simple oozes with a kind of nervous energy that one generally associates with debut works of ambitious young artists who are keen on making a lasting first impression. And remarkably the Coens succeeded in achieving just that with Blood Simple. Over the years so much has already been said and written about Coen brothers’ ingenious filmmaking style perpetuated through Blood Simple—which is now looked upon as an archetype in neo-noir crime genre—that almost everything that one says or writes today about it may sound like a cliché. And yet it would only amount to remissness if one eschews from assessing the various aspects that makes the style indispensable and Blood Simple an important work of cinema. Before proceeding any further it’s essential to shed some light on the movie’s deceptively simple plot.

M. Emmet Walsh as the Private Detective Loren Visser in Blood Simple

Blood Simple’s plot basically revolves around the four major characters: Julian Marty—the rich and jealous husband; Abby—the rich man’s coquettish wife; Ray—the rich man’s employee who falls in love with the wife. Loren Visser—the private eye hired by the rich man to monitor his wife’s movements. When the Visser furnishes Marty the evidence of his wife’s infidelity, Marty has a tough time trying to come to terms with the abysmal reality. He goes to the local motel where Abby and Ray are staying and tries to confront his wife. But, things go awry and he is forced to flee from the scene. Marty meets Visser and offers him a hefty fee of $10,000 for killing both Abby and Ray. Needless to say, Visser accepts the offer gleefully. But, Visser seems to have plans of his own, only far more sinister and grandiose. Visser’s questionable actions trigger mayhem as all four of them find themselves trapped in a maelstrom of endless confusion, misunderstanding, betrayal, and death.





Frances McDormand as Julian Marty in Blood Simple

The Coens have a rare gift for storytelling. In fact, they are the undisputed kings when it comes to penning down the next door apathetic characters caught in chaotic, often disastrous yet deviously funny scenarios, invariably brought upon them by the direct or indirect consequences of their own actions. But, the dialogue is always the most interesting part their films. The characters often indulge in seemingly meaningless conversations as if trying to prepare themselves for the impending doom.

The deft camerawork always serves to be the icing on the cake. In Blood Simple, characters assume things trusting their judgment, which more often than not turns out to be less sound than expected. And they end up paying heavily for their overconfidence and braggadocio. Like any quintessential Coen brothers film, Blood Simple too has a strong undercurrent of dark humor that makes it superior to most films of its kind. Such is the skill of Coens that they often make their characters look ridiculously naïve to their audience. Take, for example, the case of Blood Simple: the audience throughout remains privy to the information that the characters themselves are completely aware of, and it’s for this very reason that their actions seem stupid, even funny at times.