Blood Simple

"Blood Simple" becomes a dazzling comedie noire, a dynamic, virtuoso display by a couple of talented fledgling filmmakers who give the conventions of the genre such a thorough workout that the result is a movie that's fresh and exhilarating.

Watching this beautiful restoration of "Blood Simple" I was actually struck by how non-bleak it is, how much the strength of the film lies in images of beauty, defiance and survival.

It's a trailblazing masterpiece in any form.

Though the film has a few exposed seams, it's tightly composed and beautifully shot in a way that easily rivals more expensive features.

It isn't really about anything except making a commercial narrative movie outside the industry.

Watch this film, and these film makers, closely. Neither will disappoint.

Simpleness and crime have consistently fascinated the pair, who may as well be praying at the temple of Ate...the Coens preach a healthy respect for the randomness and chaos that ensues from our desires. [Criterion Blu-ray]

The audience has to work in 'Blood Simple,' and its niftiest trick may not be apparent till the lights have come up.

There's a simple magnetism inherent in this kind of filmmaking, and the Coens know how to orchestrate it.

With a strong and stylish debut like Blood Simple, it didn't take a P.I. to see that the Coens were made for big things.

Essential.