The Big Lebowski (1998) May 28, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Joel Coen
Writers Joel and Ethan Coen must have become accustomed to their films taking on a life of their own, since many of their titles such as Miller’s Crossing and The Hudsucker Proxy, have gotten lost on the way to success and become cult hits instead. But there’s none more worshipped than The Big Lebowski - a film so huge on the underground that it’s actually a popular of the masses again. The question remains, is this film, like poor Donnie, out of its element?
The set-up is a simple one: Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski is as laid back as they come, enjoying his life of leisure interspersed with sessions of bowling alongside his two buddies Walter and Donnie. His world is suddenly rocked however, when two thugs visit his home looking for a loan repayment he doesn’t owe. They realise their mistake, but not before one of them relieves himself on The Dude’s hallway rug. This sets The Dude on a mission to visit the ‘other’ Lebowski (the one who owes the money) and acquire compensation for the rug. Of course, it only serves to push him deeper into a mystery involving kidnapped wives, missing toes, and the ‘big’ Lebowski.
This film is notable for a fantastic script by the Coen brothers, which is further boosted by outstanding performances from the central players: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Busemi. Each character is so well drawn that they immediately define themselves; the dude, a laid-back guy who just wants to take everything ‘easy’; Walter, a veteran of Vietnam who believes in strict order and isn’t afraid to argue about it; and Donnie, a nice guy who lives his life half a step behind everyone else.
It’s almost an old fashioned detective story in parts, even if The Dude is nowhere near proactive enough to be an investigator of any kind. The film does throw in a central mystery though, along with suspects, clues, and wild theories: all the trappings of a good detective noir. Despite this, it’s still genuinely funny, which is what makes the film such a joy to watch - there are plenty of laugh out loud moments.
On the flip side, the narrative does waver somewhat as it progresses into the second half and there are some characters introduced who just don’t get enough screen-time to do them justice (the detective who’s following The Dude, for example). It’s a shame because these discrepancies mean that when the conclusion finally rolls around it’s hard to feel like everything has been addressed. There are too many threads and not enough knots being tied.
Depsite this, it’s still my favourite Coen brothers movie, and their work falls on a wide continuum for me from flicks that I really didn’t like, all the way through the ‘ok’ range and, as displayed here, into the ‘great movie’ category. The Big Lebowski is just a really fun watch and it’s especially enjoyable to see such a top-notch cast make these offbeat characters their own. Its cult status is a testament to the sensibility the film holds – unique, but not for everyone – and that’s The Dude in a nutshell.
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