TRAGEDY THEN FARCE

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Tragedy Then Farce is focused on constructively battling the illnesses our age through creativity, curiosity, and communication. If you want any higher quality copies of my photographs to download, just let me know and I'd be happy to oblige. Welcome.

A Philosophy and Photography Blog

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

No Blogosphere For Old Men


No Country For Old Men is one of my favorite movies, and I thought I'd elaborate on some possible deeper implications of the film's incredible writing, directing, and cinematography.
            In my opinion, the message of No Country for Old Men is primarily concerned with showing how a slew of modern individuals deal with the absurdity of existence. The absurdity is presented in the form of an anomaly: a sock clad silenced shotgun toting stranger who’s taken a liking to ripping through locals frontal lobes with an air pressurized captive bolt pistol; a brutal tool used for slaughtering cattle. An absurd condition if there ever was one, especially in the open terrain of west Texas.
            Dealing with the absurdity of life is the locus of direction for the film; as the crime thriller is presented through the first person, perspective-bound lens, the audience is introduced to the story as it unfolds; in the midst of the action. Hurled violently into the absurdity. Characters die meaninglessly, brutally, and tragically without a sympathetic inch sacrificed from the ruthlessly tense and continuous action.
In the midst of all this madness, every character adopts an angle, a strategy, a plan of attack. The younger sheriff, Carson Wells, tries to work with the absurdity and profit from it, the main character, Llewelyn Moss,  refuses to get attached to anything, remains nihilistic and is thus indecisive, his wife, Carla Jean, decides to appeal to Anton Chigurh’s better human nature. All resist the absurd tide, or try to manipulate it or control it in some way. All die.
The only character who survives is the old sheriff, Bell, who has learned to set no expecations, hold no standards, and roll with the horrifying absurdity of life. The only way he reaches his salvation is, sadly, by waking up from his dream. His waking represents death of all the nice convenient little fantasies of control that killed the other characters. The only way to survive the absurdity is to stop searching for order, cease resisting it, desist denying it, wake up, realize it’s at your doorstep, and look upon it with a cool unfettered gaze. 
 Some cool smooth blue moon image harnessing

 

60 comments:

  1. Your posts blow me away every time. I strive to be half as insightful as you good sir.

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  2. Wow I haven't thought so in depth about this movie... awesome post man, I can't wait to read more!

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  3. Wow, this sounds like you have a quite depressing way to see life. But I slightly agree, because after seeing the movie I felt kinda strange myself.

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  4. small question. these are your photos, made by you or by someone else?

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  5. these are all my photos, made by me, taken by me.

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  6. freakin deep man, love that movie. never thought of it that way!

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  7. very nice pictures, keep going look really nice

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  8. Not enough Philosophy majors in the world. I graduated last spring :)

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  9. I hadn't really looked at the movie as deep has you have, but now I find myself agreeing with you. Really made me think.

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  10. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

    IT could be argued that he (the sheriff) was 'dead' as well at that point.

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  11. @Azoo
    I agree; he definitely died in some sense. His hope was gone, his faith in rhyme and reason were demolished. Definitely dead in a way- but I think that although sad, he definitely handles it better than the other characters, each with their own private delusions.

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  12. Very thought provoking, thanks for sharing.

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  13. great pictures, great idea!!!

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  14. Great blog. I love those pictures.

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  15. Intriguing. Very nice photographs.

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  16. I think i have to re-watch the movie, with all the valuable insight you added. This will be great. Thank you oh wise blogger :)

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  17. my DVD of this stopped midway. too bad as i thought it was exciting. :(

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  18. I love that movie, and will have to rewatch it again after reading this

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  19. excellent analysis of that movie

    great blog btw.

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  20. It's good to see a properly written review of fine cinema art.

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  21. verry unusall blog i love it!

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  22. I like the post and all, but the pictures some of them are amazing, but a few are just missing something, Some element. I am not so sure as to what, maybe context I might be wrong.

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  23. Gave me a good read. The pictures are also excellent.

    Passed some time. :)

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  24. Good read, i'm a big fan of No Country for Old Men.

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  25. I felt the movie was nearly as good as the book. I prefer The Road though, I'm a post-apocalyptic nut. 3rd Photo is very nice.

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  26. Awesome photos. I'm interested in photography too :D

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  27. This is a movie I have yet to see...seems like a movie my dad would get really into too. Thanks for the article, very indepth.

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  28. very interesting thoughts on this movie.love the pictures too

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  29. The third last one reminds me of a picture that i saw, looks like Russia, Good pics.

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  30. Nice photos. No Country For Old Men is one of my favorites too.

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  31. The first time I saw it I didn't get it at all but liked it anyway.

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  32. Really intriguing. Haven't seen this film, but I think I'll have to now! Following :)

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  33. I loved that movie and you summed it up 100% how i was feeling. Well played sir.

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  34. It's a good way to look at the movie, though I haven't seen it in what seems like ages. I can't really comment on your perspective. But I like the idea and the photos!

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  35. That's a deep post. I'll have to check out the movie, I've yet to see it.

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  36. Great review of No Country for Old Men. It was an amazing film that won Best Picture. I like analyzing movies and you did a great job. Great pics as well.

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  37. Nice man! Followed for sure

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  38. awsome pictures man! followed!

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  39. Nice pictures, also a photography enthusiast
    following (:

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  40. nice pictures, going to follow~

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  41. I love your pictures. A deep, thought-provoking review

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  42. Nice analysis, makes me want to check out this movie.

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  43. I guess I have to see the movie now so I can think of something to say. From your description, it makes me think of Apocalypse Now. As the characters progress further from what they know, they have to give up on what they held as normal, civilized behavior. Those that clang to order and resisted died while those that let go and became more animalistic survived.

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  44. Amazing pictures, thoughtful responses, and an excellent movie review! Makes me want to sit down and watch it again to catch everything I missed the first time around. Thanks for sharing!

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  45. Those Pictures are amazing. What an unsual blog!

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  46. No Country for old men was great movie and nice pics

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  47. Ever think of what you would do if you were in that situation?

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  48. That picture of the twin power lines and the school in the background is blowing my mind. Great work on it. Can't wait to see what else you do.

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