Thoughts on Fargo (1996): Essence vs Appearance

You're darn tootin'!

The Coen Brothers once again take a ridiculous concept and pump it full with so much detail and charm that you can't help but be taken with it.

Throughout the events of the film, the Coen Brothers suggest that there is a difference between seeming nice and sweet and actually being nice and sweet. i.e. between appearance and essence.

The Coens play with the idea of mid-western charm and stereotyping to create this divide between how the audience perceives the characters 
and how they actually are, slowly revealing the essence of the characters past their outward presentation across the film's runtime. We are pleasantly surprised when Marge is shown to be extremely adept at her job, we are shocked by the ugliness of Jerry's selfishness. 

There's a scene where Marge gets a call from an old friend, and they decide to meet. Upon meeting, the friend makes a pass at her and when she turns him down, starts telling her about how his wife has passed away. The next day, Marge finds out through someone that he never had a wife at all. 

For the first time in the film, we are presented with a character that has had an essence that betrays his appearance. A confusing hint of a darkness explained by pathetic reasoning. 

Fargo plays out almost like a fable, with the Coens leading us to realise that we should be more grateful for the things we experience. (i.e. not be swayed by the appearance of things, but to appreciate the essence of things familiar to us)
The trail of blood that Jerry's frantic faffing about causes, this pathetic meandering sequence of carnage stems entirely from a dissatisfaction with his standing in life. 

Marge's narrative arc is about realising the fundamental difference between essence and appearance. While happy with her standing in life, Marge seems to harbour the slightest doubt of her satisfaction in life. When her friend calls her to meet for dinner, she hides it from her husband. She looks for the fanciest restaurant and wears her nicest clothes. She stops at the door and fixes herself before approaching the seat. As the humans we are, we cannot help ourselves. We can't help but to wonder if there's more in store for us, if we are denying ourselves opportunities by dwelling in the familiarity of comfort. The Coens urge us to recognise the goodness that exists within our daily occurrence, to quell the self-destructive ambitions that blind us from our blessings.

p.s. In essence and appearance, Fargo feels like the glass of warm milk you drink to help you go to sleep.

Originally posted to Letterboxd on 4th September 2024