Ethan Coen’s latest solo film, Honey Don’t, could generously be described as “slight,” and less-generously described as “bad.” While he dabbles in capers so light they risk floating away, brother Joel’s only solo effort to date is 2021’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, which is well-regarded but so self-serious that you suspect Shakespeare himself might have suggested dialing things back a notch. Naturally, these efforts have raised questions about what sensibilities each brother brought to their many collaborative efforts, including the reputation-making Fargo, which hit theaters 30 years ago today.
Fargo was the Coens’ sixth film, and easily their most successful yet, winning two Academy Awards and doubling the box office results of Raising Arizona, the only other notable financial success they’d had by 1996. Having since spawned six seasons of television, and still standing as one of their better-known and more easily-accessible movies, rewatching Fargo feels like you’re getting a glimpse at how the final ingredients were added to their secret sauce.
