MILLER'S CROSSING

US, 1990, 115 minutes, Colour.
Albert Finney, Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi, Mike Starr, Michael Jeter.
Directed by Joel Coen.

Miller's Crossing is an excellent gangster film from the talented Coen Brothers. Director and co-writer Joel Coen and his brother Ethan, co-writer and producer, worked on small budget horror films like The Evil Dead before making their first feature the thriller, Blood Simple. With the excellent reception of Blood Simple, they changed style with the manic comedy, Raising Arizona, with Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter. Miller's Crossing is their third, most ambitious film.

The casting is off-beat for an American gangster film: Irish actor Gabriel Byrne (Gothic, Defence of the Realm, Siesta) as well as Albert Finney (celebrated actor from Saturday Night and Sunday Morning to Murder on the Orient Express and many films). The supporting American cast includes John Turturro (The Sicilian, Do the Right Thing, Five Corners) and Jon Polito (The Freshman). The film introduces Marcia Gay Harden.

The period set in 1929 is excellently recreated, an anonymous American city. The atmosphere of the gangsters, prohibition, the ordinary way of life in a corrupt town are vividly presented as well as the clashes between the political gangster bosses with their gambling interests and their code of violence. As with other Coen films, the screenplay and the use of words is highly significant the screenplay is particularly fluent with strong actors voicing the striking words e.g. the opening with Jon Polito's speech about ethics).

There is a grim atmosphere about the film, a presentation of evil characters without much sympathy but making them interesting (as Martin Scorsese did with his more contemporary gangster film, Goodfellas). An arresting film.

1. Impact of the film, its acclaim? The work of the Coens? Their working with the gangster conventions and tradition? Their vision of gangster films and gangsters?

2. 1929, the American city, the inner neighbourhoods, gambling, homes and hotels, the countryside? The sombre and metallic colouring and tone? Atmosphere? Score?

3. The title, the focus on Miller's Crossing, a place of crises and truth, of violence? of ethics?

4. The credibility of the plot and characters? Blend of the serious and the humorous? The tones of mythical treatment of gangsters? The more realistic and unsympathetic treatment? Gangsters, political bosses, police and officials, power and greed, ethical codes, violence, friendships, loyalties and betrayals?

5. Albert Finney as Leo: his place in the city, his appearance and style, wealth, the boss, his gambling, the exercise of political power, holding the police an politicians his clash with John Caspar, rivalry? The bond with Tom and his advice? Confidence in Tom, his own self-confidence, self reliance? Behaviour and talk, clash with Caspar, the questions about Bernard and his double dealing? The lies, the deals, his love for Verna and her betrayal of him? Trusting Tom? The shootout at his house at night ant his outwitting the attackers? The politicians changing their loyalties? Tom telling him the truth, his angers? The setup for the gang war? The media reports? The threats, his ultimately winning? The reconciliation with Tom? And his marrying Verna?

6. The contrast with Gabriel Byrne's Tom: silent, a listener, a loner? Shrewdness? The big picture? His advice, response to Caspar? His concerning himself with Bernie? The style of his own life, grim and quiet, a gangster philosopher, his relationship with Verna, sexual relationship? The effect on him, her and her concern for Bernie? Going to see Bernie, giving him advice? The shootouts, the deals? Telling the truth about Verna to Leo? The clash, how deliberate his setting it up, going to Caspar, listening, playing the games? The clashes with the Dane, questions about his boyfriend, the private detective and the murders? Setting up of his defection? The commission to kill Bernie, going to Miller's Crossing, the effect, audience uncertainty as to what he would do, Bernie's pleas, letting him go? The clash with the Dane, the Dane making him search Miller's Crossing, the dead body and the irony of its being the boyfriend? Playing Caspar out with the Dane? Bernie and his manic visit, double dealing? Playing Bernie off? The death of the Dane, the death of Caspar, his killing Bernie? Reassuring Verna? The reactions of the gangs. the bosses, the media? Leo? Tom's motivations, Leo marrying Verna? Tom's future?

7. Verna as the gangsters' Moll, in the clubs, relating to Leo, liaison with Tom, her concern about her brother, the pleas? The concealing of the truth? Involved in the business? Her concern about Bernie and his death, Tom's promise? Her decision to marry Leo?

8. Casper and his initial talk about ethics, his speeches, the money, the boss, the clash with Leo, relying on the Dane and his gangsters, phone calls, his naivety? Believing Tom? The commission to kill Bernie? The dilemma as to who to believe? His speeches to Tom, the killing of the Dane? The corpse at the crossing? The setup and Bernie's killing him? The rivalry, having the politicians in his pay? Rival gangs?

9. Bernie as a gambler, information, small-time, shrewd and slippery? Payoffs, deals? The Dane's boyfriend? Verna's devotion to him? Being protected, Tom's advice, the catalyst for the action? His melodramatic plea not to be killed, his reaction against. this later? Sense of pride? Staying hidden, coming out to confront Tom, wanting money, his final ruthlessness and pride, the setup, his killing Casper, the suddenness of his own murder?

10. The Dane as the hitman, advising Casper, his boyfriend, relationships, the double deals, going to the crossing, realising the truth, trying to setup Tom, being out-witted?

11. The police chief, the politicians, sitting in audience with Leo or Johnny Casper? The shoot outs in the streets, the cars, the sieges, the double dealings with the truth? Echoes of Chicago shoot outs in a small city?

12. The gamblers, the wealthy of the city, corruption?

13. The portrait of hitmen and gangsters, their codes, detectives, private detectives following people, being killed, corpses in the woods?

14. The mood of the film, its attention to detail, the dramatic ironies? The sequences involving children and their being so striking? the dead man in the alley, the hairpiece, the children and moods?

15. An intelligent gangster drama, the blend of the stylised and the realistic, insight into human nature?