BLOOD SIMPLE ∙ JOEL & ETHAN COEN

BLOOD SIMPLE • Joel & Ethan Coen • 1996 [1988] Faber and Faber 111 pgs • Sight and Sound Script • Main Characters; Credits; Cast & Script • Film made in 1984, directed by Coen Brothers • It begins in bed, frequently ground zero for noir. Nothing if not a reactionary narrative form, film noir tends to depict sex as a sin that must be paid. Especially extra-marital or spur-of-the-moment sex. This is why you know things won’t be going well for Abby (Frances McDorman) and Ray (John Getz): their coupling is done in shadows and moonlight, a secret we know can’t be kept. The shadows and stabs of light reinforce the furtive nature of the act, a sin that can’t go unpunished. It’s a guilty act, and the conversation between the two is desperate and scared. Why? Because Abby is married to Ray’s boss Julian (Dan Hedaya), and she knows just how angry and dangerous this cuckold can be • PVP 10,71€• Linha de Sombra • www.linhadesombra.com • Cinemateca Portuguesa ■

“The world is full of complainers. But the fact is, nothing comes with a guarantee. I don’t care if you are the Pope of Rome, President of the United States, or even Man of the Year - something can always go wrong. And go ahead, complain, tell your problems to your neighbor, ask for help - watch him fly. Now in Russia, the got mapped out so that everyone pulls for everyone else - that’s the theory, anyway. But what I know about is Texas… and down here… you’re on your own.”

VOICE-OVER

“The rule is, you quit rewriting when your manuscript starts to bore you. Only the amateur, who has boundless energy and who lacks the imagination to quit, ever works beyond that point. Consult then your heart. Once your work feels stale and tiresome you should present it to the public. Anyway, that’s what we do.”

PREFACE, JC & EC