Barton Fink

Barton Fink
by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

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DVD Reviews of Barton Fink

DVD Review: Bizarre trip through the world of Hollywood
Summary: 5 Stars

When Barton arrives in Hollywood he immediately sets himself up in a sleazy hotel, thinking that the claustrophobic atmosphere of his room will inspire him in his work. Problems, horrible, dangerous problems that hint at dark forces haunt him from the moment he checks in. The clerk manning the front desk seems a bit odd, especially considering he emerges from a trap door in the floor to help Fink sign in. Then Barton's neighbor appears on the scene after the writer complains to the front desk about the noise next door. This neighbor, a salesman named Charlie Meadows, at first takes umbrage with Fink's complaints but eventually comes to befriend the nervous screenwriter. The two men spend a lot of time cooling their heels in Fink's room, discussing such diverse topics as the plight of the common man and the difficulties of selling products door to door. While Fink begins to think the world of this portly salesman, there seems to be a sinister personality lurking behind the smiling eyes of Charlie that is occasionally off putting. Eventually, that secret will come to light in the most hideous of ways.

Before Fink's life turns to mud, he meets another man who presents a host of problems: his literary hero W.P. Mayhew. Mayhew is a raging alcoholic trying to earn a living in Hollywood. Fink eventually learns an upsetting secret about this writer as well, a secret involving Mayhew's sultry assistant Audrey. Compounding Fink's difficulties is a brassy, smarmy Hollywood big shot who wants Fink to write a screenplay for a wrestling picture starring Noah Beery. Barton Fink might have survived these countless debacles if he didn't suddenly come down with the worst case of writer's block he has ever had. When inspiration does suddenly strike him, it has little to do with a wrestling picture and more to do with his current situation. The people he is under contract with do not understand Barton Fink's screenplay. They don't understand Barton Fink. And they promise that Barton Fink will never work in this town again or as a writer because the contract stipulates anything Fink writes belongs to the studio. Hollywood can be a very unforgiving town.

Everything works in "Barton Fink." The performances from John Turturro (Fink), John Goodman (Charlie Meadows), Steve Buscemi (the bellhop Chet), Judy Davis (Audrey), John Mahoney (Mayhew), and Michael Lerner (studio boss Jack Lipnick) all rate off the charts. A special salute should go to Tony Shaloub in the sleazy role of Ben Geisler, an overbearing jerk constantly deriding Fink's position with the studio. The hotel's bleak atmosphere, with its peeling wallpaper, dusty furniture, and canyon wide hallways instills a sense of malevolent dread to the entire proceedings. Who could produce a work of art in such a seedy situation? Barton Fink can when he finally decides to rely on his true abilities by rejecting the typical Hollywood pap. There are many theories about the underlying themes of this movie, most of them quite valid, but I felt that the idea of a young writer selling his soul for a buck and thus nosediving into failure was the central premise. Only when he writes about something he has enthusiasm for does he find a sort of redemption, and even then Hollywood is right there to quash his masterpiece. I suspect the Coen brothers went through a similar experience when they started out in the movie business, that Barton Fink represents to some extent the success and failure of these two filmmakers.

The DVD version of the movie is good, not great. The most intriguing extras on the disc are the deleted scenes. They don't add much to the movie, but they do provide a glimpse into how the film might have looked before the final edit. The scenes rely on alternating black and white and color cinematography, which makes for a confusing feel that was appropriately dropped in favor of an all color format. "Barton Fink" is a winner of a film that really isn't all that confusing after repeated viewings. A commentary track from the directors would have been nice, if for no other reason than to confirm what is in that blasted box!

Description of Barton Fink