Fargo – that bloody tale of greed, kidnapping and murder set in the freezing tundra of Minnesota – was the Coen brothers’ break-out film, scooping two Oscars and a towering snowdrift of critical and commercial acclaim.
On the 25th anniversary of its release, former Minnesota resident Nige Tassell slips on his snowboots to revisit the film and its landscape. The result is a leisurely stomp around Fargo’s intricate plot, its snappy dialogue and its unforgettable characters. Insightful, revealing, entertaining and esoteric, And It’s A Beautiful Day strips back the film’s multiple layers to pose intriguing questions. What has made car salesman Jerry Lundegaard such a desperate man? Does Carl Showalter deserve to be fed into a woodchipper? And just how much food can police chief Marge Gunderson put away in a single sitting?
Sharp and snappy and full of quirkiness and humour, And It’s A Beautiful Day is perfect companion to one of the all-time great cult movies.
