Oh Brother Where Art Thou Analysis

O Brother, Where Art Thou? was made in 2000 and is about three escaped prisoners on the hunt for some buried treasure. These men experience a great deal of adversity during their hunt including being returned to prison, a Ku Klux Klan mob, and a flood. Unlike many of the other films I have watched during the course of this class, this movie possessed a large amount of diegetic music. The type of music seemed to fit the movie well because of the comedic tone throughout. The first song heard in the movie is sung by the prisoners as they hammer. The song is a cappella in a way since there are no instruments used; however, the hammers keep the beat as the men sing. The next song is upbeat and encompasses a catchy tune for the audience. Even if they do not know the words, it is a song that the audience can tap their feet to. Then, the three men see a man pumping a railroad cart and decide to ask for a ride. They hop on and the man begins to talk to them. As this happens there is soft, non-diegetic music playing in the background. There is more diegetic music as a flock of men and women dressed in white become baptized in a nearby river. They are singing a slow hymn as they wait for their turn. Delmar …show more content…
The violins make it feel southern; however, the upbeat music seems to only match Nelson’s spunkiness since the rest of the people have torches, serious looking faces, and are yelling harsh words. Another diegetic song is sung by the men who had just finished digging the three convicts’ graves. The song is slow and the deepness of the mens’ voices represents the harsh reality that the men are about to face. The song continues as a large waves crashes into the valley and consumes all the men including the escapees and the police. The final scene consists of Everett’s girls singing a somber tune and the audience can see the man riding away on the railroad cart once