The Coen Brothers Analysis

The Coen Brother’s, Inside Llewyn Davis presents a new perspective of the American Nightmare for Llewyn after the death his parter informs his new perspective of his personal American Dream. Through the use of visual techniques the Coen Brothers reveal how Llewyn’s past is corrupting his future. The brothers strove to create an image with limited contrast and a wide palette of gray tones whilst maintaining firm grasp on contrast ratios in interiors and exteriors. Ethan stated that the goal was “obtain a reduced latitude”. Through the use of these visual features it is clear to further Llewyn travels from his past the darker his future becomes. The story is ultimately about the failure of the American Dream and the use of dim lighting and soft textures reveal his incremental and irreversible failure, revealing his inflated ego about his own ability and despite the signs from the people around him and these visual cues it is clear his pursuit from the American Dream is an escape from the death of his folk …show more content…
The story is a relatable homage to millions of other Americans who have strived for musical success or otherwise, based on the belief of the American Dream presented in the media. Through this exploration of the American Dream, the Coen brothers revealed the cruel and false hope society provides about the American Dream and the reality of its destructive and false nature. Although the movie has flashes of humour its overall tone is a sense of sadness and pessimism that overshadows the narrative as it is presented with a bleak underscore and muted cinematography. The feel of the cinematography was directly influenced by the album cover for The Freewheelin’ by Bob Dylan . This was a conscience choice made by the Coen brothers as an attempt to reveal that the path of the American Dream will always cost more then the dream itself. Llewyn Stated “I'm