Go to drinkag1.com/heavyspoilers to get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 and 5 AG1 travel packs with your first purchase. Thanks to AG1 for sponsoring today's video! NOTE FROM PAUL - Apologies for the delay on this. Unfortunately the first version we released for members was blocked and taken down by Paramount. Due to the amount of footage used in the video they felt that it was too much and we had to re-edit the video from the ground up. This was mainly converting clips to images hence why the video is more slide-showy than our other videos. Hopefully you guys still enjoy it and though it delayed the release I do appreciate that Paramount were at least willing to work with us so we didn't lose any of the main commentary on the film. Going forward we're trying to work out whether to have me appear on camera on these longer videos so it's more us than their footage. The other option is to do what we did here with images. Let us know what one you'd prefer. Thanks, Paul
The video was still great with what you guys did with the stills you used I think. Just my 2 cents but it's what you asked for. Keep up the great work pls n thx! Much appreciated
@@sub-jec-tiv yeah yeah yeah!! I forgot about that line between Tommy Lee and his deputy!! I actually rewound that part once or twice………..to me that was yet another example of that good old southern/Texas wit.
I love how Chigurh let's the "fate" of a coin toss determine his actions. Yet, the one time he breaks that fateful toss, it costs him dearly. Beautiful.
@@haerverkbecause he’s not supposed to be good someone good wouldn’t be in a position to be chased by Anton that’s the simplicity he operates on judgment has been passed he is simply a tool
@themoviedealers And there is a lesson in that scene. Carla Jean makes a decision: She refuses to play at all. This is her sin. She refuses to move, so the world moves her. Remember the conversation between the sheriff and the old man, near the end of the film. The old man tells the sheriff ' the world's not waiting on you. That's vanity'. That's Carla Jean.
I never hear people mention this but when Bell is about to enter the motel room near the end, he pulls out his revolver. He had mentioned earlier in the movie that he’s never pulled out his gun in his entire time as sheriff. I believe this had more to do with his decision to retire as well.
Kelly Macdonald has also been such a great actress for almost thirty years now. She's come a long way since Trainspotting in 96. The entire cast here, like all Coen brothers movies is perfect from supporting to leads.
A lot of those characters are local, I'm betting. Just like "Winter's Bone" used local from the Ozark where it was filmed in Southern MO fairly near to the AR state line.
Carla Jean basically fucked Chigur up worse than anything in his whole life up to that point. You can see it on his face before the car wreck even happens. He tells himself he's a tool of fate to justify what he does, but Carla Jean makes him realize he really is "crazy" like everyone says. He just enjoys killing and always wants the coin to fall that way. But he's probably had doubts before, and Carla Jean refusing to call the coin is his breaking point. He still kills her because he "promised" Lleweyn, and because she saw him, but she wounds him worse than anyone else. I think it just reinforces the theme of "no country for old men," because even someone like Chigur can't keep that up forever. Someone will get them, or they'll get themselves sooner rather than later. Also I never really thought about the bird, yeah it's just another coin flip. If he "wanted" it dead he would have stopped the car, but to him the drive-by shot made it fate. He probably does some kind of mental coin flip every time he encounters another living thing, because he thinks he's the hand of death. Seriously the best villain of all time... both Cormac McCarthy's, and Javier Bardem's.
This is supported by Chigurh's look of frustration, disappointment and consternation when the gas station owner makes the correct call on the toss. Chigurh CLEARLY wanted to take him out and was visibly upset that he had to put that particular fish back into the river.
When she says "you don't have to do this" And he replies "they always say the same thing" She says "what's that?" And he replies "you don't have to do this" I chose to interpret his answer as he doesn't understand why people try and beg for their lives or reason with him, like the concept is so foreign to him he can't comprehend it. Whereas some might just see it as him mocking her
she actually says "what do people always say?" carla jean is not the brightest bulb he's not a dealer of fate he's a hitman, he's BEEN paid or will be paid. hitmen have codes; as we see with ole boy C. that's why he's not interested in the case he also knows there's no millions of USD in it. after the first stack or two it becomes $1s.
i thought he said that to make sure they (including the woman who was checking him in at the hotel as they had a similar conversation) would understand him. that way nothing is misinterpreted and it provides a more sinister and inevitable tone
In the gas station scene I love the loops of wire behind the clerk, set up to look like hang-man nooses.. really sets up the idea that his life/death may finally have caught up with him.
Not wire but fan belts. Pretty common in roadside stations in the middle of high desert nowhere in the 80's. Lends even more authenticity to the film though.
21:53 Red painted quarters were common up to and including the 80's. They were used by merchants to 'get the ball rolling' on jukeboxes or as a low coin warning in change machines, vendors used them when testing out products so they could easily identify and get their money back, (video games, laundry, billiard tables, etc) among other uses. It wasn't blood.
You are exactly right! I wonder if the Brothers or Javier used the painted coin because it's as rare as some of the other coins he was carrying? The character may have even had a story about that coin like shop keeper scene, but it definitely wasn't blood.
Things like this are why I sometimes hate these far out theories people come up with. I used to watch a channel called Collative Learning (I think) where the guy sees deeper meaning in every film, and comes up with these far out reasons to justify his theories based on incorrect assumptions (like the red quarter you mentioned). I can’t remember exactly which instance caused me to stop watching, but he basically made a flawed leap of logic based on a factually wrong conclusion he jumped to.
@@RichardGutierrezRG This novel/movie was set in 1980. It wasn't "illegal" or rare to have a red quarter, but some merchants might question where you got it.
A masterpiece with amazing performances by Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, and Kelly Macdonald. Carla Jean returns from her mother's funeral to find Chigurh waiting in her bedroom; refusing his offer of a coin toss for her life, stating that Chigurh cannot pass blame to luck: the choice is his. She's right, and not just about that, about everything. She's the only one who fearlessly stares down Chigurh and won't legitimize him. Chigurh: "Call it." Carla: "I knowed you was crazy when I saw you sitting there. I knowed exactly what was in store for me." Chigurh: "Call it." Carla: "No. I ain’t gonna call it." Chigurh: "Call it." Carla: " The coin don’t have no say. It’s just you." Devastating. Brilliant. Carla is a small unarmed woman who seems simple yet she's more clear eyed, and braver, than all of the men.
Re Carla, yeah I saw that. She was the only one to see him and challenge him, but essentially it resulted in Chigurgh ending the story as unstoppable and showing his true psychopathy. If he had have let her go, the story would feel a bit "hollywood" but instead it left a truly bitter taste at the end, Chigurgh was death walking and that shouldn't change. It's such a superb film in that the protaganist gets no send off, the "narrator" - or the audience perspective, he gives up and the antagonist walks away scott free.
What’s also impressive is that Carla Jean is not a Southern woman, but I think British (the actress). Blew my mind when I heard her talk in an interview.
@@BluesBoyJonnyI think she is a Scottish actress I think she might have even done the girl's voice in Brave but I have definitely seen her in several Scottish movies
My wife and I literally rewatched this LAST NIGHT, and I was so drawn to the film when I first saw it in 2007. And today I was thinking to myself "damn, it would be amazing if Heavy Spoilers broke this movie down," and here we are 😍
Might be off on this one but at the ending you notice Chigurh is staring at the kids which represents “youth” and right after that he is hit from the side. I kept thinking of the title of the movie “No country for old men”. This represented Chigurh downfall and his fate and his symbolism for him now being an old man. The way he walks away reminds me of an old man. The world finally caught up to him. Like the uncle said “you can’t stop what’s coming, it ain’t all waiting on you”.
Judge Holden in Blood Meridian is almost exactly that! He is interested only in violence, he even calls War 'god' at one point. However, he's vastly talented (he plays a fiddle and draws sketches into a book he carries) charismatic and speaks several languages.
This film’s quiet depth is a master stroke on the part of the Cohen brothers. I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling and craftsmanship of it. The story is depressing but provocative and that weight is carried almost entirely by Bardem’s performance. Thank you for another phenomenal breakdown, Paul!
Law enforcement personnel do not PREVENT crime; they merely REACT to it. This is shown in the film at every turn. Bell simply follows the bodies and bears witness to the destruction; he knows that he can't prevent it or stop it. He is powerless.
@@mrbrex95 I would argue that those in law enforcement exist in order to protect Our Inalienable Rights -- the Right to Live, the Right to be at Liberty, and the Right to Own Property. Private property SHOULD be protected by law enforcement. Likewise, anyone with a vested interest in the property should protect it -- such as the consumers and the investors. Property needs to be protected for the same reason that life and liberty need to be protected: There are a lot of people out there that want to steal, kill, destroy, or enslave.
@@jeffcarlin5866 You say capitalism should be protected while Elon Musk is one of the richest man in the world and your government spends trillions of dollars in pointless wars in the middle east killing mostly kids, while thousands of people are homeless in the USA (mostly are Veterans with no aid). You're brainwashed.
@@mrbrex95 It's cute you think what we have today is "capitalism". I'm pretty certain if we weren't all tax slaves, the government wouldn't bother to "protect" us at all. Think of a farmer using dogs to guard his sheep. The police are the dogs, we're the sheep, taxes are the wool.
I didn't watch this movie until last year and it is my favorite movie in a long time, I actually watched it 3 times since and that's rare for me these days, great breakdown on what is certainly a future classic!
Hell yeah! Been waiting for this 1! Great friggin breakdowns on thos channel so much so that it has taken over as THE NO.1 BREAKDOWN channel!!! For me personally I mean. I used to watch "New Rockstars" for the past 2-3 years and enjoyed their breakdowns and it is still a good watch but "Heavy Spoilers" has taken over the no.1 spot for me. Keep em coming!
Such a good movie, I wish these were made more often but it makes you really appreciate how incredible movies can be when something like this comes out.
Bardem was so good in this, that his performance is a big big reason why I will never pass this up whenever I see it playing somewhere. His Anton Chigurh has always reminded me of Arnold's original Terminator performance in 1984.
The ending monologue gave me chills and nearly had me well up in tears, hitting me on a subconscious level. I needed to unpack what he'd said again later to fully grasp the oblique implications of the dream. And how it applied to my life as well.
I don’t have new theories, sorry, but calling out Wendigoon & Anti-Logic!! Thank you! You 3 are some of my favorites and I’m grateful to hear you respect each other
I wouldn't go that far, it's a fantastic script and there are several very talented actors that could make it happen. His performance is brilliant but the actors are only as good as what material they have to work with
Hey dude! GREAT VIDEO "but....." the red quarter was actually a "house" quarters that old places with jukeboxes would give to employees to use to see how many "patrons" vs "staff" would use the machine. GREAT CONTENT as ALWAYS
Great timing, this movie was just released on UA-cam premium! I haven't thought about it for years, now I get to rewatch it AND see a breakdown video in the same week.. awesome.
I've got to say. The tracker was in $1 bills because they had to cut into them. Not because it might get thrown out. Love your videos. Thanks for this one. By far my favorite movie of the 2000's.
Two actors, Javier Bardem and Christoph Waltz, made such an impact in their breakout role that they redefined what a villain can be. I was sold the first time I saw this film.
Javier Bardem was absolutely brilliant in this film. He gave me chills with his portrayal of Antoine Chigur. He was such an intimidating character without actually trying.
Clicked like without even seeing the video. It's a breakdown of a movie I didn't think I'd see. Really delighted paul is doing a breakdown of these classic films
@@heavyspoilers you've already covered most of my favorites. I hope movies like Gone Girl or Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind make it onto the channel someday
I believe the reason for the explosion at the pharmacy was to let the audience know that Anton is a cool guy. Because, you silly fool, cool guys don't look at explosions, they just walk away in slow motion. Okay, they don't always walk away in slow motion, but almost always, like 98% of the time. However, cool guys don't look at explosions 100% of the time, as that is a universal constant.
Lots of different theories on Bell in the hotel room at the end. I see it as him doing what he did in the war. He saved himself. He doesn’t want to know what’s behind the door. No Cop ever fails to look behind a door. Even his buddy was giving him permission to back off and survive.
I agree. The way he stared at it for so long, he *HAD* to know. Plus there’s no way Chigurh is escaping that many officers. The only catch; is Bell would die. And so he did as always does.
Personal favorite Coen Brothers movie with Fargo a close second. Usually they're known for their dark comedy undertones but this movie had NONE of that. I never realized upon my first watch that it didn't have any background OST. If anything, it solidifies the somberness. Truly an amazing movie. Everyone was fantastic but Javier definitely elevated the performance. This and Skyfall are just awe-inspiring
To me, the movie takes place in North West Texas, Texas Panhandle, and southwest texas. Comanche County is in Texas and Oklahoma. So, Oklahoma could be included.
Llewelyn was dead either way. If you look closely in the background when he's talking to the girl, you can see the drug dealers truck pulling into the parking at full speed. They probably shot the woman by accident, Llewelyn ran back to his room where he had his final showdown and took one with him.
This is a great breakdown of a great film... The Coen brothers' best in my opinion. If you have not read the book (or even if you have) I urge you to watch the film then immediately read the book and you can get an idea of how brilliantly they made this movie by staying faithful to what McCarthy wrote. The characters, acting, dialogue, setting and sepia tone-- it all fits seamlessly.
Chigurh isn’t chaos. He is order. The only characters who act with perfect moral consistency throughout the story are Chigurh and the sheriff, though the sheriff feels turmoil about this. Some characters who live survive based on luck, but every character who dies does something to violate their own professed moral code, at least in the book.
Thanks for the great vid! Everyone at Heavy Spoilers is part of an amazing team. Appreciate the work you do to bring us such interesting, high quality, well researched videos. Much love!
Good on ya for this! I don’t see many in depth breakdowns for No Country, probably due to it already being a 17(geez)year old movie. But I saw this and “There will be Blood” in the same year, and they quickly became 2 of my favorite films. I’d love to see you do a There Will Be Blood Breakdown video at some point..
24:38 I'd disagree about the "she follows the rules" part of this. He made it a point at several other moments to tell other victims that their own rules don't do anything good for them, only HIS rules matter.
I've always thought the Anton Chigur character is very much like The Tall Man character from Phantasm. Both characters kinda embody the unstoppable nature of death, both characters utilize an unusual chrome weapon, both characters have a mysterious background & both have a weird bowl shaped haircut
Or perhaps the cat survived because cats tend to hide when strangers come around. Likely the cat ran to a hiding spot when its owner was shot, and Anton didn't bother looking for it. Cats are well known for not snitching.
Could not agree more, excellent call reviewing this one. So many movies try to scare you today with jump scares or ridiculous gore, and here there is just a relentless disturbing feeling of horror because of Bardem's phenomenal performance. Like you said, this one stays with you. I also think you're right about Bell coming back to the hotel and choosing the wrong (which is actually the right) door. It works with the narrative of the movie.
super fun analysis . this movie is a masterpiece . some of my go to movies to watch is no country - good shepherd ….. I have watched no country probably 10 times
I Think Anton Was Hit By TheCar in TheEnd *BECAUSE* He Killed CarlaJean. She Was "Innocent" on "TheRoad" That Led Anton to Her. & After Anton Murdered Her, Anton "Opened TheRoad" of "Devine-Intervention", That *NOW* Becomes "TheRoad" Anton "Walks". All Because Anton Kept His Word to Murder CarlaJean *AFTER* She Had Gotten Off "TheRoad".🤔
I never got the feeling that Sugar wanted to kill the bird. I always felt that he was simply toying with it. He's a hired gun, so If he really wanted to kill the bird, he would stop his car and aim to insure his kill. By aiming at the bird while his car is in motion, he's basically giving the bird a chance at life. Just like the coin flip. He likes toying with his victims.
Love your point on life. The world has always been cruel. It seems to be pre ordained to believe we lived through our innocent days in an equally innocent world. Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.
Not sure if you are aware, but the Whitman mass shooting in Austin did put a black eye on the police. This was years ago before the date of this film. Making the concept of the Sheriff thinking he’s out of his element is years after this shooting seems way off. The better reference is to the Joker of The Dark Knight, who is a vehicle of Anarchy. Anton is a madman who hides behind a coin as an excuse for his actions.
The best movie, maybe ever, certainly withn the last 10-15 years. One of the few i can still rewatch. I seem to pick up on something I missed with every rewatch. So much going on and done in such a subtle style and story telling. It's the perfect movie to watch and have long discussions about the characters, subtext, symbolism, and meaning/messaging of the story. Just absolutely perfect 🤌
The strangest thing to me about the film is that it supposedly takes place in 1980 but every single gun featured in the movie was made well after 1980, some of which were 10 years after...
Not sure if this has been mentioned, and I'm a little late to the comment party, but... The quarter that Chigurh produces in the gas station may not be covered in "flecks of blood," but may actually be colored with red paint. Quarters marked with red paint were common to diners, bars and other establishments that used a house jukebox. When a business owner would purchase a jukebox, they would actually rent it from a company, who would in turn make all the money from the machine (i.e. the jukebox company would guarantee a rotations of the "hottest hits" in exchange for the money, and music kept the location hopping, etc.) In any case, the owner would have a collection of red-painted quarters known as "house coins" or "house quarters," which the owner would sometimes use if people were there, but not playing music (this helped get them thinking about the jukebox, so they would stick around to play songs they wanted to hear). When the jukebox company would come to collect the coins, the red-painted quarters were always returned to their owners. Over time, and through many uses, the paint would rub off, and only be visible in the lower reliefs of the metal pressing, which is how the quarter appears in this movie. Perhaps it's symbolic of how the quarter "always returns to its owner" after the play is through, and everything is collected?
Shooting at an animal from a motor vehicle is a Coenism also seen in RAISING ARIZONA and O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (Commandeering a pickup truck also occurs in RAISING ARIZONA.) Anton pays 69 cents because the Dude writes a check for that amount in THE BIG LEBOWSKI. The “vanity” speech would fit nicely into the Bhagavad Gita. The film’s last line would fit nicely into an autobiography by The Buddha.
Wait a tick, you mean to tell me that soundtrack I hear all day long IS actually in my head!? I thought everyone experienced this. I better make a doctor's appt real fast...
Great breakdown! I To add on, the film, begins and ends, with the sherif talking about life and death. The film also shows the number 24 or numbers that add up to 24. A number commonly used in film and TV to represent imminent death. (Like the tv show “24” , the 24 second shot clock etc..) The sherif mentions, “the kind of evil that takes place is hard to even measure,” and ‘not being willing to push his chips further, than he’s prepared to,’ “A man would have to put his soul at hazard.” Showing the audience that he believes in having a soul and the existence of good and evil. Windmills, and the sound of air are also used repeatedly (maybe as a reference to Anton Sigur’s character as an agent of evil and chaos, or the world as a whole) where, in the Bible , the devil is referred to as “the prince of the power of the air.” Lest we forget, Anton’s main tool is a cylinder of compressed air. If you don’t believe in God or Heaven, then the movie is about fate (as Anton explains). If you do believe in God, much like the sherif, you consider the consequences of your choices because God will judge them. In which case, The Sherif symbolizes a man of (all be it, limited ) faith who feels overmatched by the evil of the world and who contemplates Gods judgement of his soul. Same as with the ending, the movie opens with the sherif contemplating his life and not wanting to “be a part of this world;” (Another Bible reference, “Be in the world, not of it.”) it ends with him going to “meet his father.” (Literally and figuratively meeting his maker). His father also carried a light 💡 in the darkness. (Another reference to God and the Bible ,”walk in the day while there’s light. For no one can walk in darkness”) Lou-Ellen seems to represent the danger of all the evil and distractions “of this world,” and giving into that temptation. That temptation caused him to forever run from the evil he unknowingly chose to be a part of. He unknowingly caused his and his wife’s death, even choosing to leave her unprotected and alone, while telling Anton “I’m going to make you a personal project of mine.” Lou-Ellen chose to “push his chips further and say , ‘Okay, I’ll be a part of this world.” And he died trying. Antons character continues to roam the earth (chaos, evil) while the Sherif sits with his wife, talking about life and knowing wherever his father was, he’d eventually meet him. (The horn carrying the fire 🔥 is also a reference to a horn or trumpet that sounds off in the book of Revelations, signaling the horns or trumpets of the last days and final judgement.) Apologies for the long message. But weather or not it’s intentional, the author of these books along with the directors of the film grew up in an era and cultures where at the very minimum, these men would have had a lot of experience and familiarity with hearing these Bible stories and either knowingly or subconsciously would have undoubtedly expressed it In their own stories. And I agree! Anton was in the next room over!! LOL Grace, peace and blessings to you! 👏🙏
Chigurgh isn't the chaos, it's Llewellyn. Chigurgh, despite being a psychopath, has a moral code. Throughout the film Llewellyn makes decisions that have far reaching ripple effects.
Go to drinkag1.com/heavyspoilers to get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 and 5 AG1 travel packs with your first purchase. Thanks to AG1 for sponsoring today's video!
NOTE FROM PAUL - Apologies for the delay on this. Unfortunately the first version we released for members was blocked and taken down by Paramount. Due to the amount of footage used in the video they felt that it was too much and we had to re-edit the video from the ground up. This was mainly converting clips to images hence why the video is more slide-showy than our other videos. Hopefully you guys still enjoy it and though it delayed the release I do appreciate that Paramount were at least willing to work with us so we didn't lose any of the main commentary on the film. Going forward we're trying to work out whether to have me appear on camera on these longer videos so it's more us than their footage. The other option is to do what we did here with images. Let us know what one you'd prefer. Thanks, Paul
What hath the Ryan Aery’s Mum wrought?
Will you be reviewing Mr & Ms Smith?
It was still an amazing breakdown.
The video was still great with what you guys did with the stills you used I think. Just my 2 cents but it's what you asked for. Keep up the great work pls n thx! Much appreciated
Isint k2 spice
Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn is hilarious……..when Carla Jean asks “Where’d you get the pistol?”, he goes “At the ‘gettin place’”………..just priceless.
Big talk.
So much of that dialogue is directly pulled from the book
@@beaver68rock93as it should be
Both Llewelyn and the sherriff. That dry Texas humor. "It’s a mess aint it sherriff?" "If it aint it’ll do till the mess gets here."
@@sub-jec-tiv yeah yeah yeah!! I forgot about that line between Tommy Lee and his deputy!! I actually rewound that part once or twice………..to me that was yet another example of that good old southern/Texas wit.
Javier Bardem deserved the Oscar for best supporting actor for one of the most creepiest villains in cinema history
1000%
I thought he did get it. Thats a crime he didn't. Who did it better have been Daniel day Lewis or something.
@@ziggyhogan7560he did get it
@@ziggyhogan7560he did get it
BY FAR one of the better modern classics
I love how Chigurh let's the "fate" of a coin toss determine his actions. Yet, the one time he breaks that fateful toss, it costs him dearly. Beautiful.
Also; every good deed Moss does leads him further into trouble. Only when he acts ruthless does he gain any ground.
@@haerverkbecause he’s not supposed to be good someone good wouldn’t be in a position to be chased by Anton that’s the simplicity he operates on judgment has been passed he is simply a tool
You mean when he doesn't decide to kill Carla Jean? Because he does.
@@vd3364No, he kills her even though she refuses to call the coin toss.
@themoviedealers And there is a lesson in that scene. Carla Jean makes a decision: She refuses to play at all. This is her sin. She refuses to move, so the world moves her.
Remember the conversation between the sheriff and the old man, near the end of the film. The old man tells the sheriff ' the world's not waiting on you. That's vanity'. That's Carla Jean.
I never hear people mention this but when Bell is about to enter the motel room near the end, he pulls out his revolver. He had mentioned earlier in the movie that he’s never pulled out his gun in his entire time as sheriff. I believe this had more to do with his decision to retire as well.
Pushing his chips forward...
He didn’t say he never pulled his gun, he said that the old time sheriffs never did
He definitely never said he never pulled his gun
Agreed. Saw the symbolism
@killerwolf7676..45 acp..a nickel plated 1911 I think
I love that a man with that haircut belittles another mans choices in life. 😂
He's the one holding a scary gun though, so I'd overrule that.
He's completely self dependent. He cuts his own hair.
Brought the bowl cut back for a spell
hahahahaha
That haircut was seen as cool in the 80s. Psychopaths blend in
Kelly Macdonald has also been such a great actress for almost thirty years now. She's come a long way since Trainspotting in 96. The entire cast here, like all Coen brothers movies is perfect from supporting to leads.
She was amazing in Boardwalk Empire
A lot of those characters are local, I'm betting. Just like "Winter's Bone" used local from the Ozark where it was filmed in Southern MO fairly near to the AR state line.
Carla Jean basically fucked Chigur up worse than anything in his whole life up to that point. You can see it on his face before the car wreck even happens. He tells himself he's a tool of fate to justify what he does, but Carla Jean makes him realize he really is "crazy" like everyone says. He just enjoys killing and always wants the coin to fall that way. But he's probably had doubts before, and Carla Jean refusing to call the coin is his breaking point. He still kills her because he "promised" Lleweyn, and because she saw him, but she wounds him worse than anyone else. I think it just reinforces the theme of "no country for old men," because even someone like Chigur can't keep that up forever. Someone will get them, or they'll get themselves sooner rather than later.
Also I never really thought about the bird, yeah it's just another coin flip. If he "wanted" it dead he would have stopped the car, but to him the drive-by shot made it fate. He probably does some kind of mental coin flip every time he encounters another living thing, because he thinks he's the hand of death.
Seriously the best villain of all time... both Cormac McCarthy's, and Javier Bardem's.
The judge from blood Meridian has entered
@vicvega3614 Ooooh shit you're right. Really tough call between them but I'd have to give it to The Judge. Fucking love that character and book.
This is supported by Chigurh's look of frustration, disappointment and consternation when the gas station owner makes the correct call on the toss. Chigurh CLEARLY wanted to take him out and was visibly upset that he had to put that particular fish back into the river.
I love that theres no music and just moments of silence
More creepy
When she says "you don't have to do this"
And he replies "they always say the same thing"
She says "what's that?"
And he replies "you don't have to do this"
I chose to interpret his answer as he doesn't understand why people try and beg for their lives or reason with him, like the concept is so foreign to him he can't comprehend it.
Whereas some might just see it as him mocking her
I interpreted this as Chigurh mocking his victims' lack of understanding that in fact, he DOES have to do this. He's a dealer of fate.
she actually says "what do people always say?"
carla jean is not the brightest bulb
he's not a dealer of fate
he's a hitman, he's BEEN paid or will be paid.
hitmen have codes; as we see with ole boy C.
that's why he's not interested in the case
he also knows there's no millions of USD in it.
after the first stack or two it becomes $1s.
Good point
i thought he said that to make sure they (including the woman who was checking him in at the hotel as they had a similar conversation) would understand him. that way nothing is misinterpreted and it provides a more sinister and inevitable tone
I took this as him basically saying that he has a compulsion to kill. He doesn’t believe he could stop even if he wanted to, which he doesn’t.
Love that Moss closes the door on the crashed truck so that Chigurh will think he is still inside and approach.
In the gas station scene I love the loops of wire behind the clerk, set up to look like hang-man nooses.. really sets up the idea that his life/death may finally have caught up with him.
Not wire but fan belts. Pretty common in roadside stations in the middle of high desert nowhere in the 80's. Lends even more authenticity to the film though.
Yep. At least death's close. Really close.
There’s also a thing of smiley faces like stickers or something, it’s the perfect contrast to his face throughout.
21:53 Red painted quarters were common up to and including the 80's. They were used by merchants to 'get the ball rolling' on jukeboxes or as a low coin warning in change machines, vendors used them when testing out products so they could easily identify and get their money back, (video games, laundry, billiard tables, etc) among other uses. It wasn't blood.
Thank you! I was headed for this comment section for just that. It's amazing the little trivia things you collect over the years, right?
You are exactly right! I wonder if the Brothers or Javier used the painted coin because it's as rare as some of the other coins he was carrying? The character may have even had a story about that coin like shop keeper scene, but it definitely wasn't blood.
Things like this are why I sometimes hate these far out theories people come up with. I used to watch a channel called Collative Learning (I think) where the guy sees deeper meaning in every film, and comes up with these far out reasons to justify his theories based on incorrect assumptions (like the red quarter you mentioned). I can’t remember exactly which instance caused me to stop watching, but he basically made a flawed leap of logic based on a factually wrong conclusion he jumped to.
@@RichardGutierrezRG This novel/movie was set in 1980. It wasn't "illegal" or rare to have a red quarter, but some merchants might question where you got it.
Beat me to it, was going to comment the same thing.
A masterpiece with amazing performances by Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, and Kelly Macdonald. Carla Jean returns from her mother's funeral to find Chigurh waiting in her bedroom; refusing his offer of a coin toss for her life, stating that Chigurh cannot pass blame to luck: the choice is his. She's right, and not just about that, about everything. She's the only one who fearlessly stares down Chigurh and won't legitimize him. Chigurh: "Call it." Carla: "I knowed you was crazy when I saw you sitting there. I knowed exactly what was in store for me." Chigurh: "Call it." Carla: "No. I ain’t gonna call it." Chigurh: "Call it." Carla: " The coin don’t have no say. It’s just you." Devastating. Brilliant. Carla is a small unarmed woman who seems simple yet she's more clear eyed, and braver, than all of the men.
Re Carla, yeah I saw that. She was the only one to see him and challenge him, but essentially it resulted in Chigurgh ending the story as unstoppable and showing his true psychopathy. If he had have let her go, the story would feel a bit "hollywood" but instead it left a truly bitter taste at the end, Chigurgh was death walking and that shouldn't change. It's such a superb film in that the protaganist gets no send off, the "narrator" - or the audience perspective, he gives up and the antagonist walks away scott free.
It’s a movie bro. Real life is very different.
What’s also impressive is that Carla Jean is not a Southern woman, but I think British (the actress). Blew my mind when I heard her talk in an interview.
@@BluesBoyJonnyI think she is a Scottish actress I think she might have even done the girl's voice in Brave but I have definitely seen her in several Scottish movies
@@BluesBoyJonny yea,Kelli MacDonald is Scottish.👍Great actress.
"Listen closely " 😂❤
My wife and I literally rewatched this LAST NIGHT, and I was so drawn to the film when I first saw it in 2007. And today I was thinking to myself "damn, it would be amazing if Heavy Spoilers broke this movie down," and here we are 😍
It’s your world we’re just living in it
Yes- i just randomly watched it this morning. One of my favorites of all time. 4th time i’ve seen it.. it seems to give more each time.
Your catch on the coffin lowering sound and Karla’s death scene it’s blew my mind. I thought so
Might be off on this one but at the ending you notice Chigurh is staring at the kids which represents “youth” and right after that he is hit from the side. I kept thinking of the title of the movie “No country for old men”. This represented Chigurh downfall and his fate and his symbolism for him now being an old man. The way he walks away reminds me of an old man. The world finally caught up to him. Like the uncle said “you can’t stop what’s coming, it ain’t all waiting on you”.
Between Chigurh and Hans Lander from Inglorious Basterds, that's the pinnacle of villains right there.
Judge Holden in Blood Meridian is almost exactly that! He is interested only in violence, he even calls War 'god' at one point. However, he's vastly talented (he plays a fiddle and draws sketches into a book he carries) charismatic and speaks several languages.
@@davidlean1060 Kratos mentioned
This film’s quiet depth is a master stroke on the part of the Cohen brothers. I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling and craftsmanship of it. The story is depressing but provocative and that weight is carried almost entirely by Bardem’s performance. Thank you for another phenomenal breakdown, Paul!
Law enforcement personnel do not PREVENT crime; they merely REACT to it. This is shown in the film at every turn. Bell simply follows the bodies and bears witness to the destruction; he knows that he can't prevent it or stop it. He is powerless.
Law enforcement under capitalism exist to protect private property and the status quo.
@@mrbrex95 I would argue that those in law enforcement exist in order to protect Our Inalienable Rights -- the Right to Live, the Right to be at Liberty, and the Right to Own Property.
Private property SHOULD be protected by law enforcement. Likewise, anyone with a vested interest in the property should protect it -- such as the consumers and the investors. Property needs to be protected for the same reason that life and liberty need to be protected: There are a lot of people out there that want to steal, kill, destroy, or enslave.
@@mrbrex95 Capitalism SHOULD be protected. Law enforcement SHOULD exist in order to protect private property.
@@jeffcarlin5866 You say capitalism should be protected while Elon Musk is one of the richest man in the world and your government spends trillions of dollars in pointless wars in the middle east killing mostly kids, while thousands of people are homeless in the USA (mostly are Veterans with no aid). You're brainwashed.
@@mrbrex95 It's cute you think what we have today is "capitalism". I'm pretty certain if we weren't all tax slaves, the government wouldn't bother to "protect" us at all. Think of a farmer using dogs to guard his sheep. The police are the dogs, we're the sheep, taxes are the wool.
I didn't watch this movie until last year and it is my favorite movie in a long time, I actually watched it 3 times since and that's rare for me these days, great breakdown on what is certainly a future classic!
I will watch tonight!
It's a classic now.
Is there a whole generations of kids I think a movie is Marvel or DC
That scene with the music also had meaning as the mariachi were saying specifically what he was doing in the film
They weren't mariachi, it was a grupo norteño.
Hell yeah! Been waiting for this 1! Great friggin breakdowns on thos channel so much so that it has taken over as THE NO.1 BREAKDOWN channel!!! For me personally I mean. I used to watch "New Rockstars" for the past 2-3 years and enjoyed their breakdowns and it is still a good watch but "Heavy Spoilers" has taken over the no.1 spot for me. Keep em coming!
Such a good movie, I wish these were made more often but it makes you really appreciate how incredible movies can be when something like this comes out.
I felt for Carla Jean. It would have been crazy if we saw Chigurh walking towards Sherif Bell’s home
Bardem was so good in this, that his performance is a big big reason why I will never pass this up whenever I see it playing somewhere. His Anton Chigurh has always reminded me of Arnold's original Terminator performance in 1984.
I always assumed Carla Jean was killed. But yeah, him checking his boots kind of cements that.
The ending monologue gave me chills and nearly had me well up in tears, hitting me on a subconscious level. I needed to unpack what he'd said again later to fully grasp the oblique implications of the dream. And how it applied to my life as well.
I don’t have new theories, sorry, but calling out Wendigoon & Anti-Logic!! Thank you! You 3 are some of my favorites and I’m grateful to hear you respect each other
@ about 13:00 the presenter says Chigurh is expressionless while killing the deputy …. that sure doesn’t look expressionless to me
Oddly enough, this was my favorite of your breakdowns of older movies. I have only seen this particular movie one.
This movie is nothing without Javier Bardem. His performance was outstanding
I wouldn't go that far, it's a fantastic script and there are several very talented actors that could make it happen. His performance is brilliant but the actors are only as good as what material they have to work with
I wonder why Bardem never did this role again.
Hey dude! GREAT VIDEO "but....." the red quarter was actually a "house" quarters that old places with jukeboxes would give to employees to use to see how many "patrons" vs "staff" would use the machine.
GREAT CONTENT as ALWAYS
also at 40:00 does the chicken truck change colors?
Ah my bad.
Had no idea. Thanks for the correction.
I thought that as well. I remember those from an arcade that I frequented a million years ago.
A unbelievable masterpiece!!!
Great timing, this movie was just released on UA-cam premium! I haven't thought about it for years, now I get to rewatch it AND see a breakdown video in the same week.. awesome.
How much is UA-cam premium?
This will always be one of my favorite films.
I've got to say. The tracker was in $1 bills because they had to cut into them. Not because it might get thrown out.
Love your videos. Thanks for this one. By far my favorite movie of the 2000's.
It wouldn't be Heavy Spoilers if he wasn't dead wrong about something fairly obvious :)
16:20 Moss also collects his brass after his shot, I imagine he does that because he is poaching, further going against the rules.
I wondered that, or if it was muscle memory from when he was in the service, maybe as a sniper?
I figured he collects his brass because he reloads his own shells
Maybe he re loads.
@@chrisnunley114generally in wartime, you don't collect the shells.
@@richmarkham1pretty sure it's about poaching.
One of the greatest films i ever watched glad to see these theories and explanations.
One of your best videos that I've seen. I've watched this film so many times but you've given me lots more to think about somehow.
Thank you
Two actors, Javier Bardem and Christoph Waltz, made such an impact in their breakout role that they redefined what a villain can be. I was sold the first time I saw this film.
This movie is phenomenal and appreciate the breakdown. I think every movie you breakdown makes me want to watch them again. Much appreciated!
Javier Bardem was absolutely brilliant in this film. He gave me chills with his portrayal of Antoine Chigur. He was such an intimidating character without actually trying.
You should definitely do Fargo!!!
Yes! And the tv show too, please.
Clicked like without even seeing the video. It's a breakdown of a movie I didn't think I'd see. Really delighted paul is doing a breakdown of these classic films
Thank you
What’s all this Paul talk?
This be Man Like Definition!
Definition, the rest are irrelevant!
@@heavyspoilers you've already covered most of my favorites. I hope movies like Gone Girl or Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind make it onto the channel someday
I believe the reason for the explosion at the pharmacy was to let the audience know that Anton is a cool guy. Because, you silly fool, cool guys don't look at explosions, they just walk away in slow motion. Okay, they don't always walk away in slow motion, but almost always, like 98% of the time. However, cool guys don't look at explosions 100% of the time, as that is a universal constant.
Lots of different theories on Bell in the hotel room at the end. I see it as him doing what he did in the war. He saved himself. He doesn’t want to know what’s behind the door. No Cop ever fails to look behind a door. Even his buddy was giving him permission to back off and survive.
I agree. The way he stared at it for so long, he *HAD* to know. Plus there’s no way Chigurh is escaping that many officers. The only catch; is Bell would die. And so he did as always does.
Sorry if I sound like a simp, but I would have given that money up for Carla Jean in a second. Her voice and her demeanor is just heavenly.
This movie is a classic indeed happy to see you reviewing this Javier Bardem played one of the greatest villains in movie history.
Personal favorite Coen Brothers movie with Fargo a close second. Usually they're known for their dark comedy undertones but this movie had NONE of that. I never realized upon my first watch that it didn't have any background OST. If anything, it solidifies the somberness. Truly an amazing movie. Everyone was fantastic but Javier definitely elevated the performance. This and Skyfall are just awe-inspiring
Gorgeous video!! Huge work, thank you so much!!!
Thank you
This movie taught me , if you find a case with money , check the case for a tracking device ! Always !
You didn't learn much at all.
To me, the movie takes place in North West Texas, Texas Panhandle, and southwest texas. Comanche County is in Texas and Oklahoma. So, Oklahoma could be included.
Llewelyn was dead either way. If you look closely in the background when he's talking to the girl, you can see the drug dealers truck pulling into the parking at full speed. They probably shot the woman by accident, Llewelyn ran back to his room where he had his final showdown and took one with him.
One of my all time favorite films.. Truth be told I was frightened by Javier Bardem’s haircut in the film haha! Great review as always!
I’ve never been Rick rolled so hard. I shoved my face all close to my speakers too
Love this, and this movie came on for me on Paramount+ as a suggestion for me last night. I’m really glad I watched it and then this! Thanks man
Im glad you mentioned the absence of a soundtrack, and how realistic not having one is true to real life.
I LOVE THIS FILM❤
Great acting all around 👏
Logos Made Flesh was a fantastic channel. Excited to see the shout out here! RIP Matt, you still are truly missed…..
This is a great breakdown of a great film... The Coen brothers' best in my opinion. If you have not read the book (or even if you have) I urge you to watch the film then immediately read the book and you can get an idea of how brilliantly they made this movie by staying faithful to what McCarthy wrote. The characters, acting, dialogue, setting and sepia tone-- it all fits seamlessly.
Chigurh isn’t chaos. He is order. The only characters who act with perfect moral consistency throughout the story are Chigurh and the sheriff, though the sheriff feels turmoil about this. Some characters who live survive based on luck, but every character who dies does something to violate their own professed moral code, at least in the book.
Agreed. Llewellyn is the chaos.
I recently watched this movie and it really is such an amazing movie Javier bardem is absolutely spectacular in this movie
Just finished reading the book it was amazing... there was so much left out in the movie....
I've read the novel several times and very recently read only the Sheriff Bell segments, straight through, which I'm glad I did.
Thanks for the great vid! Everyone at Heavy Spoilers is part of an amazing team. Appreciate the work you do to bring us such interesting, high quality, well researched videos. Much love!
Good on ya for this! I don’t see many in depth breakdowns for No Country, probably due to it already being a 17(geez)year old movie.
But I saw this and “There will be Blood” in the same year, and they quickly became 2 of my favorite films.
I’d love to see you do a There Will Be Blood Breakdown video at some point..
@31:04--Rick Roll😆😄😆 Oh, U R bogus for that one🤣😆🤣
22:01
The red quarters are known as shill or house coins
27:20 there is also a train noise in the background
When Josh and Javier work together, it's gold every time. Dune dynasty baby!
wow nice. I love this movie
24:38
I'd disagree about the "she follows the rules" part of this. He made it a point at several other moments to tell other victims that their own rules don't do anything good for them, only HIS rules matter.
You mic audio signal has some interference? high frequency noise in it.
The sound design in this movie is truly incredible
The dead man under the tree is wearing the same shirt lewelyn would eventually wear for some reason
Foreshadowing ?
@@donsteinberger1785 a comment on the commercialisation of western America and the decline of the south west…
I've always thought the Anton Chigur character is very much like The Tall Man character from Phantasm. Both characters kinda embody the unstoppable nature of death, both characters utilize an unusual chrome weapon, both characters have a mysterious background & both have a weird bowl shaped haircut
Or perhaps the cat survived because cats tend to hide when strangers come around.
Likely the cat ran to a hiding spot when its owner was shot, and Anton didn't bother looking for it. Cats are well known for not snitching.
Just took some fat dabs and saw you posted this video and knew....today was gonna be a good day.
Could not agree more, excellent call reviewing this one. So many movies try to scare you today with jump scares or ridiculous gore, and here there is just a relentless disturbing feeling of horror because of Bardem's phenomenal performance. Like you said, this one stays with you.
I also think you're right about Bell coming back to the hotel and choosing the wrong (which is actually the right) door. It works with the narrative of the movie.
super fun analysis . this movie is a masterpiece . some of my go to movies to watch is no country - good shepherd ….. I have watched no country probably 10 times
No country for this unpinnable comment
Not even gonna reply to that mate
Ill take it 😂@@heavyspoilers
I Think Anton Was Hit By TheCar in TheEnd *BECAUSE* He Killed CarlaJean.
She Was "Innocent" on "TheRoad" That Led Anton to Her.
& After Anton Murdered Her, Anton "Opened TheRoad" of "Devine-Intervention", That *NOW* Becomes "TheRoad" Anton "Walks".
All Because Anton Kept His Word to Murder CarlaJean *AFTER* She Had Gotten Off "TheRoad".🤔
One of the best neo Westerns of all time.
I never got the feeling that Sugar wanted to kill the bird. I always felt that he was simply toying with it. He's a hired gun, so If he really wanted to kill the bird, he would stop his car and aim to insure his kill. By aiming at the bird while his car is in motion, he's basically giving the bird a chance at life. Just like the coin flip. He likes toying with his victims.
I've been trying to prove for years that leaded gas is what caused all this craziness in people. We're still suffering from it to this day.
Love your point on life. The world has always been cruel. It seems to be pre ordained to believe we lived through our innocent days in an equally innocent world. Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.
Not sure if you are aware, but the Whitman mass shooting in Austin did put a black eye on the police. This was years ago before the date of this film. Making the concept of the Sheriff thinking he’s out of his element is years after this shooting seems way off. The better reference is to the Joker of The Dark Knight, who is a vehicle of Anarchy. Anton is a madman who hides behind a coin as an excuse for his actions.
Do a video of scottpilgrim vs the world. So many many references 😊
Yeah got it on the list. It’s a banger.
Just watched the movie for the first time and came back to watch this video, I really enjoyed this breakdown.
I only disliked the off screen kill...
But that’s the best part
Why?
The best movie, maybe ever, certainly withn the last 10-15 years. One of the few i can still rewatch. I seem to pick up on something I missed with every rewatch. So much going on and done in such a subtle style and story telling.
It's the perfect movie to watch and have long discussions about the characters, subtext, symbolism, and meaning/messaging of the story. Just absolutely perfect 🤌
Haven’t been genuinely Rick Rolled in years. Ty mate
The strangest thing to me about the film is that it supposedly takes place in 1980 but every single gun featured in the movie was made well after 1980, some of which were 10 years after...
I don’t think you’re good at identifying weapons if you think that…
The MP5 was designed between 1964/66 and adopted by the German Federal Police in 1964 it was plenty old enough to be in this movie.
Not sure if this has been mentioned, and I'm a little late to the comment party, but... The quarter that Chigurh produces in the gas station may not be covered in "flecks of blood," but may actually be colored with red paint. Quarters marked with red paint were common to diners, bars and other establishments that used a house jukebox. When a business owner would purchase a jukebox, they would actually rent it from a company, who would in turn make all the money from the machine (i.e. the jukebox company would guarantee a rotations of the "hottest hits" in exchange for the money, and music kept the location hopping, etc.)
In any case, the owner would have a collection of red-painted quarters known as "house coins" or "house quarters," which the owner would sometimes use if people were there, but not playing music (this helped get them thinking about the jukebox, so they would stick around to play songs they wanted to hear). When the jukebox company would come to collect the coins, the red-painted quarters were always returned to their owners. Over time, and through many uses, the paint would rub off, and only be visible in the lower reliefs of the metal pressing, which is how the quarter appears in this movie.
Perhaps it's symbolic of how the quarter "always returns to its owner" after the play is through, and everything is collected?
19:17 MIND BLOWN.
7:59 The way he's staring at that poor old man so INTENSELY is absolutely HORRIFYING. 😢😢😢
Been waiting for u to do a breakdown on this movie!!! Thank u so much for ur content. Have loved it since day 1! Keep it up 👍🏼
Shooting at an animal from a motor vehicle is a Coenism also seen in RAISING ARIZONA and O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (Commandeering a pickup truck also occurs in RAISING ARIZONA.)
Anton pays 69 cents because the Dude writes a check for that amount in THE BIG LEBOWSKI.
The “vanity” speech would fit nicely into the Bhagavad Gita.
The film’s last line would fit nicely into an autobiography by The Buddha.
Wait a tick, you mean to tell me that soundtrack I hear all day long IS actually in my head!? I thought everyone experienced this. I better make a doctor's appt real fast...
Great breakdown! I To add on, the film, begins and ends, with the sherif talking about life and death. The film also shows the number 24 or numbers that add up to 24. A number commonly used in film and TV to represent imminent death. (Like the tv show “24” , the 24 second shot clock etc..) The sherif mentions, “the kind of evil that takes place is hard to even measure,” and ‘not being willing to push his chips further, than he’s prepared to,’ “A man would have to put his soul at hazard.” Showing the audience that he believes in having a soul and the existence of good and evil. Windmills, and the sound of air are also used repeatedly (maybe as a reference to Anton Sigur’s character as an agent of evil and chaos, or the world as a whole) where, in the Bible , the devil is referred to as “the prince of the power of the air.” Lest we forget, Anton’s main tool is a cylinder of compressed air. If you don’t believe in God or Heaven, then the movie is about fate (as Anton explains). If you do believe in God, much like the sherif, you consider the consequences of your choices because God will judge them. In which case, The Sherif symbolizes a man of (all be it, limited ) faith who feels overmatched by the evil of the world and who contemplates Gods judgement of his soul. Same as with the ending, the movie opens with the sherif contemplating his life and not wanting to “be a part of this world;” (Another Bible reference, “Be in the world, not of it.”) it ends with him going to “meet his father.” (Literally and figuratively meeting his maker). His father also carried a light 💡 in the darkness. (Another reference to God and the Bible ,”walk in the day while there’s light. For no one can walk in darkness”) Lou-Ellen seems to represent the danger of all the evil and distractions “of this world,” and giving into that temptation. That temptation caused him to forever run from the evil he unknowingly chose to be a part of. He unknowingly caused his and his wife’s death, even choosing to leave her unprotected and alone, while telling Anton “I’m going to make you a personal project of mine.” Lou-Ellen chose to “push his chips further and say , ‘Okay, I’ll be a part of this world.” And he died trying. Antons character continues to roam the earth (chaos, evil) while the Sherif sits with his wife, talking about life and knowing wherever his father was, he’d eventually meet him. (The horn carrying the fire 🔥 is also a reference to a horn or trumpet that sounds off in the book of Revelations, signaling the horns or trumpets of the last days and final judgement.) Apologies for the long message. But weather or not it’s intentional, the author of these books along with the directors of the film grew up in an era and cultures where at the very minimum, these men would have had a lot of experience and familiarity with hearing these Bible stories and either knowingly or subconsciously would have undoubtedly expressed it In their own stories. And I agree! Anton was in the next room over!! LOL Grace, peace and blessings to you! 👏🙏
Chigurgh isn't the chaos, it's Llewellyn. Chigurgh, despite being a psychopath, has a moral code. Throughout the film Llewellyn makes decisions that have far reaching ripple effects.
31:03 Well played, sir, well played. 😂😂😂