The Journey Motif in the films of the Coen Brothers

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Dr. Troy Jollimore
Faculty, Philosophy Department
CSU, Chico

Starting in the 1990s, Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen have produced films of great popular and critical success – among them, “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski,” and “No Country for Old Men.” Professor Troy Jollimore begins his presentation by discussing the Coen brothers’ work in the context of a saying attributed to Leo Tolstoy and several others: There are only two stories – (1) a hero goes on a journey and (2) a stranger comes to town. Looking at the brothers’ remarkable career of three decades and 17 films, Jollimore says, “For the Coen brothers, the deep and complicated relationship between being at home and being on a journey is something that animates a great deal of their work.”

Recorded: November 30, 2017

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The Journey Motif in the films of the Coen Brothers

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