I just finished watching O Brother Where Art Thou...

[KingNothing]

And I still don't have a freakin' clue what this movie was about. What's the point? It's like a musical on crack!

Can someone please enlighten me what 90 minutes of my life was just spent on?

 

[A5]

Guy busts out of prison and travels across the land to get back to his wife...has a few side-adventures. Much better if you know the plot of Homer's Odyssey, since the movie is based off of it.

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: A5
Guy busts out of prison and travels across the land to get back to his wife...has a few side-adventures. Much better if you know the plot of Homer's Odyssey, since the movie is based off of it.

I knew the plot of the odyssey (read the book years ago and enjoyed it), and I *STILL* didn't get the movie. I didn't find it enjoyable at all.

 

[KingNothing]

Well, that makes me feel a little bit better that this movie came from somewhere. Was the Odyssey this weird too?

 

[Zim Hosein]

It's like a musical on crack!

Maybe, but it's one hell of a funny movie, I enjoyed it a lot 🙂

 

[Stiler]

how could you not get this movie? it was....easy to know what it was about, you musta dosed off when watching it.....

my favorite scene was the one with john goodman where they had the pic nic, it was freaking hillarious.

 

[ElFenix]

that movie is awesome. i don't know what you're talking about

 

[KingNothing]

I followed the plot just fine, I just didn't get the point of the movie as a whole. The only relationship the scenes bore to one another is that they featured the same core characters and followed chronologically.

 

[Tallgeese]

Personally, I liked "O Brother," but I'm kind of a Coen fanboy anyway.
Truthfully, parts of the movie seemed just a tad forced...understandable for a musical tho.

Here are some examples of the Odyssey thematics at work (not in any particular order):

Clooney = Odyssus
Blind prophet = Blind guy on railroad tracks
Lawman = Hades
Lotus eaters = Christians baptizing
Circe/Sirens = 3 women at the river
Turning into a toad = Turning men into swine
Salesman (John Goodman) = Cyclops (gotta love the camera angles that made him look like a "giant")
Escaping the Cyclops under sheep = Escaping the Salesman under sheets (KKK robes)
Suitors trying to supplant Odyssus = "Bona fide" slimebag horning in on Clooney's wife
Masquerading as old man/slaying the suitors = Masquerading on stage/ captivating the audience/slaying the candidate (and "bona fide" slimebag)
Redemption through entreaty to Poseidon, water carries Odyssus home on boat wreckage = Entreaty to God, saves Clooney, carried out on home wreckage

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: KingNothing
I followed the plot just fine, I just didn't get the point of the movie as a whole. The only relationship the scenes bore to one another is that they featured the same core characters and followed chronologically.

and?

 

[KingNothing]

Hmmm. Maybe the Odyssey will have to be next on my reading list. I mean, OBWAT was funny at times but it just seemed awfully incoherent. I guess it would've made more sense if I had read the Odyssey beforehand.

 

[KingNothing]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: KingNothing I followed the plot just fine, I just didn't get the point of the movie as a whole. The only relationship the scenes bore to one another is that they featured the same core characters and followed chronologically.

and?

...and I like movies that have, you know, a point at the end. Even Memento had a point, and that movie ran backwards!

 

[Stratum9]

I loved the movie. I'm a Coen Brothers fan too. It does have a bit of inside humor to those who have read the Odyssey, but my wife hasn't read it and she still enjoyed OBWAT.

 

[XZeroII]

I just saw it the other day too. It was odd, but was pretty funny. Worth seeing.

 

[railer]

OBWAT was awesome. What 'point' are you looking for? What's the point of Spiderman, or AOTC? That good always triumphs over evil? Please.... Did any Seinfeld episode have a point? That's what makes the so funny, IMO....

 

[zzzz]

pretty funny movie..I liked it.

 

[KingNothing]

Originally posted by: railer
OBWAT was awesome. What 'point' are you looking for? What's the point of Spiderman, or AOTC? That good always triumphs over evil? Please.... Did any Seinfeld episode have a point? That's what makes the so funny, IMO....

Okay, first let me "point" out that now that I know about the Odyssey connection, the movie has been bestowed with a "point", at least by my definition. In a larger sense, yeah Spiderman and AOTC are about good triumphing over evil. But you also know that Peter gets bit by the spider in order to make him into a superhero and all. Stuff happens in the movie for a reason. Same with AOTC. It furthers the plot of Anakin becoming Darth Vader. Even if you knew nothing about Spiderman or Star Wars before seeing those movies, though, the movies' plot still stands on its own. You can quickly grasp that Osborne is a villain trying to grab power, so Spiderman has to stop him, if nothing else. Same for AOTC. As far as Seinfeld, I suppose you're right, but then it's a comedy whose premise is that it's a "show about nothing". You know that it's supposed to be that way and you don't go nuts trying to connect what's happening in the episodes to something in another episode or to another work.

In OBWAT, stuff happened in the movie randomly unless you knew about the connection with the Odyssey. It didn't have Seinfeld's charm because there was way too much symbolism for it to be random just for the sake of being random. I knew it had to be about *something*, I just didn't have any clue what. The movie didn't do a good enough job of clueing the viewer in on what it was talking about, IMO.

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: KingNothing

In OBWAT, stuff happened in the movie randomly unless you knew about the connection with the Odyssey.

This is exactly what I meant when I said that some things felt "forced." Like some of it was shoehorned into place simply for the Odyssey connection.

 

[SuperCyrix]

I also have no freaking clue what the movie is about and I haven't even watched it yet!

 

[Stiler]

i have read the odyssey but i didn't know this movie was supposed to be similar to it and i still got it and loved it, one of the funniest movies, it wasn't nearly as hard to think about as say memento or mullohand drive.

 

[Bulk Beef]

I knew it had to be about *something*, I just didn't have any clue what.

It was "about" the journey/odyssey, as was Homer's Odyssey. Can't be any more clear than that.

 

[rgwalt]

I didn't think that the movie was forced or random. I thought it was absolutely hilarious.

I've counted to three.

Ryan

 

[KingNothing]

Originally posted by: rgwalt
I've counted to three.

Um...good for you. I'll give you a hint, "four" is next.

 

[ElFenix]

bah, it tells a story, which happens to be pretty darn funny. what more do you want? are you not entertained? <throws sword at luxury box>

 

[bigrash]

I loved that movie. I thought it was easy to follow and I never read the Odyssey. Funny as hell also