From the Collection: Miller's Crossing

Reviewed by Steve Kochems

I dug out an old favorite in the weekend of moving and other activities, the Coen Brother's third film, Miller's Crossing. Enjoy!

Have you ever watched someone chase something in the wind, like a hat or a twenty? They look ridiculous, even if it’s something they need, you can’t help but constantly look foolish doing it. This idea, the foolish man chasing his hat, is at the heart of the gangster film Miller’s Crossing. The third film by Joel and Ethan Coen was only one of two movies they made that lost money, mostly in part to the fact that it came out three days after Goodfella’s, which is widely considered the best gangster movie of all time. But like anything with the Coen’s, the movie isn’t as one dimensional as it seems, it brings a great deal of comedy along with the violence. And as usual, the Coen’s deliver a smart and entertaining film.

We follow the path of Tom Reagan, who can only be described as a mob boss adviser and a rum head, played by Gabriel Byrne. He tries to prevent a war from starting between city boss Leo (Albert Finney) and the hot-headed Johnny Casper, perfectly executed by Jon Polito, and his ruthless associate Eddie the Dane (J. E. Freeman). Caught in the middle are the weasel Bernie Bernbaum (another perfect casting in Jon Turturro) and his sister, as well as Leo’s lady, Verna (Marcia Gay Harden). The Coen’s don’t waste much time to let the powder keg go and Thomson machine gun’s fire.

After watching it through a few times, I noticed that throughout the movie, it seems as if things are moving only as Tom and Verna manipulates them. Leo and Casper only seem to make major moves when Tom or Verna push them to. This is another example of the Coen’s using a few smart, key characters to move the action and letting them move physically driven stooges keep us entertained with comedy and violence.

The movie will really keep you guessing as to what happens next and works well as a type of gangster movie, since it doesn’t hit the normal points of the obvious films of the genre. But just as Blood Simple works as a murder-mystery or Burn After Reading like an adult soap, things are never neatly packed into one type with the Coen’s. You will laugh a lot during Miller’s Crossing and quickly switch back to a cringe.

It stands out as easily one of the best Coen movies ever and like The Big Lebowski, it gets better each time you watch it. Anyone who doesn’t give the movie a chance, well, they’re getting the high hat.


4.5 out of 5 stars