ARTH359F

Joel and Ethan Coen make complicated films that seem funny but provide complicated examples of how postmodern (and post-postmodern) ideas play out in popular art. The brothers re-present the classic conventions of Film Noir, Screwball Comedy and the Western to create films that are simultaneously respectful and mocking of tradition while creating an audience that is both ironically distanced and emotionally connected. The Coen Brothers' strategy will be examined through screenings of their films in the context of their genres, and ideas of irony and post-ironic culture.