Big Lebowski
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In Joel and Ethan Coen's "The Big Lebowski", cinematic style provides for a great deal of the comedic value of the film. The Coen brothers are responsible for the screenplay/direction/production of the film, and this auteuristic approach yields a very unique satire of episodic film. Instead of producing a traditionally simple comedy with trademark Hollywood continuity, the Coen brothers created a story with an larger-than-life touch enhancing the hilarious absurdity of the plot. With vivid characterizations, they allow for little character progress, but a great deal of audience attachment. They create a wealth of feeling with an off-kilter story that, by itself, fails to relate in many ways to most viewers. To accomplish the bizarre characterizations, they incorporate a number of cinematographic practices that enhance the overall disposition of each character. Also, by writing the film with a conflict/character structure similar to that of a novel, they create a sense of nostalgia in the film as though the tale of "The Dude" truly has merit in the pantheon of great tales about great men. This technique also serves to allow the audience a distinctive experience: a comedy with an enticing and compellingly human story.
The Coen brothers seemed to tailor the roles of the main characters in "The Big Lebowski" for some of their most familiar actors, and this is strikingly evident through the standout performances of Julianne Moore, John Goodman, John Turturro, and Steve Buscemi. However, acting alone does not account for the sheer eccentricity of their characters...