A black hat rolls pushed by the wind into a forest in the scene that opens ‘Miller’s Crossing‘, the 1990 film by the Coen brothers (officially only Joel is credited with directing). It is the first of several hats to roll in this film, and each of these frames emphatically marks the end of a scene. It is one of the visual motifs of this stylish film, the third in the Coen brothers‘ filmography and, in my opinion, their first memorable film. All the hallmarks of the ‘Coen brand’ are already present in ‘Miller’s Crossing‘: respect for the cinematic tradition of Hollywood’s predecessors, including references or quotes from classic movies, a well-written story with clever dialogue and consistent characters that allow actors to perform some of the best roles of their careers, creative reconstruction of the historical period in which the story takes place, consistent visual design and an excellent soundtrack. The Coen brothers don’t shy away from making entertaining movies, but the entertainment is always high quality.
It’s a gangster story, but complicated enough to require the viewers’ attention to understand and watch it. The film’s hero, Tom Reagan, is a rather atypical gangster in an American city during the Prohibition. Unlike those around him, he uses his brain more than his pistols or fists, in fact he even gets a significant amount of beatings throughout the film. The city is the scene of wars between two rival gangs, and Tom will in turn be the trusted man of the two clan chiefs. ‘Trust’ is actually a word with somewhat uncertain meanings in a world where betrayal and corruption are the rule, where money and thirst for power dominate everyone’s actions. Like many lone heroes in ‘noir’ movies, Tom Reagan has a code of ethics different than the one of many around him. Added to all this are the complications arising from the fact that Tom has a love affair with the girlfriend of one of the mob chiefs. Survival is only possible by using the resources at his disposal – intelligence and a sense of humor.
One of the special talents of the Coen brothers is to use actors who specialize in supporting roles and to give them generous parts. For some of them, their films have been launching or re-launching career ramps. Gabriel Byrne creates a leading anthological role and with it an iconic figure, who joins the genre roles created by Humphrey Bogart. Marcia Gay Harden is so mysterious, vulnerable and attractive that I wonder why she didn’t have a more spectacular career. (The answer may be that she was not lucky enough to work with directors like the Coen brothers in more movies). Albert Finney and Jon Polito play the roles of the two mobsters, very different from each other, each very good in a very appropriate role. Last but not least, John Turturro, another supporting roles actor, also appears here in a supporting role, but it includes a memorable key scene with Byrne, a scene that those who have seen the film will not easily forget. The visual design, the sets, the music – each of them are treated with professionalism and contribute to the creation of a stylistic imprint that the Coen brothers will perfect in the next films. The two are very attentive to detail, but the reconstruction is not meant to be documentary. It’s America of the Prohibition, but it’s not about a specific city in a certain geographic area and in an exactly defined year. The historical period in which the action takes place is reconstructed through the personal vision of the authors of the film.
The early 1990s were an exceptional period for gangster movies in American cinema. In addition to well-known directors such as Scorsese and De Palma, who continued to make very good films, David Lynch and the Coen brothers appeared with creative and different approaches, and Tarantino was waiting behind the corner. ‘Miller’s Crossing‘ is, in my opinion, the Coen brothers‘ first outstanding film. It came a little too early, but it grew in time and became part of a filmography in which other remarkable films were to appear. All the signs of the Coen brand are already present in this ageless film.