Fargo (2014), the TV series created by Noah Hawley and executive-produced by the Coen brothers, constitutes both a prime example of a recent trend in US quality TV and a successful adaptation of a film text, the 1996 movie of the same title made by Joel and Ethan Coen. The TV series springs from a creative design that allows the viewer to recognize in it an unmistakable resemblance with its predecessor, while at the same time becoming an enjoyable narrative in its own right, as an autonomous text. Thus, fans of the film can take pleasure in the recurring thematic, tonal, aesthetic and narrative links that the series establishes with the movie, and at the same time be captivated by a brilliant new plot and characters. The dramatic construction of the main characters in the series replicates the struggle between good and evil present in the film, through the choice of analogous roles: good, incarnated again in an ordinary police woman; and evil, in Lorne Malvo, a diabolical character.
The expressive possibilities of the landscape, which is portrayed as linked with the inner world and personality of the characters. Snowy landscapes were definitely contrasted by the actual weather over the course of ten weeks, throughout the show’s run. Nevertheless, the first shot of white fields in Minnesota grabs our attention, as the cold background of the sleepy winter landscape correlates with the sleepy, boring nature of the town inhabitants. The small city of Bemidji is a good example of the well-known “still waters run deep” adage. The aesthetics is underscored throughout the show, the mise-en-scéne in Fargo resonates more with the events. The cosy house and routine washing machine is replaced by the hammer in the husband’s hand, perfectly conveying the idea that “the routine of family life kills relationships”? Along with the music and the unhurried scenes, hopelessness and routine helped make the series truly frightening.
Discuss how the basic elements of Mise-en-scene (including sets, props, costumes, etc.) are used to create and add to the story in Fargo? How does the settings in Fargo establish our understanding of the main characters? Was there a particular costume or prop that stood out?
Pay particular attention to the last scene of the program. How does the exhaust from the car tie into Malvo’s speech about monsters. Select two additional scenes and discuss how they used the elements of mise-en-scene to add to the narrative. Be sure to use examples!
