Heads or Tails? Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a THE PUNISHER SEASON 2 Episode on Friday and WANDAVISION on Saturday Enjoy the day!

Javier Bardem's haircut is the scariest part of the movie.

“You think this boy James has got any notion of the sorts of films that he’s watching?” “I don’t know, he ought to. He’s seen the same films I’ve seen and it’s certainly made an impression on me.”

I was impressed by Kelly MacDonald, who plays Josh Brolin's wife. She's Scottish, but you would never know that from watching her here. She has also done a very good fake Irish accent in an Irish film from 2003, which can be hard to do well. Irish people tend to hold fake Irish accents to a high standard, and a bad one is like fingernails on a blackboard.

As a native Texan, one of the awesome things most people may not fully appreciate are the very distinct and accurate dialects from the characters in this film. It really makes it feel authentic. Also...the use of dialogue in general is really amazing...there's a lot of "weight" behind them if that makes sense. It's not just dumb filler...it's so wonderfully crafted. I love that most of this film doesn't have a score either...you're experiencing this raw and I think it makes it feel more real and not like a Hollywood flick.

Chigurh is honestly one of the most terrifying villains in film history… Truly a master role by Bardem

The whole sequence where Llewelyn is upstairs in the hotel room is some of the best sound design I’ve ever heard, it’s easily one of the most nerve wracking scenes in movie history

I always get a smile on my face when I see Woody Harrel- I mean Owen Wilson in something after watching True Detective :D I became such a big fan of him.

“He’s a freak of nature.” I always felt that he was a force of it

In a literature course in grad school, we studied the parallels between this movie and Chaucer’s “Pardoner’s Tale”. In the story, a group of men find a chest of money under a tree, but Death starts following them to get the money back. The links between Death and Anton are spooky.

My favorite little character moment in this movie is the story Tommy Lee Jones' character tells at the diner about how they used cow punches to kill cows. It's this really great moment where you realize that ultimately he's never really going to figure out what's going on. At one point he was a great cop with keen detective skill, and there's a part of his brain that's still able to do that and able to connect those dots, but the rest of his brain can't keep up anymore and he never makes that connection. Some part of is brain has it figured out, but the rest of it is too old and worn down to see it for what it is.

owen wilson he says 😂 bless your heart

I really like how the old Texan Sheriff says "llamate la policia" (call the police) in perfect Spanish. A lot of people would assume he's an old stubborn white southern man who wouldn't learn a single word of another language, but showing him speaking it that way just adds such a huge layer of depth to him.

your channel is so addictive to watch. you approach everything with the curiosity of a child but the technical knowledge of a film school grad. also when you let your sense of humor shine through its always funny.

I just love how this story's structure goes against the norm. Brolin gets killed off screen by some minor characters, Bardem limps away without with punishment while Tommy Lee fails to save the day in the end. I wonder if this film would've still been successful if these events were changed.

Interesting that you compared the opening to "There Will Be Blood" to this. Famously the Coen Bros couldn't shoot for at least a day because Anderson was filming the oil derrick fire scene relatively nearby and the sky was thick with black smoke.

Loved Owen Wilson in zombie land as the Elvis loving cowboy

14:33 that's Woody Harrelson not Owen Wilson. But I can see how you'd get that mixed up

The strangling scene was actually taught to the actors by a professional to make it as real as possible looking. Shifting with the weight and movements of the person he was strangling. The whole bit.

Let's say that Anton Chigurh is still the most scary psychopath put to screen (and the most accurate according to studies). Also, his face at the beginning is still unsettling. Honestly, it's nice that a film likes this goes against the typical film structure and the use of silence is still the best ever put to screen. Lastly, it's funny a bit cause this and There will be blood were shoot around the same time.

one of the greatest movies of all time imo. perfectly constructed in every way possible. just a phenomenal movie. love your vids man keep going

I've read in interviews that the main theme the Coen brothers like to explore, one that resonates through a lot of their films, is money and the effects that it has on people, and especially the violence that often follows from it. In that regard, this Cormac McCarthy novel was really a perfect fit for them to adapt. Violence in his novels is often treated as a force of nature, not always perpetrated by the "bad guys" but often an inescapable aspect of humanity. From his novel, Blood Meridian: “It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way.”

This, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford makes 2007 an absolute landmark year in American cinema for me. Hasn't been repeated since and very rarely before. Just a group of phenomenal storytellers operating at their peak. E: You know what, I'll throw Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd in there too. That movie rules.

I remember watching this for the first time in 2007 at college. A friend convinced me to play a drinking game where every time someone dies, you drink a shot of whiskey. HUGE mistake. But the film remains one of the finest pieces of American cinema of all time.

This film is soooo good, every time i rewatch, i'm blown away of how great it is! We got 3 of the best Villains ever from 2007-2009, first Anton Shigur played Bardem, then the Joker played by Heath Ledger and finally Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz.

I visited Marfa Texas where most of this was shot in 2013. Spent some time chatting to Chip Love, they guy Antoine pulls over and using the cattle gas gun on, who runs the bank there. A great and friendly fellow, he talked about working on the movie and how cool the Coens were.

Roger Deakins really deserved an Oscar for this in my opinion.

Lets go!, what a masterpiece by the Coens. Also glad to hear the support helped on that thing you mentioned haha

Comedian Patrice O'neal had a brilliant take on Anton being the "end of your life guy"

Javier Bardem was nominated for “Best Haircut” for this movie.

The way he says, "Call it" just sticks with you

I was completely blown away by this movie in the theater. The lack of background music in these scenes really drew you into what was going on. Not the type of popcorn, summer blockbuster movie that comes to mind when you're thinking about movies that are better on the big screen.

won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Writing, Best Director, Best Supporting role (Javier Bardem)... well deserved.

"This guy is a force of nature." Exactly that. The Coens are attracted to characters who embody big thematic forces. In this case, Death. Or Choice. Or ... Fate.

Dude I love your channel you make me look at movies in a way I have never thought of and give me a greater appreciation for the films! Awesome work

7:34 Have you noticed the belts behind the clerk? I saw hanging ropes for a man being judged right before execution. When he won, I could breathe again.

You're covering some of my favorite films of all-time, but this is hands down my favorite film ever made. Could binge this film on a loop for 24 hours. Such a masterclass by the Coen Brothers in directing, screenwriting, editing, acting, cinematography, and an overall story being told with a theme about fate that works so well. Javier Bardem's performance as Anton Chigurh is hands down the scariest villain performance ever, and it almost feels like he's not even playing a character but JUST is that character. What a damn film. *Fun fact: there was a study done on movie psychopaths, and out of the 400 people tested Anton Chigurh came out as the greatest psychopath of them all.*

I remember watching a young Owen Wilson when he was on the show Cheers. You should check out one of his early movies, White Men Can't Jump.

This film highlights one of my favorite aspects of film. Dialogue. Every person in this movie has such amazing character that certainly shines through their dialogue. From the ol sherriff whose voice and dialogue gives me feelings of home, like im talking to my gramps about the old time he grew up in, that has been long forgotten. To the cold calculated nature of Chigur, whose demeanor and tone of voice is almost devoid of life or at least devoid of the appreciation and values most of us hold on life. Hands down one of my favorite films. Great reaction as well. Love your insight on the process and the smaller things that go into making a scene memerable and iconic. Been watching and will continue homie.

the serious, dark movies by the coen brothers are so unique (i might have to rewatch "the man who wasn't there"), i really like their style and especially the grittiness of this one. the end of the conversation with the tank station owner is kinda hilarious when anton chigurh is like "don't put it in your pocket... it will become just a coin... which it is." and then his look that accents the confusion. i once read that there was a reference cut from the story that was about a real life assasination of a judge which apparantly involved the father of woody harrelson. might be true, but sounds just so outlandish.

You can continue by "Sicario 2", "Hell or High Water" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri", which are the same crimes theme in small towns, routes and desert.

Seen this movie so many times and I still forget Owen Wilson is in this

Thank you for reacting to my all time favourite film James.

This remains my favorite film of all time. No matter how many times I see it, it’s incredible

Talking about Anton, "His inertia is this weird abomination of accountability" Beautifully summed up in a short sentence, James

I loved Owen Wilson in Natural Born Killers.

The landscapes in this film remind me of the landscape photography of Sally Mann. Cold, quiet, lonely.

No Country for Old Men is my favorite Terminator movie

He was born that way. Genetics. Like everything else about us. Shure we change, but not the baseline.

Two of my favorite films of all time, this and There Will Be Blood, were filmed right next to each other. The oil derrick fire in TWBB delayed shooting on No Country due to the giant pillar of smoke.

God, this movie. One of my favorites, definitely top10. Ain't gonna lie, sometimes I just randomly watch the coin scene, it's flawless. Great reaction as always.

If I was Llewellyn, I'd have checked the briefcase on the spot. I know it's easy to say that in hindsight, but if he portrayed a Vietnam vet, one would think he'd be more thorough.

one of those rare perfect movies. a movie so good it doesn’t even need any background music.

As he leaves the house at the end, the boys go by on their bikes, you hear the baseball cards in their spokes. The boy gives him his shirt, then "they" are given a $100 bill with blood on it. (in the 70s and early 80s, at least in my small town, there would not be a place for a kid to spend a $100 bill - especially with blood on it), without it bringing the attention of the authorities, and parents.) The boys argue over how much each will get. The blood money corrupts those it touches.

Glad it was all sorted out and that I could be of at least a little help, we got your back, man 💪

When he choked that dude in the beginning, Randy Marsh does the same thing to Winnie the Pooh.. To please the president of China 😂😂😂

Great video as always James! Always a pleasure to see you react and to hear your professional insight into the things ordinary viewers would rarely pick up on. If you haven't seen The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke, I think you should really consider it. I'm sure a lot of your viewers would love that.

Long time ago waiting this reaction. Thanks🙌🙌🙌🙌

This movie has my favorite soundtrack of all time

Fun trivia: There Will Be Blood was being shot nearby this movie, and when the oil drill burning stunt is pulled off, it creates a gigantic cloud of smoke, which made the filming of No Country For Old Men get delayed. A thing that I really love about this movie is how unpredictability is in favour of theme, and the oddity of the film as a whole. Like "Why didn't Woody Harrelson take the money?" or "Who Javier Bardem works for?", cause he kills the american guys, but he also doesn't seem to be in sinc with the mexicans either. Just this tiny things that we cannot understand, like nature itself. And the movie is not trying to preach either. Antwon is a force of nature, who acts on fate's behalf. Who tries to kill a bird for crossing his way, for the bird should be flying, not clinged to the ground. Weakness against life disgusts him. And yet, even he is struck by fate. Which makes you think about the thing he said: If the rule you follow brought you this place, then what's the point of the rule? And the fucked up Coen Brothers comedy is perfectly represented when we try to find meaning in a meaningless film, as we are just as lost as the sheriff.

Bro I love this movie, so glad you reacted to it

My favorite thing to keep an eye on in Coen Bros movies are the amazing and believable twists of luck and coincidence. Great review!

Doesn't matter how many times I watch this, I still get spooked at how raw it feels.

I always trip out on the near absence of a musical score, so amazing

I'm commenting from the intro... I think you're going to love this!

Seeing this and Javier Bardem's performance makes me want to recommend Mother! again.

Coen bros actually had to stop production for a bit due to smoke coming from the set of “There will be Blood” that was in the background. Pretty amazing those movies were being shot at the same time in the same place.

I love the scene at the end when Javier is looking under his boots if there is blood on it,that's how we know that he killed the woman...because he lay his legs on the bed as he killed Owen Willsons character in a few scenes before...perfect storytelling there with small hints they get us to see things

“What’s the most you’ve ever lost on a coin toss?” First time watching the tension in that scene literally took my breath away

Another nice detail is that during the coin toss scene, the black belts behind the store clerk make it look like he is at some sort of gallow.

Let's go. Top 3 movie of all time and my personal favorite.

The camerawork in the scene with Javier Bardem and Woody Harrelson is so so good. Another good film from 2007, which was a pretty good year in cinema, is Atonement. I think you’d really appreciate the Dunkirk sequence.

That "everyone is on the same playing field...EVERYONE" philosophy...I feel that's what the purpose of that car crash was at the end. Anton is like Death incarnate in this film, and perhaps he even lets that go to his head a bit, and that crash is fate reminding him of who's REALLY in charge, and where his place is. He was the one trying to DISH OUT the fact that no one could escape fate, but in a weird way, the one who was in the biggest denial about Fate might have been Anton the entire time. There is also a ton of other readings into it...but all I know for certain is that car crash at the end, such a "minor" event, is supposed to throw the entire film's philosophy into question.

Before I finish the video the other hinge I know from it is that one, Anton was declared the closest representation of a psychopath in film, and two one of the biggest theories is throat loaf the Anton never existed, the story is told through the sheriffs eyes but he never once sees or interact me with him, so every scene involving him was made up in order for the sheriff to cope with the evil within the world by transcribing it onto one individual of pure evil, allowing the world to be better than it is and so that’s by he can handle. In short it’s easier to comprehend an individual of pure evil than a wizard of full of it.

Chigurh is above the money, it doesn't drive him like everyone after it. Its simply an object to be retrieved. Nothing more. Which is why he smirks at the $14k ATM proposal. He knows where the bag is, but it's more important it's brought to him and placed at his feet. A psychopath not concerned with right and wrong, only his power over those in his way and even those who aren't. He believes he is a messager of fate.

James with your description of these films we have been on the ride with you for.. you should check out the Revenant with Leo Dicaprio... beautiful shots and cinematography is A1!!! And the movie is just amazing

I don’t ever hear it mentioned but Chigurh says to the man he stopped by the side of the road “Would you hold still?” And then immediately in the next scene Moss says to himself as he’s about to shoot “Hold still…” showing Chigurh is as much a hunter as Moss.

woke up at 2 am to this on my screen, it can wait for later in the night. its now 7:17pm. lets go!

Insanely good movie and I loved your reaction & insights!

Yeah the flip a coin scene was great I love when hes like don't put it in your pocket it'll mix with the other change and then just become a regular coin

I believe that chigur was a special forces operative. Reason being is that this was during the Vietnam era, and not only is he a professional killer, but he also knows about meds and hypodermics.

the filming of this movie was interrupted for several days due to the smoke that caused the filming of the gasoline geyser scene on There will be blood, both films were shot at the same time and relatively close, both masterpieces

One thing I noticed about this movie, which add to the suspense is the lack of a sound track. Very little background sound or music for that matter. Makes you pay attention more.

You Never See It Coming. Gotta admit I never thought about it that way. Great take on the film.

At the end she actually dies. If you notice throughout the movie he checks the bottom of his boots to make sure there’s no blood on them. Wants to keep them clean. Same reason he puts his feet up when Carson’s blood is running towards his feet. It’s a pretty cool way to reveal her death imo

Love his crazy eyes in the beginning strangling the cop.

One way I've heard it and is my favorite way to see it. This is an action thriller in real life. There is no plot armor, the bad will happen and you can't change it or avoid it, and your choices affect everyone around you. That's my favorite interpretation of this film!

I would have taken the money. Counted it first thing when I got home. (Meaning I would have found the tracker and gotten rid of it on the back end of some big diesel truck heading east.). And I never would have gone back to give that man some agua.

This is one of the greatest stories ever told.

Owen Wilson was robbed of an Oscar for his performance in this film. :)

You should check out the Coen brothers first movie, “Blood Simple.” It was made on a shoestring budget and it definitely shows the raw talent they possessed. It is interesting to see that film as the beginning of an incredible career arc.

Great reaction video sir

9:45 a more appropriate word would be momentum. Inertia means the tendency for something to remain unchanged

One of my favorite book to film adaptations. Javier Bardem is the perfect portrayal of Anton Chigur

22:30 "That depends....do you see me?" Me.........."Who said that?!?!"

Fun fact: No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood were shot in the same area at the same time. The smoke from the burning oil rig scene in TWBB actually was visible from the set of NCFOM

You describing the cause and effect and law of intertia is literally the butterfly effect, lol. But you did get it pretty right on with the description.

Fun fact, this was originally a screenplay but no studio would pick it up. So Cormac McCarthy just wrote the book instead. The book was so successful they picked it up and made a screenplay out of it. That's why it's so similar to the book almost word for word page to scene

Another note - I agree with you - the usage of no music - at times, is great - I almost prefer it. There’s so many good movies with scenes with no music - just perfect cinematography & perfect sound design can trump music at times. IMO.

every time he said "Antoine," I cringed. Its Anton.