How the Coen Brothers Changed My Life

How the Coen Brothers Changed My Life - Wisecrack Vlog

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There are certain filmmakers that seem like they can’t help but use their movies to ponder some big philosophical questions. And no one seems to do this quite as well as the Coen brothers. So today, Michael is going to talk about the three Coen Brothers films that changed his life, and why they might have been more useful than grad school in this Wisecrack Vlog on "How the Coen Brothers Changed My Life"
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Пікірлер: 293

@betlind3184 4 жыл бұрын

Someone buy Michael a beer so we can hear another hour or two of this, please.

@anthonyprince7989 4 жыл бұрын

yeah man where's Fargo at? anyhow great video

@buiItnotbought 4 жыл бұрын

Beer this man!

@Rattiar 4 жыл бұрын

As a longtime Patreon patron, I am trying to buy him beers on the regular...so I hope he gets around to semi-soberly rambling about Coen brothers sometime soon. :)

@Yellow.1844 4 жыл бұрын

I better not catch this man cuz im buying him a pack

@jakobodell 4 жыл бұрын

After this video, I need a 'Philosophy of the Coen Brothers' miniseries.

@shitshtreakmcfuchface7332 4 жыл бұрын

I genuinely like how Mike looks so happy discussing nihilism, loss of his faith, unanswerable questions of philosophy almost pointing out how potentially facile it is, and the meaninglessness of life and just enjoying it all. Looks like a man who learned how to make his own meaning and find his own happiness.

@thulyblu5486 4 жыл бұрын

Q: Can you tell me what "A serious man" is actually about? A: Just look at the parking lot, Larry

@crazychameleon123 4 жыл бұрын

Unironically is part of the moral of the film. The advice boils down to (through an absurd comedic analogy of a parking lot) seeking perspective. Larry's life may have taken a turn for the worse, but compared to others, especially that of his brother, it's still pretty decent. His brother even tells Larry just how envious he is of him. It would have helped Larry to really look at his life from a different perspective and truly appreciate the beauty of some of things that he has just as the rabbi appreciates the beauty of the Parking lot.

@davidbjacobs3598 4 жыл бұрын

@@crazychameleon123 I would agree, except I think the ending rejects this. Larry does gain perspective, and he does learn to appreciate his life, and life still comes for him. It speaks toward the randomness of the universe. Life doesn't care if you gain perspective or not. It teaches that you can't know the machinations of reality, that there may not be any. The opening with the dybbuk (which is rarely talked about) universalizes this concept even further, showing that nothing's really changed in the thousands of years humanity has been around. I find the deeper you dig into A Serious Man for any sense of meaning, the more you'll find there isn't any. Rather, it lays its "moral" out flat with plain text in the beginning of the film: "Receive everything with simplicity." I suppose that isn't too different from seeking perspective, but I see a subtle difference in that perspective requires a deeper analysis of the situation to arrive at a humble outlook, whereas simplicity rejects any analysis. Basically it's Rick Sanchez telling Morty, "Don't think about it."

@thoreboomgaarden6189 4 жыл бұрын

@@davidbjacobs3598 "I find the deeper you dig into A Serious Man for any sense of meaning, the more you'll find there isn't any." That sounds kinda like something Freddy Riedenschneider from 'The Man Who Wasn't There' (my personal favorite Coen Brothers film) said: "Sometimes the more you look, the less you really know." What's also notable is that Freddy Riedenschneider also mentions the Uncertainty Principle. Do with that information whatever you want. Have a nice day.

@davidbjacobs3598 4 жыл бұрын

@@thoreboomgaarden6189 Hahaha checks out! The Coens have some pretty consistent absurdist philosophies across their body of work. Man Who Wasn't There doesn't get a lot of love, but I remember it being great!

@berkin544 4 жыл бұрын

The Big Lebowski... This movie isn't just a movie, it's some kind of revelation.

@sainathmaddi323 4 жыл бұрын

He is The dude man..i think its apt to name the movie DUDE..

@jackhammer40k_ 4 жыл бұрын

That's just like your opinion man

@sainathmaddi323 4 жыл бұрын

MARK IT ZERO

@Karl_Marksman 4 жыл бұрын

What's the message though? Just chill and go with the flow? The more times I've seen this movie the less I understand its legendary status. Stuff from 1998 looks erratically dated in my eyes, but It's still great. I just don't get the philosophy angle.

@mator2339 4 жыл бұрын

And the revelation is that there is no revelation.

@nameme7215 4 жыл бұрын

Y’all Better have one for Hellen, what a queen.

@tumagun 4 жыл бұрын

This interpretation of The Big Lebowski might change my life

@leoseydoux3831 4 жыл бұрын

Just watched Fargo yesterday again..It has such a unique style, I just want more of it, the show had some good seasons

@Awesomebaconman123 4 жыл бұрын

*All good seasons Just needed to fix that for you ;)

@leoseydoux3831 4 жыл бұрын

@@Awesomebaconman123 I haven't watched the 2nd one so didn't wanna talk out of my ass, but loved both the 1st and 3rd seasons

@Max-ke3ty 4 жыл бұрын

@@leoseydoux3831 Oh man, personally, second season is best. You're in for a treat.

@timmoore9855 4 жыл бұрын

..."famous podiatrist?" I think you've got a little Tarantino in your Coen

@darmus8928 4 жыл бұрын

Ying-Yang it is.

@markwelch8520 4 жыл бұрын

I like seeing Michael in these videos. I had him as a professor in college, philosophy 101 and a class about love. He taught me about Abalard and Helois, if you don't know their story check it out its pretty crazy.

@basscot17 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome work, Michael. This makes me want to re-watch all of the Coen's work immediately

@nMsFreeStyleZ 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this personal video, it meant a lot to me watching you talk about this with such passion. I love what you guys do.

@colonelweird 4 жыл бұрын

This is one of the very best Wisecrack videos. More like this, please!

@studentoferror 4 жыл бұрын

I loved the personal anecdotes, they really helped to ground some of the concepts. Looking forward to The Good, The Bad, and The Brilliant. Keep up the amazing work!

@GNARGNARHEAD 4 жыл бұрын

was not expecting this to be a good one; bravo bravo

@herdinstinct8282 4 жыл бұрын

Great video Michael! It's been fun watching you improve with every video. The laid back style of this video was not only thematic but it also provided a fun environment to absorb information that doesn't feel like a lecture.

@niharikaranjan4048 4 ай бұрын

I loved it.. I too am a Coen Brothers fan, mine favourite is also A serious man, it is philosophically rich and shows how hard life could be.

@ewgenijprotsiv9475 4 жыл бұрын

This video just oozes with the same kind of relaxed understanding and chilled wisdom about life and decisions that you always wished your dad had when talking to you :D Great stuff Michael - hope you'll get that beer

@92soopy 4 жыл бұрын

"Decision is the little magic word that existence respects" - love that

@pedrobuson5880 4 жыл бұрын

Sir, you just helped me get out of a bad existencial trip with this video. Thank you and thank god for the Coen Brothers!

@gh0s1wav 4 жыл бұрын

I really like these, can't wait for the next one.

@bananasean5145 4 жыл бұрын

I've been writing a prequel to the Big Lebowski about how Walter and the Dude got the rug that tied the room together and why the Dude hates the Eagles.

@thischannelisbackon5679 4 жыл бұрын

Does it mention why the dude is called dude?

@bananasean5145 4 жыл бұрын

@@thischannelisbackon5679 no. Don't really need to.

@yggdrasil3 4 жыл бұрын

I would genuinly want to know why a 'Nam veteran and a hippie became buddies.

@NotHPotter 4 жыл бұрын

Isn't this sorta like the Han Solo movie? A lot of the appeal is in the mystery.

@bananasean5145 4 жыл бұрын

@@NotHPotter absolutely agree my dude and that movie is a cautionary tale for me when writing this.

@perogieluver 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome video, thanks!

@pietrolago 4 жыл бұрын

This is really good! Please, more personal video like that, it's just great! 👏🏻☺️

@TheRealKILLshOt1337 4 жыл бұрын

The discussion on A Serious Man conveniently glosses over the fact that Larry is a good guy who follows the rules up until the very end... He changes Clive's grade--accepting the bribe money--and is immediately greeted with Divine punishment in the form of the doctor's call, and the destruction of his son/potentially more via the tornado. I feel like the ending is more definitive than any other work of the Coens in terms of existential certainty.

@ramniklayal4379 2 жыл бұрын

I love this small corner of the universe appreciation the Coens!

@TheCoenkampioen 4 жыл бұрын

Great video, i love these personal takes on movies Im also down to get you some beers if youre ever in the neighbourhood

@thickheart28 4 жыл бұрын

No Country helped me realize that sometimes in life there is no closure. Accept it and move forward.

@ArmanKhan-js8lc 4 жыл бұрын

same goes for a serious man too you don't always get the answers

@jasongeorgis3483 4 жыл бұрын

I just happened to watch all three of these flicks recently, A Serious Man and Inside Llewyn Davis for the first time. They all kick so much ass. Glad to hear they're beloved by smart people like Michael!

@batgurrl 4 жыл бұрын

Fargo will always be my favorite Coen Bros movie. It’s perfection and one of my all time favorite music scores. He’s just funny looking...

@wingflanagan 4 жыл бұрын

Amazing film. Great score, like you say. It had a weird effect on me: although, like most, I could appreciate the dark humor, I also felt a profound sense of sadness and tragedy. As in life, both qualities exist in parallel, with neither canceling the other out.

@batgurrl 4 жыл бұрын

Wing Flanagan I understand what you mean. It’s not happy go lucky despite some humor. I love the relationship with Marge and her hubby. It’s so loving. Even tho The Dude is their greatest character I find the parts with Julianne Moore to be off putting and the fantasy bowling montages slightly annoying. Even though John Goodman is a riot and poor Steve Buscemi is fun I still pick Fargo over The Big Lebowski

@countanimeavenger6536 4 жыл бұрын

That is one of my favorite films

@batgurrl 4 жыл бұрын

Count anime avenger me too.

@TheRealScurred 4 жыл бұрын

One of the best videos here 👍🏻👍🏻

@thegoodlord6518 4 жыл бұрын

I love you. Thanks for not misrepresenting Nietzsche and for diving into these wonderful creators. Both Camus and Nietzsche shared that the best way to present philosophy is found in art, and I cannot stop thinking about that every time I watch the Coen brothers.

@crazycrackinchick 4 жыл бұрын

Michael is aging like fine wine, props to you big man - your genetics are a blessing! It's great your mind & body only appear to be increasing. Also doesn't help that anyone talking about the Coen brothers instantly adds suave, lol!

@ssd431 4 жыл бұрын

This is nice. More please

@charlesg9422 4 жыл бұрын

Yoooo! Ty for turning me on to this movie

@sabbathian9542 4 жыл бұрын

Literally just read the Book of Job & watched A Serious Man yesterday, this video couldn’t be better timed. Love the Coen bros, keep up the good work Wisecrack!

@thulyblu5486 4 жыл бұрын

Who do you think the "serious man" is? Sye Ableman? Does he represent the devil or god or... literally just a serious man? :/ I'm a bit puzzled

@sabbathian9542 4 жыл бұрын

Damn, that’s an interesting question. Sye acts overly kind at the start but the “letters to the tenure committee” seems to indicate that he was really vindictive and cruel. I think this speaks to how a Nihilist(like the Coens) might interpret the Book of Job. Sye through his relationship with Judith, has taken both Larry’s family and home from him(Larry stays at the jolly roger) and with the letters to the tenure committee at least attempts to rob him of his livelihood, so I see a fair number of parallels between God/Sye, although as stated in the video this film is open to interpretation.

@VonFels 4 жыл бұрын

Check out Roger Ebert’s review of A Serious Man and his comparison to Job too.

@devonmeyers8213 4 жыл бұрын

Thulyblu I think Sye is Elihu

@themodelarchitect 4 жыл бұрын

I would buy you beers indefinitely to continue this conversation! Great stuff!

@jakelee792 4 жыл бұрын

Hey Michael, Jacob here. I’m really happy you brought up Inside Llewyn Davis in your critique on Coen Bro’s films. It also had a huge impact on me too. The main protagonist really doesn’t seem like a character worth rooting for but it’s the fact he lives by the notion “if I could’ve gotten out, I would’ve.” Seems like a quote the whole film is based on so glad it resonated with you. Can’t wait for the next culture binge!

@TheRealScurred 4 жыл бұрын

Love that kierkegaard quote. Affirm your truth!

@gelogo107 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for movie recommendations

@pwnedshift1 4 жыл бұрын

dude, i love this. A Serious Man, The Big Lebowski, and Inside Llewyn Davis are my favourite Coen Brothers movies and maybe my favourite movies ever. they are perfect.

@ahmedkershah8609 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for video man ,,amazing analysis ....and big salute to Coen brothers i have watched and will watch every single movie they make because they are masters of cinema and philosophy

@Karl_Marksman 4 жыл бұрын

Dude, tell us more. Part 2! There are bunch more Cohen Brothers movies and I'd love to hear your thoughts on them. It's inspiring to listen to someone who loves what they're talking about.

@garthbrooks6999 4 жыл бұрын

That was an interesting interpretation of Llewyn that I hadn’t considered; Ryan Hollinger’s video on it was also terrific, but he saw Llewyn as an example of how depression can destroy your life.

@dentoncrimescene 4 жыл бұрын

That was good, thanks. I will check then out.

@jordanneal576 4 жыл бұрын

Good video. A Serious Man is a film that has kept me thinking long after watching it moreso than any other movie. Miller's Crossing is my favorite film of all time.

@ashleybleich7949 4 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed this so much... what a cool idea to do personal stuff. When Jared first did it, I didn’t get it... but now I do

@roawr59 4 жыл бұрын

Omg more of this plz

@ML-yw4hv 2 жыл бұрын

finally someone on youtube gets the coen bros

@joshwi4193 4 жыл бұрын

I think my favourite thing about the Coens is their ability to completely transport you to another world with different (but familiar) rules and ideas. They're not afraid to jump between genres and themes to tell a good story, but they also keep their characters and settings consistent and interesting. They just tell very human stories and ask the audience to engage with its themes on their own. I'm a Fargo boy myself.

@DePigeon 4 жыл бұрын

Fargo changed my life. Love your videos, dude.

@amargnwalkr 4 жыл бұрын

Miller's Crossing has long been my favorite movie. I wish more people would see it. Maybe not a great philosophical one, but brilliant in every (other) way.

@jamesallard7223 4 жыл бұрын

Every time I hear Danny Boy, I think of Albert Finney.

@amargnwalkr 4 жыл бұрын

@@jamesallard7223 Yep. RIP

@adityashirapure 4 жыл бұрын

I am reading The Picture of Dorian Gray right now and kinda at the middle of the story and I was actually having really conflicting thoughts about the overall idea of meaning and nihilism but man o man this video landed at the right time. Love from the other side of the ocean, wisecrack.

@kirbymarchbarcena 4 жыл бұрын

Hey, Professor Mike, more please!!

@whtyc 4 жыл бұрын

👏👏👏 more of this please

@Namorat 4 жыл бұрын

I love The big Lebowski. I even have a tattoo on my chest: "Achiever Fuck it, Dude. Let's go bowling."

@esteb6544 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome!

@narutojames225 4 жыл бұрын

My personal favorite is True Grit, but I've been meaning to see more of their work.

@sinnsage Жыл бұрын

i would LOVE to talk for hours about Cohen bros movies with you michael.

@spencershrek1491 4 жыл бұрын

solid vid!

@taskdon769 4 жыл бұрын

Understand each of our limitations and live the way that you want to live.

@PeterZeeke 4 жыл бұрын

I asked for this on twitter!

@Pos608 4 жыл бұрын

Those are EXACTLY my favorite Coen brothers movies

@StevenKetchum 4 жыл бұрын

Great video and well-articulated my own process of handling religion and transitioning into answers in philosophy. One other Coen Brothers movie that is worth mentioning in this context is Barton Fink. The titular character is constantly trying to find meaning in his art, while needing to temper his grandiose self image. In the end we learn it's in the most banal, dismissed characters that exist the most depth (and danger).

@geoffreywinn4031 4 жыл бұрын

Cool video!

@benhac 4 жыл бұрын

oh man.. I lit a joint and watched. Felt like I was having the most interesting conversation I've had In a long time:)

@TheCreepypro 4 жыл бұрын

I've seen Lebowski but not the other two I'll be sure to check them out since I like the Cohen brothers as well but maybe not as much as you my favorite cohen brothers films besides Lebowski are Raising Arizona and No Country for Old Men

@WeabooMilk 4 жыл бұрын

8:23 Podiatrist was Tarantino's goal but had to settle for being an iconic director -_-

@fede22081 4 жыл бұрын

I already subscribed infinite times over, now don't be greedy!

@TekSC 4 жыл бұрын

This guy is pretty great honestly

@jamesallard7223 4 жыл бұрын

They had a very similar effect on me but for a very different reason. By the time I had the chance to see Blood Simple, the most common complaint re: films was "They just don't make them like they used to..." Well, no: the Coens did, and do. Even when the mark they missed is never clearly defined in the first place, their absolute worst films are individually better than some other filmmakers' entire body of work.

@cornellwaters9089 4 жыл бұрын

🎬 Thank You!

@WouterCloetens 4 жыл бұрын

I'm going to publicly come out here as a fan of The Hudsucker Proxy, as no one else ever talks about it.

@hectortorres6567 4 жыл бұрын

Where's Jarod? Is he okay? We miss him...

@pdzombie1906 4 жыл бұрын

Love the Coens, My Top 3: 1. Barton Fink 2. No country for old men 3. Inside Llewyn Davis Thanx!!!

@Ortex313 4 жыл бұрын

If you ever make it out to DC, beers are on me!

@nicholasbodo4327 4 жыл бұрын

The three Coen Brothers that impacted me the most were The Big Lewboski , A Serious Man and No Country for Old Men

@coldkun_ 4 жыл бұрын

A Serious Man is also my favorite. I thought I was the only one 😭

@thulyblu5486 4 жыл бұрын

it's the one I puzzled about the most. Strangely fascinating to think about especially since I would *not* say this movie is entertaining.

@0ld_Scratch 4 жыл бұрын

how about the philosophy of Cormac Mccarthy? Blood Meridian, the Road, No country for old Men etc.

@nickbontorno9940 4 жыл бұрын

Llewyn Davis can also be seen as the story of Sisyphus, man doomed to eternally attempt an impossible task, but as Albert Camus adds, with some contentment in purpose at least.

@feloniousbutterfly 4 жыл бұрын

This is a great video, but you only just scratched the surface of the genius of the Cohen Brothers.

@fartzinwind 4 жыл бұрын

I'd love to have a beer and talk movies with these guys.

@jkbuckeye1 4 жыл бұрын

The three Coens movies he discusses might be my favorite ones- though Fargo’s gotta be somewhere in there, and O Brother Where Art Thou is enjoyable for so many reasons.

@SteveBuccellato 4 жыл бұрын

I'd gladly buy you a beer. Two, even!

@sharilshahed6106 4 жыл бұрын

Hopefully we get to discuss the aspects of "Destiny" from the Witcher show Also, still waiting on the anime videos of Vinland Saga and Attack on Titan.

@yggdrasil3 4 жыл бұрын

And One Piece :-)

@MultiAarsh 4 жыл бұрын

What would I ever do without wisecrack

@SexDrugsNpostprod 4 жыл бұрын

you are not alone

@TheCaptain14 4 жыл бұрын

1:20 so THAT is where that image is from!

@twominutepenalty 4 жыл бұрын

I love A Serious Man. Makes me think of The Book of Job.

@qjames0077 4 жыл бұрын

Last time I was this early it was the last Wisecrack vid

@berniekatzroy 4 жыл бұрын

Please do a vid on Frances Ha

@zqxzqxzqx1 4 жыл бұрын

In regards to "do what you love and you never work a day in your life," psychological studies (on children,) strongly suggest that tying what you love to do to money sooner or later makes you no longer love to do it. (That's why I play drums in a local band for free.)

@mohanselvaraj9913 4 жыл бұрын

What happened to Jared ?

@Viiksis 4 жыл бұрын

Jared disappointed the lizard people and is now assimilated.

@uncomfortablecat 4 жыл бұрын

1) Family issues 2) Will come soon 3) hope you get it

@thulyblu5486 4 жыл бұрын

@@uncomfortablecat get what? my Amazon package? yeah haha I know what's going on

@uncomfortablecat 4 жыл бұрын

@@thulyblu5486 Open your gate, Sir. Your package is outside.

@darkovsky_ 4 жыл бұрын

Somebodyyyy get this man a beer!

@francissreckofabian01 4 жыл бұрын

Maybe you should write a book about the Coen Brothers and Philosophy

@bozo7769 3 жыл бұрын

*I also love the Cohen Brothers. which is weird cause im a comic book geek 🤓*

@aurumproductions 4 жыл бұрын

You almost talk as somebody who hasn't made it in their chosen profession. . Think this video view count is over 60k at the time of this comment. Congratulations and thank you for doing what you do.