Saturday, July 03, 2004

The Dude

Without a doubt the most referenced movie I have come across on blogs or in person with people of a certain age (17-35) is the Coen brothers classic The Big Lebowski. This film (which was something of a dud on its initial release) has crept into the English-speaking worlds’ collective consciousness. An inspired premise (aging slacker becomes a reluctant Raymond Chandleresque anti-hero), a truly magnificent cast (has Jeff Bridges ever been better? Or Julianna Moore? Or John Goodman? Or any of the actors in the smaller roles?), and the Coens’ brilliant dialogue, this flick must certainly rank with their best work.

What sets this film apart is its sub-theme, an affectionate but pointed examination of Seventies culture, and its fading into irrelevance. This may be a film for the ages, one that future film scholars will reexamine, a movie whose importance will grow, not fade. As Sam Elliot's omnipotent cowboy said at its ending: “The Dude abides”.

By Professor Batty


3 Comments:

Blogger Victor said...

I've seen The Big Lebowski. I loved the fight scene in the parking lot.


Blogger Tykho said...

It is indeed one of my favorite movie (at least my favorite "comic" movie) and B's favorite movie. When i first saw it a couple years after moving to NY from Europe, i just didn't get it...
Only after a while, after being exposed to West Coast culture more and understanding American culture much better, I saw it again and it is one of the few movies i can watch again and again again.
My favorite scene is the the landlord's interpretive dance with the leaves on the music piece "Gnomus (The Gnome)" from Pictures at an Exhibition of Modest Mussorgsky.
Check this out: http://www.dymphna.net/randomquotage/lebowskiquotes.shtml


Blogger Little Miss Loopy said...

Big Lebowski is one of my favorites. I can watch it again and again and I always laugh as much as the first time. Brilliant stuff :)

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