Last weekend, I accepted an invitation to St. Leo University near Tampa, Florida, to participate in a public discussion about — of all things — the movies of the Coen brothers.
Brent Short, the school’s director of library services, organized this seminar, and we were joined by Erica Rowell (author of The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen) and Mark T. Conard (editor of The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers). For three hours we learned from one another and took questions from the audience.
It all seemed so Halloween-y. We talked about the Coens’ catalog — so genre-diverse, so full of tricks and treats. We talked about their crazy characters — H. I. McDonagh, Barton Fink, Jeffrey Lebowski, Marge Gunderson — all of whom deserve to become Halloween costumes.
But the film that haunted me all weekend was one that opened nine years ago this month. No Country for Old Men seems to resonate more meaningfully every time I see it.
In fact, that film contributes to my increasing sense that the Coen brothers deserve serious consideration as “filmmakers of faith.”
To read my full article on this subject, check out the latest installment of my column “Viewer Discussion Advised” at Christianity Today.