Film by
Joel and Ethan Coen, released by
Buena Vista Pictures beginning in December, 2000.
The story follows three
escaped convicts through their adventures in the
depression-era American
deep south.
Homer is given a writing credit, a section of the Odyssey appears at the beginning and several plot points reflect details of
Homer's Odyssey. These include the names of
Ulysses and his wife
Penelope, a one-eyed character (The
Cyclops),
Sirens by the river, the hero disguising himself as an old man, and the transformation of a character into an animal.
Other popular mythos are also thrown in, such as the character Tommy Johnson, who mirrors the story of legendary blues guitarist
Robert Johnson; he traded his soul to the devil at
The Crossroads somewhere in
Mississipi in exchange for his talent on the the guitar.
The title references the movie the main character in the film
Sullivan's Travels wishes to make. "Oh Brother, where art thou?" is also spoken during the
Ku Klux Klan scene.
The soundtrack is an exceptional collection of
American Folk Music, collected by
T-Bone Burnett who is credited as both composer and musical archivist. Additional music was provided by
Carter Burwell, who has scored most all of the Coen's films.
Several cast and crew members have worked with the Coen's before, including:
Holly Hunter,
John Goodman,
John Turturro,
Charles Durning,
musicians
Carter Burwell and
T-Bone Burnett,
cinematographer Roger Deakins, production designer
Dennis Gassner and producer
Tim Bevan.
Directed by:
Joel Coen
Written by:
Ethan Coen,
Joel Coen with a credit for
Homer
Runtime: 106 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for violence and language
The cow was digital, though it didn't look it. The
American Humane Association actually demanded proof and an unprecedented additional line was appended to the standard "
no animals were harmed..." line at the end of the credits:
Scenes that appear to have harmed animals were simulated.