The Coen Bros. first film serves as a template for everything that they make after. The inept faux-criminal, silence, a machine that turns material into base form, a damsel in distress, a farm field, staring at the ceiling, witty dialogue, large amounts of money that goes missing.

Stylish. Dark. Slow. Witty. Serious. Great.

A great thriller made on the cheap. The Cohen Brothers' first film is moody and rich, and the characters are stupid not because they are badly written, but because this is really their character.