Coen Brothers’ cult classic ‘Fargo’ will be re-releasing, in select theatres in May 2021, to commemorate the film’s 25th anniversary. Although the film was released on 8th March 1996, the Silver Jubilee homage to this comic caper – a welcome deviation from the usual crime films of the 1990s, was delayed to the ongoing pandemic.
Helmed by the revered directing duo Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, ‘Fargo’ follows a debt-ridden car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (played by William H. Macy), who hatches a desperate plan to kidnap his own wife to extract ransom from his affluent father-in-law. However, the seemingly simple plan soon goes haywire when a pregnant police chief (played by Frances McDormand) gets hell-bent to solve the crime, which Jerry fears will trace back to him. The Coen brothers had won an Oscar for the ‘Best Original Screenplay’ for the film.
Moreover, Frances McDormand’s portrayal of a meticulous cop in ‘Fargo’ had won her an Oscar Award for the ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’ category. Almost 21 years later, the versatile actress went on to win her second Oscar for another dark-comedy film ‘Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ (2017). Incidentally, McDormand has also been nominated, for an Oscar, for her most recent leading performance as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad in the film ‘Nomadland’, which makes her the first actress nominated (for an Oscar) for acting and producing for the same film.
Fargo’s core idea and the snowy backdrop were the inspiration behind the TV show ‘Fargo’, which spanned four seasons set in an anthology format. The first three seasons received wide critical acclaim while the fourth season, although not as much appreciated by critics (lower Metacritic score), also received many positive reviews from the viewers.
The 2001 Indian film ‘Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega’ starring Saif Ali Khan, Fardeen Khan, Sonali Bendre, Aftab Shivdasani and Johnny Lever was also said to be loosely based on the film ‘Fargo’. The Indian film was dubbed by some critics dubbed as a watchable and partly engaging film.
Re-releasing vintage films, as a tribute to exceptional filmmaking is not a new phenomenon both in Hollywood and Bollywood. Some recent examples of bygone films getting a theatrical re-release to celebrate their Silver Jubilee benchmarks are Aditya Chopra’s ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol), Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece ‘Schindler’s List’ (Starring Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley) and Ron Howard’s ‘Apollo 13’ (Starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise).
It’s an exciting thought to re-watch cult films on the big screen and their 25th anniversary is a beautiful excuse to execute the idea. We hope more Indian filmmakers take this cue as now is possibly the best time to delight Indian moviegoers with a unique experience of witnessing old wines on the big screen.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
