Writer: Joel & Ethan Coen
Director: Joel Coen
Actors: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, Tony Shalhoub
1hr 52min
Barton Fink is a playwright from New York, who after a brief success, is hired to write a "B-movie" wrestling film for Wallace Beery. Fink is a gawky looking, pretentious artist who rarely listens. Hollywood is a great difference from New York, where Barton was able to follow his obsession with creating theatre for the common man. Back at the dank and eerie hotel, Fink tries to make a start on the script for this new film, only to be hit by writers block.
This is an incredibly confusing story in which at times seems like there is no story or tale at all. It tends to follow a line on the harsh reality of Hollywood, with a sideline of a murder.
Charlie Meadows, Finks only friend throughout the film, appears first when Fink makes a complaint about the noise coming from Meadows room. Meadows seemingly ignoring the complaint introduces himself as an insurance salesman. The two become good friends and Meadows attempts to help Fink overcome his writers block.
One night, with a deadline for the next day, Fink invites Audrey Taylor around to help him with his script. She is the assistant and lover of a 'great' write W.P. Mayhew. It is implied that the two sleep together that night, when he wakes up she has been murdered. Fink turns to Meadows for help. Later, it is found out that Meadows is a murderer by the name of "Mad Man Mundt".
The end is a complete mind warp and I cannot say that I understand what happened in the movie at all, but I think this is the desired affect. The movie ends Fink on a beach with a box, that we never find out the contents. And a girl comes over and recreates a pose of a painting that was hanging in Fink's hotel room. This make you question whether he is really there and whether or not the girl is 'real' or if he is dreaming, which is possible to then associate with many of the past scenes undoing any understanding you may have once had.
I have seen this movie once before and both times have been left confused and questioning. This as an idea inspires me to create imagery based on confusion and abstraction. Possibly to build a set in which nothing matches anything else and certain objects obviously don't belong.
I can't say that I am particularly inspired by much of the film in terms of colour, composition or location but I like the scene where the hallway in the hotel is on fire and Meadows is stood using a key to get into his room.
