A Serious Man GRADE: A-
The Coen brothers have a knack for creating films that dance a fine line between misery and hilarity. “A Serious Man” has the best of both qualities. Their newest film is perhaps one of their finest — a black comedy in its entirety that is also somewhat autobiographical. Filmed with a crop of relatively unknown actors, “A Serious Man” is touching and sincere. Although the story line is dark and miserable, it still manages to be both believable and humorous.
The film, which takes place during 1967 in a Minnesota town where everyone is Jewish, centers around Larry Gopnik, wonderfully portrayed by Michael Stuhlbarg. Gopnik is a 40-something physics teacher with two teenage children and an unhappy wife. His life is mediocre at best, with the most exciting event happening when he gains his long-awaited tenure as a professor.
However, things take a sharp turn for the worst when his wife leaves him for Sy Ableman, an older, gentler and more serious man. Simultaneously, Gopnik’s son, Danny, is experimenting with marijuana and listening to Jefferson Airplane as his slightly delusional brother, Arthur, is gambling and sleeping on the couch. In no time at all, Gopnik’s life completely unravels.
“I often had to keep my own emotions covered,” Stuhlbarg said in an interview with The Eagle. “In a sense, I can relate to him, but I have to be aware of our major differences.”
It seems as though Gopnik has been given all this bad luck for no cause. He comes off as harmless, perhaps even weak. He is gentle and sad, burdened by the unfortunate series of events in his life. As he learns to accept his miseries, including divorce and a dwindling bank account, he reaches out, determined to find what “Hashem,” or “God,” is trying to tell him. The movie follows Gopnik on his search for meaning with the help of a wise rabbi to give guidance. The character development is fascinating as we see Gopnik go through stages of hopefulness and utter devastation.
Stuhlbarg, a former theater actor, said that he got the role simply by happenstance but was absolutely thrilled.
“I’ve done some film and television, but I never envisioned myself in a Coen brothers film,” Stuhlbarg said. “I mean, I’m a huge, huge fan of theirs, so it was an amazing experience.”
In person, Stuhlbarg is as unassuming as Gopnik. He is calm and reserved, and thinks carefully before answering any questions.
“The Coen brothers focus mainly on choosing the perfect actor for the role,” Stuhlbarg said. “Once they do that, it’s easy because they give us so much freedom in terms of expressing ourselves. At times, they’re mysterious; sometimes they keep us in the dark, see what we do, and then reel us in if we go too far.”
The film’s title, “A Serious Man,” is reflective of the journey Stuhlbarg’s character takes in the movie.
“It’s first brought up to describe Sy Ableman, which I think gets Larry thinking,” Stuhlbarg said. “He wouldn’t describe himself that way, but as he thinks about it he goes, ‘Well, yeah, I am pretty serious.’ It’s set up to seem like a goal people strive toward, but might not achieve.”
Two of the focuses of the film were a quote by medieval French Rabbi Rashi (“Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you”) and the opening lyrics to “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane (“When the truth is found to be lies/And all the joy within you dies/Don’t you want somebody to love?”). It is interesting to see the way the two quotes played a role throughout the film. Gopnik certainly doesn’t receive anything with simplicity; he digs deeper and deeper for meaning in minute things and slowly falls apart when things are not always revealed. As he begins to unravel, the lyrics hold true even more — things are not what they seem; he becomes more and more unhappy, and yet he has no love from anyone.
“Larry’s just in a downward spiral and caves in,” Stuhlbarg said. “It’s definitely a specialty of the Coen brothers to sort of torture their protagonist.”
The Coen brothers also made sure that “A Serious Man” will have you thinking as you leave the theater; it is the kind of film that will make people reflect on different issues about life, meaning and love.
“I just hope that people will enjoy it, even if they find it confusing,” Stuhlbarg said. “It’s dark and twisted, but I want people to be able to take something away from it.”
Even through all the mystery and misery, “A Serious Man” makes for a gritty film that will leave you seeing the world in a different light. The film opens in D.C. theaters on Friday, Oct. 9.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
