The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
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The story
Set in 1949 Santa Rosa, California, Ed Crane is a quiet barber working in his brother-in-law Frank’s barbershop. His marriage to Doris is strained by her drinking problem and his suspicion of her having an affair with her boss. When a customer named Creighton Tolliver offers Ed a lucrative investment opportunity in a new dry cleaning technology, Ed decides to blackmail Doris's boss, "Big Dave" Brewster, for the necessary funds. This desperate plan to secure money quickly sets off a chain of events that pulls Ed into a world of crime and violence he never intended to enter.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1949 Santa Rosa, California, Ed Crane, a withdrawn barber, seeks to fund a new business venture by blackmailing his wife Doris's boss, "Big Dave" Brewster. Brewster embezzles funds to meet the demands but eventually uncovers the scheme. After Tolliver implicates Ed, Brewster beats Ed to death, but Ed manages to fatally stab Brewster in self-defense. Doris is arrested for embezzlement and murder, while Ed hires a lavish defense attorney, Freddy Riedenschneider. Doris eventually hangs herself in jail, and Ed's world unravels as Frank falls into alcoholism. Ed begins a relationship with a local girl, Birdy, but after her musical dreams are crushed and she makes a sexual advance, they crash their car. Ed is arrested for murder, and despite a mistrial caused by Frank's intervention, he is sentenced to death. While on death row, Ed writes his life story and finds peace before his execution, reflecting on his life and hoping for freedom in the afterlife.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joel Coen
- Writers
- Joel Coen · writer; Ethan Coen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Billy Bob Thornton · Ed Crane; Frances McDormand · Doris; Michael Badalucco · Frank; Richard Jenkins · Freddy Riedenschneider; Scarlett Johansson · Rachel "Birdy" Abundas; Jon Polito; Tony Shalhoub; James Gandolfini · Big Dave Brewster
- Genres
- neo-noir; crime; drama
- Themes
- existentialism; despair; transcendence; post-war America
- Tone and mood
- dark; solemn; romantic; melancholic
- Premise and plot tags
- neo-noir; crime; black-and-white; small-town
- Source material / true-story basis
- James M. Cain's crime novels (Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Mildred Pierce) and the poem "Antigonish"
- Reception
- The film received a lukewarm theatrical response but was well-received by critics, who praised the cinematography and performances. It was cited as one of the best films of the year by several major publications.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 33
- Production trivia
- The Coens began developing the idea from a 1940s haircut poster they saw while filming The Hudsucker Proxy.; The film was converted to black and white during post-production because black and white film rolls had become scarce.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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