Miller’s Crossing- 1990- Tori Douglas
Theme: Crime
Miller’s Crossing is a movie written and directed by brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen. This was not the first Coen brother’s movie, they had created a few other popular movies before Miller’s Crossing, all being action and comedies. Miller’s Crossing made in 1990, but portrayed the era of a ‘40s gangster scene. The story is a tale of conflicted loyalties during an Irish-Italian Prohibition-era gang war.
Main character Tom Reagan, Gabriel Bryne, is a right hand man to Leo, Albert Finny, the head crime boss in town. Leo and rival boss, Johnny Caspar, John Polito, fight over a bookie that has been cheating Caspar, while Reagan tries to keep everyone calm. However, he gets caught in the middle of an all out war between the two sides and winds up joining Caspar.
With all the ‘new’ technology in 1990, this film was considered a great film noir. Film noir is the term used for stylish old Hollywood crime dramas of the 1940s and 50s. Usually film noir is in black and white, but Miller’s crossing is in color. The attitude of Miller’s Crossing is definitely comparable to a classic film noir.
Another interesting trait that this movie has is that the Coen brothers decided to cast family and friends in minor roles. When Miller’s Crossing was released it was a flop in theaters, making only $5 million, but after its VHS and DVD release it became more popular as time progressed. Today it is a highly rated gangster movie of its time.
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