By all accounts The Big Lebowski (1998) shouldn't work. The plot
changes almost every 15 minutes, the hero is a stoner who doesn't want to
participate in the story anyway, and the humour is a bit hard to grasp upon
first viewing. Yet somehow over time this Coen Brothers comedy has not only had
repeat viewings from many fans of cinema around the world, it has also earned a
very strong cult status. Star Wars has a Star Wars Celebration day, but The Big
Lebowski has Lebowski Fest in which fans dress up as The Dude (Jeff Bridges),
go bowling, and drink White Russians. I think we can agree which film has the
best fans.
(Before going any further I just want to remind whoever might be reading
this that I'm reviewing movies based on Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500
Greatest Movies of All Time, and somehow on this list The Big Lebowski is
exactly one spot above Schindler's List. Make of that what you will.)
The first time I saw this weird comedy/film noir I was confused too
because I didn't know what to make of this story featuring a weird assortment
of bowlers, nihilists from Eastern Europe, a spoiled trophy wife, and a
drug-fuelled fantasy dance sequence in which Saddam Hussein is an employee at a
bowling alley. By the time the movie is over you're not sure what you've watched
and just what the hell Sam Elliott was doing in 1990s Los Angeles dressed like
a cowboy. And yet, there are laugh out loud moments that bring me back again
and again. It is endlessly quotable and has had its share of influence on other
great works of fiction since its release. For instance, the first three seasons
of Veronica Mars are littered with references to the adventures of The Dude.
But who is The Dude? Condescending rich people would say he is just a
bum, and in fairness he is a rather lazy person who pays for milk with a cheque
while wearing a bathrobe. He is also an ex-hippie with a love of bowling, the
occasional acid trip, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. One thing The Dude,
real name Jeffrey Lewbowski, is certainly not is a detective. Unfortunately for
him he finds himself smack in the middle of a labyrinthine detective story
despite his best intentions. The inciting incident for this situation is an
unusual one, with two loan sharks breaking into The Dude’s low-rent Los Angeles
home after somehow mistaking him for a millionaire with the same name whose
wife owes money around town. Despite their mistake, the two crooks decide to
part ways with The Dude by urinating on his rug.
This displeases The Dude (or Duder, His Dudeness, El Duderino, if you're
not into the whole brevity thing) because as he puts it, that rug really tied
the room together. His fellow bowler Walter (played by Coen Brothers regular
John Goodman) convinces him to seek financial retribution from the rich
Lebowski who was the actual target of the rug-pissers. Second bowler Donny
(Steve Buscemi, also a reliable Coen Brothers player) can't really add his
opinion on the matter since he is always out of the loop of the conversation
and is frequently told to shut the fuck up by Walter.
The Dude's attempt to get his rug back does not go well since the big
Lebowski (David Huddleston) sees The Dude as a bum looking for handout.
However, after his trophy wife (Tara Reid) is kidnapped by what he believes are
the loan sharks he reaches back to The Dude to use him as courier for a ransom
drop-off in exchange for big wad of cash. From that point things become very
confusing with the addition of wacky characters such as Julianne Moore as an
artist specializing in erotic art, a porn king called Jackie Treehorn, and Jon
Polito as a private eye. As these characters come and go in The Dude's orbit,
the money is either stolen, lost, or both. It's hard to keep up.
Walter and Donnie tag along for the ride but usually end up complicating
matters even further. A former Vietnam veteran who proudly converted to Judaism
for a what was ultimately a failed marriage, Walter is often simmering with
rage over the slightest thing, from perceived anti-Semitism, to someone
crossing a line during a bowling game. That rage comically boils over when
Walter and The Dude confront a 15-year-old kid they believe stole the money.
The stone-faced kid causes Walter to beat a car with a crowbar while screaming:
"This what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass!" Somehow in
the censored version this is converted to "This is what happens when you
find a stranger in the Alps!" Go figure.
The fact that The Dude and his friends are ill-equipped to deal with
this crime mystery is a typical trademark of the Coen Brothers. Their main
characters are often inept people fumbling as life throws them one curveball
after another. Whether it's Nicolas Cage kidnapping a baby from a furniture
king in Raising Arizona, William H. Macy arranging for the kidnapping of
his own wife in Fargo, or Brad Pitt trying to blackmail an ex-CIA
operative in Burn After Reading, their characters never have the
particular set of skills needed to accomplish their goals. The result is often
hilarious and sometimes profound since we the audience are also sometimes ill-equipped
to deal with what we face in life.
Not everyone enjoys The Big Lebowski, including my mom, and I can
understand why given the weirdness of the tale. However, there is just
something about this bizarre story that people all over the world have found
appealing. Personally, I think it's often hilarious, has a great soundtrack,
and great dialogue. Also, The Dude has a way of life more people should
embrace. At the end of the day he is just a chill dude who wants to bowl,
drink, listen to music, and spend time with his friends. He may be lazy but
given the state of the world I think a lot of people would benefit from his
chill attitude. In his own parting words: The Dude abides.
(Another little side note: on top of the cult following this movie is
getting a spin-off this year. John Turturro, who gets a small but brief role as
rival bowler Jesus Quintana, wrote and directed a movie starring his
character.)
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