Miller's Crossing

"Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems..."

review of Miller's Crossing (1990)- Coen Brothers

To this day, it still amazes me how much this film went by the wayside in 1990. Granted, Goodfellas was a masterpiece, but I find Miller's Crossing to be beyond brilliant. The Coens accomplished something in this film that Scorsese could never begin to imagine. While being an underrated classic, Miller's Crossing is a triumphant tale of expecting the unexpected. As the tag line states, "Up is down, black is white,and nothing is what it seems". Gabriel Byrne's performance of Tom Reagan is flawless, genuine, and unforgettable. Jon Polito, John Tuturro, Albert Finney, J.E. Freeman and Marcia Gay Harden also deserve the same recognition for their stunning performances. No other film, in the history of cinema, has ever felt so magical and alive. From beginning to end, MC is filled with twists and turns that make you feel like you hope the movie will never end.

The scenes themselves are like something out of a Picasso painting. Rather than rambling on, I'll name a few of my favorites:

-the opening scene with Caspar, Tom, and Leo

-the unforgettable "Danny Boy" scene with Leo

-"Bernie's walk" into the depths of Miller's Crossing

-Tom opening up to Leo about he and Verna

I could go on forever. Every scene is instantly classic, with a touch of gold from the Coens.
In addition to the beautiful cinematography, the dialogue is sheer genius. While I enjoy every single line in the film, I particularly loved what Tom, Leo, and Caspar had to say. If there was ever I movie that I could nearly quote from beginning to end, it would most certainly be Miller's Crossing.

What else could possibly add to a flawless movie? Carter Burwell's musical score. While Burwell is known for his excellent scores in Fargo and Barton Fink, he truly achieved greatness with the Miller's Crossing score.

The thing to walk away from with a film like Miller's Crossing can easily be summed up by the film's tag line: "Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems". Not only does this concept apply to the plot of the film, but it applies to the viewer's expectations. Most people who walked into the theater in 1990 were expecting a typical gangster film, like The Godfather or Once Upon A Time In America. What they got was the exact opposite. Rather than seeing one-sided mobsters carry out the wishes of their boss, we see a rebellious Tom Reagan who has had enough with Leo's stubborn and egotistical judgments. With that in mind, the viewer sees an organized crime boss turned on his heels and thrown to the whim of an ex-underling.