No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, adapted from Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. The film follows a chain of events set in the American Southwest after Llewelyn Moss discovers a cache of money at the scene of a failed drug deal. Pursuit by a relentless hitman and the efforts of an aging sheriff form the story's central conflict.
Principal cast and characters
- Josh Brolin as Llewelyn Moss, the man who takes the money.
- Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh, a remorseless killer known for a distinctive weapon and coin tosses.
- Tommy Lee Jones as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, a veteran lawman confronting modern violence.
- Kelly Macdonald as Carla Jean Moss, Llewelyn's wife.
The film is notable for its minimalist musical score and the cinematography that emphasizes landscape and silence. Roger Deakins served as cinematographer, contributing to the film's austere visual tone. Much of the action is grounded in the geography and atmosphere of the borderlands of the American Southwest.
Style, themes, and adaptation
The Coen brothers preserved the novel's bleak moral questions and meditative pace while shaping dialogue and scenes for the screen. Major themes include fate versus chance, the changing nature of crime and law enforcement, and the erosion of older moral frameworks. The antagonist's methods and the film's treatment of violence earned wide attention for their uncompromising directness.
Reception and awards
The film received widespread critical acclaim for direction, performances, screenplay, and technical craft. At the 80th Academy Awards it won Best Picture, Best Director(s), Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem), and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is often cited among the Coens' most influential works and a high point of 21st-century American cinema.
For further reading, see the film's production notes and interviews on the official page: official film page. For background on the source material consult the original novel: Cormac McCarthy novel. Coverage of awards and critical reception is available at selected archives and retrospectives: awards and reviews.