The Coen Brothers – writer/director/producer Joel, and writer/producer Ethan – are perhaps renowned for films of a somewhat philosophical nature. From Barton Fink to O Brother Where Art Thou; from The Big Lebowski to Hail Caesar! – their filmography is littered with tales that use crime as a means of addressing much larger, nebulous themes. Fargo is a little different. While spinning a detailed plot, it is almost as straightforward as they come, because it uses crime committed by men as a means of addressing masculinity - all in the shadow of mythical American alpha male folk hero, Paul Bunyan.

The entire first act of the film is devo...

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