In conclusion:
The Hudsucker Proxy is a magnificent failure. It failed in that its legacy is not that of being the movie that propelled Joel & Ethan Coen into the mainstream, reintroducing the genre of the early 20th century screwball comedy to the screen. It is magnificent however in that it remains a deeply interesting piece of art. It’s a clichéd kind of story that subverts its own genre’s narrative clichés. It is a deeply dense movie, featuring literal blink-and-you’ll-miss-it jokes, a plot too big for its stated timeframe, and characters with rich deep backgrounds who only occupy the screen for seconds. Many critics seeing the film for the first time found it to be meaningless fluff and style over substance, which is understandable given that some of its most interesting plot points come as barely tossed off references. At the same time though the style is magnificent. The film has abeautifully created visual language. It’s full of scenes that move the plot forward in inventive and unusual ways, including two startlingly gorgeous scenes directed by the film’s second unit director. It incorporates many Coens signature tropes beautifully. It is simultaneously a wildly unrealistic fairy tale and incorporates startling elements of the real world. More than anything else it features marvelous characters, including a rich and interesting cast of bit parts and its three leads: its cool and conniving villain, its whip-smart love interest, and its certified bohunk lead with secret hidden depths. While even an apologist like me has issues with the film’s promotion and wishes its cast had been slightly different , it remains a delight. For this reason, tomorrow, despite spending a year researching and diving deep into the film, I will still continue my own New Years tradition and will watch the film tomorrow at 2:00 PM Central Standard Time. If you’d like to join me (virtually of course, there’s still a pandemic on), hit me up, we’ll ring in the new year together with Norville Barnes falling 44 floors and not quite squishing himself together.
Happy 2021 everyone.
