The streaming and production platform Netflix is decidedly looking to redefine the current cinematic landscape. We remember the controversy sparked by the presence of the feature film Okja in competition at the Cannes Film Festival when it was distributed by and on Netflix. This time, it’s the Coen brothers’ duo arriving on the platform with the highly engaging ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Initially conceived as a mini-series, this burlesque adventure in the American West ultimately emerged in the form of a film, divided into six different stories. For a little over two hours, the viewer travels through the western imagination through the Coens’ perspective, who are not new to such narratives. The figure of the Cowboy, this historical humanization of violence and greed, reminds us of the excellent No Country for Old Men or the more eccentric True Grit.
Here, we’re definitely dealing with a much more atypical format. The feature film is presented to the viewer like a book of tales and legends of the West, which follow one another and deliver one or several messages. One might almost think of them as fables. However, be cautious, as the tone is not intended to be moralistic, but rather to tell of the futility of fate and sometimes the absurdity of death. Let’s be honest, the western world has never been synonymous with good living and happiness, but rather a remarkable reserve of contradictions, intolerance, and murders. This era is therefore a formidable playground for our two directors, who are adept at cynicism.
While the overall composition is quite successful, one might acknowledge that the episodic format of the feature film makes some stories less captivating than others. The casting is surprising although perhaps a bit too male-dominated, with the notable performance of Zoe Kazan, who is the only true main female character in the film, yet certainly the most convincing.
In conclusion, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is undeniably a creation of the Coen brothers, unmistakably so. The fatalistic yet often realistic backdrop of human psychology is delightfully presented to the viewers. Egoism, the desire to be the best, greed are some of the themes to be discovered. And here and there, a touch of love is distilled at the threshold of modernity’s rise.
Robin Poncelet
