Coen Brothers and Josh Brolin on Cormac McCarthy

Coen Brothers and Josh Brolin on meeting Cormac McCarthy.
Interview conducted by Charlie Rose.
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[@asedition8847]

Cormac McCarthy hardly talks but says everything

[@CruderQuotient1]

All the men here are legends. Cormac is a genius

[@Ray_D_Tutto]

Except for Charlie Rose.

[@Laizerdisk]

I actually think No Country For Old Men is one of the few film adaptations that might exceed its source material. The movie itself is nearly word for word adapted from the novel, and Cormac’s proclivity of foregoing characters internal processes and emotions means that not much context or greater insight is left behind. All that combined with the Coens masterful direction, capturing the time and place of the story masterfully, with three INCREDIBLE performances from Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, and Javier Bardem, spell a masterpiece of an adaptation. As much as I’d love to see someone TRY to adapt Blood Meridian for the screen, I think it’s nearly, if not completely, impossible. I hope someday someone proves me wrong though!

[@silversnail1413]

The only thing I don't like is some of the changes they made to Llewellyn Moss's character. In the book he's more capable, at one point even getting the drop on Chigurh and forcing him to disarm, and there's a small subplot involving a young hitchhiker that adds a bit more complexity to his character. Other than that, it's a pretty perfect adaptation and hits all of the major beats.

[@RhadaGhast100]

Ehhh it wasn't word for word. The few changes I can complain about is dropping the Hitch Hiker sub plot as it added a lot to Moss's character.

[@johnmac333]

Agree . "All the Pretty Horses" was a disaster of a film , sadly . Such a great story and characters , but would have been difficult to film . Hope someone makes "The crossing" one day , and "Blood Meridian" while also difficult to film , can be seen somehow in two great shows , "Deadwood" and "Hell on Wheels" .

[@Laizerdisk]

@@johnmac333 I am almost 100% certain any Blood Meridian adaptation would never live up to the novel, mostly because of how much the presentation of scenery and the characterization of the landscape itself dictates the tone of the story. That being said, I’d be over the moon if someone was able to prove me wrong one day!

[@Laizerdisk]

Just realized I said that Blood Meridian observation in my original comment lol so I’ll add the fact that I think if Blood Meridian was ever adapted for the screen I think it would have to be a miniseries. There’s so many scenes with dense philosophical weight and massive significance to the characters, their personalities, and their arcs that, in a 2-3 hour adaptation, would end up on the cutting room floor faster than a child disappears when The Judge rolls into town.

[@jimmcguiggan1188]

Suttree is/was one of the best novels ive ever read I loved it so much I was sad when it ended,so bittersweet and sad yet still full of life. If you reD it i guarantee youll be changed as a person. Cant see how theyd be able to transfer the book to the screen and still do it proud.

[@rrrrrrrachel]

of course he's a fan of Miller's Crossing lol

[@ChopinIsMyBestFriend]

iconic west texas? that man is a tennessean. proudly appalachia.

[@judgeholden9942]

I think he said laconic but yes I caught that too, guess josh don’t know much about the guy

[@comanchedase]

Take it to the Appalachians

[@dadgumwler]

He lived in El Paso for a while

[@ajinkyakale830]

Thanks for the audio clip. Much appreciate it.

[@ctw8735]

Gold mate. Thank you

[@huntercrowley6108]

I know people want a “Blood Meridian” movie but I would love to see someone try to adapt “The Orchard Keeper”

[@flashkraft]

'So did you like the film?' 'Let me just toss a coin and see...........Friendo'

[@dwellynconway4721]

Is it just me or could Josh Brolin totally pull off playing McCarthy ?

[@RaymondMorii-gs5vr]

classic book classic film, except THE COHENS decidedly cut out the section where Moss picks up the tee age girl, the dialogue proving Moss as a HERO and all round everyman. replaced by a not very viewable sight of a woman attempting to pick Brolin (MOSS) up at a motel pool, right before both are ambushed by cartelians. I missed that extremely and think if they DO DO a directors cut...USE Hayley Orrantia from the GOLDBERGS yuk yuk!

[@giuoco]

Why does that dialogue set him up as the hero?

[@comanchedase]

heheheheh talking about guns... that's cormac alright

[@furiousd123456]

he's so fuckin cool

[@comanchedase]

@@furiousd123456 indeed he is

[@Livingthedream333]

He lived for himself not yall.

[@josesilvajr4248]

Cormac Ernesto Ramos

[@whiskyrebel9715]

Call it.

[@vdoza33]

I just wish someone would tackle blood meridian. God, that would be a effed up film. A real adaptation… nowadays. Don’t come at me and say someone already did. No they didn’t. No one has. Hollywood has always and is still scared to try to do a faithful adaptation.

[@filipkolasny908]

An adaptation of specifically Blood Meridian is almost impossible not necessarily because of the content but more so the internalisations of the characters and their thoughts. John Hillcoat is said to have taken the reins but I have serious doubts.

[@vdoza33]

@@filipkolasny908 nothing is impossible

[@filipkolasny908]

@@vdoza33 If studios allowed it to be a 4+ hour epic then I'd agree, but a 2-3 hour film that needs to simultaneously nail the characterisation of the setting itself alongside the constant shifts in narrative... I dunno. I have doubts but imma still keep hopeful.

[@josesilvajr4248]

Cormac

[@saulshennan6825]

Cormac McCarthy may be a great novelist but, like all novelists, he absolutely sucks at screenwriting.

[@Abmotsad]

Cormac McCarthy writes like an anxious teenage boy who thought his purchase of a thesaurus was the best way to impress a girl on whom he had a desperate crush but who is - alas - much smarter than he.

[@hermannretzlaff1070]

nah

[@Abmotsad]

@@hermannretzlaff1070 A sample from The Road: “He rose and stood tottering in that cold autistic dark with his arms outheld for balance while the vestibular calculations in his skull cranked out their reckonings.” Another example from The Road: "He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his return. Eyes closed, arms soaring. Upright to what? Something nameless in the night, lode or matrix. To which he and the stars were common satellite. Like the great pendulum in its rotunda scribing through the long day movements of the universe of which you may say it knows nothing and yet know it must." 😂😂😂 The above sentences were sponsored by an anxious teenage boy who found a thesaurus in the discount bin of the local swap shop. His failure to use apostrophes? His failure to use quotation marks? Gimmicks that a good writer doesn't need. There are many more. Feel free to investigate.

[@0tiS]

@@Abmotsad To each his own I guess, but the second example you gave is extremely beautiful. I can see what you mean with the first one, it's a little much... but "To which he and the stars were common satellite. Like the great pendulum in its rotunda scribing through the long day movements of the universe of which you may say it knows nothing and yet know it must." is profoundly beautiful. There is an excerpt from the end of All the Pretty Horses which I heard read by Werner Herzog which has often moved me to tears. If you search "Werner Herzog Reads Cormac McCarthy" you can find it pretty quick, should be the first result.

[@Abmotsad]

@@0tiS To each his own, indeed. To me, the second excerpt is even more ridiculous than the first. It sounds like something that would be included in a Hollywood movie script to make the point that the writer was a pretentious asshole. Of course, some people like Taylor Swift, so what do I know?

[@avonboy007]

​@@AbmotsadUsing big words doesn't automatically mean pretentious. Usually people who find them so aren't able to discern between a grotesque overuse of them, and the concept that using them in the first place is automatically pretentious.