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Ballad of Buster Scruggs is the best film of 2018. It’s a study on justice, mercy, and grace.
The first 3 stories (mostly) echo the Old Testament. Whereas the final 3 stories are New Testament in their themes. 1/
The first 3 stories (mostly) echo the Old Testament. Whereas the final 3 stories are New Testament in their themes. 1/
The titular piece goes against my thesis slightly. It is Old Testament insomuch as it depicts cold hard justice. No mercy to be found. It’s also absurdly post-modern; showing the way in which Hollywood depicts westerns & bible stories: cartoonish yet ultraviolet. 2/
Hollywood believes justice to not simply be blind but absurd. As such, it sees God’s justice as the same. See films like Noah with a raving lunatic protagonist. No reasons behind justice explained in Hollywood; but the violence & evil always stylized. Coens poking at that. 3/
Buster Scruggs is killed and goes to heaven: “I’ll see y’all there and we can sing together and shake our heads over all the meanness in the used to be”. He’s predicting a savior, a change to the absurdity of OT life, a world of mercy to come: Christ. 4/
2nd story “Near Algodones” plays up justice as humor but depicts it as deserving. Franco’s character is a thief & deserves justice, but justice takes a roundabout path. He & we may think he’s going to get away with it, but he doesn’t. Mercy, again, is no where to be found. 5/
Pan shot! 6/
“Meal Ticket” is a sort of retelling of Cain & Abel, with the eloquent limbless man who recites poetry, the Bible and essays beautifully. He’s paid for his skill which is why his brother (friend?) keeps him around. He’s completely powerless so depends upon charity completely. 7/
Kid also represents The Word in the world. It may look small and weak but it is powerful and booming, telling us what we should be doing; commanding us to be merciful, to be our brother’s keeper. We drown it in a river instead. Trade it for a chicken. 8/
It’s no coincidence that the kid (“The Word was God”) is drowned in a river, baptized in a way, left for dead. But such words can’t be killed; despite the fact that our proverbial Cain is shown after wandering in exile of snowy countryside. With his chicken. 9/
“all gold valley” is starkly different with the previous stories, visually showing a break towards New Testament ideas imo. The prospector digs for and eventually finds his gold but the devil shoots him in the back right before glory of his find leaving him in a shallow grave. 9/
Grace finally appears: old slow dumb prospector isn’t dead! He doesn’t deserve this luck this reprieve from death, it’s unearned. It’s grace. He kills the devil, rises from the grave and washes himself in river (baptism) right after prev story w death in river. Resurrection. 11/
1st major woman character in film appears after New Testament allegory. “The girl who was rattled” shows how she and a cattle driver fall in love whilst driving across plains. Showing how danger can come over silly things, she looks for dog in wilderness & set upon by Indians 12/
First hero shown in the film is other cattle driver who protects her from the savages. Says “take down their leader & the rest scatter” obv parallel of how demons flee if you get better of Satan. He fights valiantly but appears to fall at one point (Christ on Good Friday)... 13/
But she’s “rattled” and uses the pistol he gave her to kill her self when the cowpoke appears to have fallen. She lost hope for a moment like apostles before Easter, gave up like we do sometimes that Good wins in the end. 14/
Final tale “Mortal Remains” depicts 3 folks traveling a stagecoach to fort Morgan but, to me these people are actually dead and being ferried to the afterlife. 15/
The two men traveling with them are bounty hunters, textually, but joke they are “reapers” “ferrying cargo”. Grim reaper and ferrying river Styx reference is obvious. 15/
Each is the humans then debate all things; philosophy sex language etc. Showing how humans say & think many things to grapple with Death. Reapers, on the other hand simply smile & at one point sing. 16/
The 3 ppl never stop talking until they are about to cross the threshold into the afterlife itself. The film become ominous which, in text, makes no sense. But I’m subtext of facing the afterlife is very scary indeed. 16/
They enter the hotel & film ends. We have reason to hope 4 then but know they will be judged one way or another. Ties back to beginning of film bc I think Reapers are carrying Scruggs or maybe Franco’s body. Hope you enjoyed my analysis. 17/17
Of course the astounding Gillian Welch had a hand in writing the best song in the film. 18/17
The Coen Brothers will convert to the Church before it’s all said and done. 
19/17
19/17
