Over time, each new viewing of this film has me thinking that it is less funny, but an all-around better movie. The music is and has always been beautiful, and there are certain scenes that I always want to come back to. I think this film most resembles Altman’s Nashville (outside of any other Coen Brothers film) with the music and backdrop of an election, and just how genuinely American it is. Nashville is the better film at pretty much every angle, but I think O Brother will be regarded on a similar level one day. I still have problems with the first 20 minutes. I remember when I first saw this that I felt like I had wasted 6 dollars because the opening scenes were so hokey and lame. I think that George Clooney shows some of his worst acting in these 20 minutes, but later shows some of his best.
I was more distracted by the overall look of the film this time than I ever have been before. Most of it felt like those tacky black and white photos that have a single colored object (like a red rose). The yellow leaves light up the background in O Brother while all of the actors are close to completely desaturated. It gave the film a slightly false feeling that I don’t think I would have sensed if they had just left the colors alone. I’m working on a video right now, though, that needs a similar procedure done, so I think I’m very sensitive to this kind of look. Anyway, great film, I’ll continue coming back to it in the future, I’m sure.