Why did the Coen brothers film a modern crime story in black and white?
In short: Inspired by a 1940s haircut poster, the Coen brothers crafted a neo-noir masterpiece that subverts genre expectations. By replacing the criminal underworld with a mundane small-town setting and a passive protagonist, they created a film that feels like a classic, yet remains deeply rooted in existentialist dread and postwar uncertainty.
Released in 2001, The Man Who Wasn't There follows Ed Crane, a withdrawn barber in 1949 California who attempts to escape his stagnant life through a blackmail scheme. While the film honors the aesthetics of 1940s and 1950s noir, the Coen brothers intentionally departed from the genre's conventions. Instead of a hard-boiled criminal, their protagonist is an ordinary man who stumbles into crime, a narrative choice heavily influenced by the novels of James M. Cain.
The film’s striking black-and-white cinematography, captured by Roger Deakins, was a deliberate artistic choice rather than a technical necessity. Although filmed in color on 35mm and converted during post-production, the directors felt color would neutralize the period-accurate grays and browns, making the film feel 'horribly out of place.' This visual style, combined with a soundtrack featuring Beethoven piano sonatas, underscores the story's existentialist themes, which draw comparisons to Albert Camus’s The Stranger and the philosophical inquiries of Søren Kierkegaard.
Despite critical acclaim for its craft, the film was a commercial disappointment, grossing only $18.9 million against a $20 million budget. Some analysts attributed this to the black-and-white format, which was a first for the Coens. While some reviewers dismissed it as an 'intellectualized' exercise, others praised it as a 'voluptuous feast' of style and performance, cementing its status as a unique, peculiar, and deeply atmospheric entry in the Coen brothers' filmography.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001 film)
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