WithNo Country For Old Menback on Prime Video, it’s always the right time to revisit theCoen Brothers' magnum opus. Few crime films are as haunting, desperate, and suspenseful as the Coens' adaptation ofCormac McCarthy’s killer novel, andthat’s largely due to its seriously impressive cast.It’s hard to imagine anyone butJavier Bardemin the role of Anton Chigurh, a hitman sent to recover the stolen money fromJosh Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss. After all, his stiff and heartless portrayal acts as a specter across West Texas, taking out anyone in his path. But did you know that Bardem almost couldn’t make it work? For a brief moment,Mark Strongwas considered to take over the role.
Around that time, Javier Bardem was also working on a few other projects, includingGoya’s GhostsandLove in the Time of Cholera. Because of this, the Coens weren’t entirely sure that his schedule was going toline up for filmingNo Country. So, they had actor Mark Strong on call. “I was on the phone one weekend and was told, ‘Listen, Javier’s dates don’t work,’ so for a few days I was thinking, ‘Wow, I’m actually going to work with the Coen brothers,'” Strong revealed toTotal Filmin 2009. At the time, he wasn’t yet known for playing villains in films like inSherlock Holmes,Green Lantern, orKick-Ass. In fact, he wasn’t a well-known name at all, despite having been working in the industry for over a decade. He would have been an interesting replacement, no doubt,but unfortunately for Strong, Bardem was able to take the role after all.“I would kneel on broken glass to work with [the Coen Brothers],” the actor lamented.
It’s hard to imagine what Strong’s take on Anton Chigurh would have looked like. While the actor would become known for playing villains over the next several years (many of them comic book antagonists), those roles were always a bit more over-the-topin comparison to the understated menace that is Chigurh.Bardem ultimately proved perfect for the role, able to balance a threatening exterior with his generally calm demeanor. The way he walked in and out of a scene, every interaction pushing the boundaries of what the audience can emotionally handle, was terribly effective. More than that, he remains one of those movie villains that is instantly recognizable for his deadpan look, distinct haircut, and penchant for intentional violence.It’s no wonder that Bardem won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
‘No Country for Old Men’ Remains a Staple in Neo-Western Filmmaking
In the end, the Coens made the right call by making things work with Bardem.The actor gave the performance of a lifetime inNo Country for Old Men, propping it up as one of the best neo-Westerns out there. The distinct West Texas setting and the dual narratives following Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss andTommy Lee Jones’ Ed Tom Bell, all enhanced byRoger Deakins' unmistakable cinematography, make this a film one cannot easily forget. Its hopeless meditations on poverty and Western cycles of violence are quite novel in their approach, and that’s certainly due—at least in part—to the villain of the story. No doubt, Chigurh is one of those movie antagonists who can make anyone’s skin crawl when he walks into a room. He’s the exact type of character that you’d never want to meet in reality;the way he exists alongside many of these other characters is what makes him feel more dangerous and despicable.Bardem really outdid himself with this one.
7 Reasons Why I Think ‘No Country for Old Men’ Is the Best Western of the 21st Century
“You can’t stop what’s coming. It ain’t all waiting on you. That’s vanity.”
As one of only fourWesterns to win the Academy Award for “Best Picture”(alongside classics likeCimarron,Dances with Wolves, andUnforgiven),No Country for Old Mencarried the Western tradition firmly into the 21st century. It reminds us that even modern depictions of the American West can be as wild as the myths and legends told around campfires. More than that, it brought the chilling words of Cormac McCarthy to life in a way that nobody thought possible, giving many fans hope that perhaps one day someone will be ableto effectively adaptBlood Meridianas well. Until that day comes, we can be thankful that Mark Strong (as good as he likely would have been) was ultimately not called on to take over as Anton Chigurh. This was a role that Javier Bardem was destined to explore himself.
No Country for Old Men
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.
