"A Handsome Movie" -- Miller's Crossing

Is there honor among thieves?

So goes the central question of an early film from the Coen brothers. When they made it, the Coen’s were still running out of the public eye – their quirky masterpieces, “Raising Arizona” and “Fargo” had not yet brought them fame. And because of that, “Miller’s Crossing”, a film about mob conflicts between the Irish gangs and the Italians in an unnamed Midwestern city (it is Chicago, isn’t it???? Or is it?) did not reap its fame in theaters, but became a cult favorite on VHS. The release of the DVD in May of 2003 raised even more interest in the film.

In the Coen’s world of gangsters, you don’t just wait for the next killing, you’ve got to stay on your toes and figure out the next double-cross, and the next, and the next. Betrayal, revenge, and following orders – those are the central themes that result in loss of life in this period piece. The Coen’s show early mastery of cinematography, score and sound. The camera angles, the transition between scenes, the focus on the details in the forest, and in every scene that takes place in Tom’s apartment…they’re all intricate and award-winning.

But, the film is ultimately character driven. The Coen’s cast a couple of actors they weren’t that familiar with (Gabriel Byrne as Tom Reagan and Albert Finney, so Irish he’s green as Leo, the mob boss) and surrounded them with their usual cronies: Jon Polito as a rival of Leo’s, Italian Johnny Caspar; John Turturro in fine form as Bernie Bernbaum; bit parts for Steve Buscemi, Michael Jeter, and J.E. Freedman as Caspar’s henchman, “the Dane”. They took a chance on unknown actress Marcia Gay Harden to play the sexy, conniving Verna; and it paid off, as she played brilliantly, foreshadowing her skills and the Oscar she received for “Pollock”, and her nomination for “Mystic River” this year.

Synopsis of the plot:
Tom Reagan (Byrne) is the number one lieutenant of the Irish crime family, and the person the crimelord, Leo (Finney), trusts the most. He’s steely-eyed, cynical, and accustomed to Leo tuning in to Tom’s will. Throughout the film Tom seems to be getting in deeper and deeper in gambling losses, which he stubbornly refuses to let Leo pay. Less well known is the fact that he’s carrying on with sultry Verna, who Leo’s fallen in love with. Tom wants to throw Verna’s brother, a double crosser named Bernie Bernbaum who “makes book” and likes boys more than girls…to the wolves, in the form of minor Italian underboss Johnny Caspar. Leo refuses.

The seeds of dissension are sown, and before the film ends, Tom has been everyone’s whipping boy, based on his innate ability for the double cross. The final scenario leaves your head spinning, but in true Coen form, the central question – is there honor among thieves? – has been answered. And like the big, big movies of the 40’s and 50’s, the Coen’s leave the best for the last; you will savor the last big scene.

While I preferred Newman's mob boss in “Road to Perdition” (arguably a knockoff of this film), Finney is perfectly cast and has a brilliant turn when he is attacked by Caspar’s soldiers in his own home. His almost maniacal escape is brilliant. By far, opinions are split on Gabriel Byrne; his tight-lipped mannerisms and willingness to switch sides, along with his tight delivery of the sarcastic one-liner, prove that this might be the best he’s ever been in film.

At the time he shot this, he’d had bit parts in television and movies for over ten years. "Miller’s Crossing", his first lead, proved his vehicle to move his career up, and helped him cross over into film producing. He has the memorable lines:

“If you want me to keep my mouth shut, it's gonna cost you some dough. I figure a thousand bucks is reasonable, so I want two.”

And to Verna, who’s a Jewess:

“If I'd known we were gonna cast our feelings into words, I'd have memorized the Song of Solomon.”

Chemistry between Harden and Byrne is a bit puzzling, but it is definitely living and breathing onscreen.

There isn’t a poor performance in “Miller’s Crossing”, but special mention should go to character actor John Turturro, who has the benefit of the role that would normally go to Steve Buscemi, (and Buscemi has little more than a walk on). True to form, Turturro and Buscemi can each play the mealy-mouthed, snide little characters that annoy everyone….really a mark of how brilliant each of them is! Laughingly, Turturro based his painful, whiny character on his observations of director Barry Sonnenfeld’s demeanor on the set!

And in a truly Coen-like twist, Albert Finney also shows his versatility by appearing, as a gag, in drag, in the background of the ladies’ room, a scene in which Tom confronts Verna about her brother.

There are just not enough accolades to give the quality of this film, and the transfer to DVD is inspiring, although special features are limited to discussions with director and actors. Since they’re all such fascinating individuals, this may have proved wisest – it takes nothing away from the film.

Worth a spot in your DVD collection, “Miller’s Crossing” is not “The Godfather” – but almost.