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'Fargo' and the Coen Brothers

Broadcast Date: March 21, 1996

"We've always been fascinated by kidnapping stories. I don't know why exactly," says Joel Coen. He and his brother Ethan have just released their new film Fargo, which gave them the opportunity to go back to their Minnesota roots and the people and the culture that they grew up with. In this 1996 clip from CBC-TV's Midday, the Coens discuss Fargo's unique portrayal of violence and the Scandinavian-Minnesotan accents assumed by the actors. Reflecting on the violence, Ethan is circumspect. "Actually if you went back and looked at it carefully you'd probably find that there's less there than you're sort of remembering," he says. "All you really need to do is ... suggest it in order to get a big effect."

'Fargo' and the Coen Brothers

• The Coen brothers create all their films jointly, collaborating closely on the writing, directing, editing and producing elements. They share editing credit under the alias Roderick Jaynes.

• Fargo earned seven Academy Award nominations and won two Oscars: Best Original Screenplay for the Coen Brothers and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Frances McDormand. The wins were a real family affair because McDormand has been married to Joel since 1984. McDormand's film debut was in the Coens' first film, 1984's Blood Simple.

• Fargo is fictional, despite opening text that reads, "THIS IS A TRUE STORY. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987...." A legal clause appears at the end of the closing credits stating "This movie is fictional...." IMDB.com says the Coens may have based the film's plot on two of the most famous murder cases in the history of Minnesota, where they are from. One took place in the 1960s, the other in the 1970s.

• Most of Fargo is set around Minneapolis and Brainerd, Minn. However, during the filming in early 1995, the region was experiencing its second warmest winter in 100 years. Shooting of the outdoor scenes had to be moved to other outdoor locales in Minnesota, North Dakota and Canada.

• Though the film's title is taken from the North Dakota city, Fargo itself actually plays a very small role at the start of the movie. The city is seen briefly in a wide shot following a short scene at a bar. And that bar was actually located in northeast Minneapolis.

• The Coen brothers were scheduled to appear at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival to promote their film A Serious Man, the story of a Jewish academic whose life is beset with problems and turns to a series of rabbis for advice. They wrote and directed the movie.

'Fargo' and the Coen Brothers

Medium: Television

Program: Midday

Broadcast Date: March 21, 1996

Guest(s): Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Host: Tina Srebotnjak

Duration: 12:07

This clip was edited for copyright reasons.

Excerpts from:
Fargo, produced by Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films, Gramercy Pictures, and
Raising Arizona, produced by Circle Films

Last updated:
Sept. 10, 2009