The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’is one of the best Western movies on Netflix, and the Coen brothers' film that has been praised for its accuracy has managed to complete a 34-year obsession for the directors. The Coen brothers are two of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers of all time, with their filmography spanning a wide variety of genres and tones. WhileThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsmay not be as well-known as otherCoen brothers movies likeThe Big Lebowski,Fargo, andNo Country for Old Men, it is easily one of their most significant films.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggsis a 2018 Netflix original moviethat was directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, with it being the last movie that the duo directed before they began to work on separate projects.The Ballad of Buster Scruggsis an anthology Western that tells several different stories that all center around common Western tropes, ranging from the hilarious singing cowboys to the dark bank robberies and murders.The Ballad of Buster Scruggswas critically acclaimed upon its initial release, but some viewers may not realize that the film’s accuracy is one of its best parts.
& How It Accurately Makes Fun Of The Genre
Six years afterThe Ballad of Buster Scruggswas released, one expert on Western movies pointed out just how accurate the film was. Old West historianMichael Grauer discussedThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsin a recent video fromInsider, with the cowboy analyzing various Westerns and rating them on their accuracy. AlongsideThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Grauer also reviewedTrue Grit, the Coen Brothers Western that many laypeople would assume is more accurate. However, he ended up giving both films the exact same accuracy rating.
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Grauer reviewed several of the segments within the anthology film, starting off with the one starring the titular Buster Scruggs. Although Grauer admitted that the actual events of the film probably wouldn’t have happened,he praises how accurately the segment is poking fun at the singing cowboy tropethat was popularized during the height of Western movies. He explains that the film’s parody of this trope pokes “gentle fun” at many popular Western tropes, with this subversion signaling thatThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsdid its homework on the Old West. Here are Grauer’s full comments:
“This Tim Blake Nelson character, Buster Scruggs, is hysterical because he’s a singer cowboy right out of the 1930s suddenly appearing in the Old West. Nobody wore a costume like that, that’s all an invention of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, movie cowboys from the ‘30s and ‘40s. Strolls into a saloon that has batwing doors, which most did not, by the way. The swinging doors was an invention of movies and television.
“Saloons, variably, attracted a criminal element. Either gamblers – gambling was quite common – and of course alcohol consumption was a big part of that. So often times you saw them as gathering places, but typically they were gathering places for criminals in gangs and gamblers.
“You did have saloon fights, that part is true, and in some cases someone might pull out a concealed weapon. Sometimes. Most of the time it was with fists, and they didn’t last that long. You didn’t have the great scenes like you see where everyone is punching everybody else, punching furniture and so on. It was usually just a couple of people.
“On a frontier town like that, there wasn’t a whole lot of cash available. It was largely a cashless society. It was more on barter than anything else, and so only banks in more established communities really had the cash that was worth the effort, that bank robbers might undertake to rob one.
“I’d call it a seven. They’re poking fun – gentle fun, to be sure – at the singing cowboy films of the ‘30s and ‘40s.”
The Coen Brothers Have Shown Their Western Influences Since Blood Simple
The Ballad of Buster Scruggsis a clear homage to the Western genre, something that has influenced the Coen brothers since incredibly early in their career. 1984’sBlood Simpleis the first movie that the Coen brothers ever directed, with the film’s popularity launching them into stardom.Blood Simplefollows a saloon owner who hires a detective to kill his wife after he discovers that she has been cheating on him. However, things soon go awry when the detective makes a plan of his own, leading to the first bloody story of twists and turns that have gone on to define the Coens' careers.
Blood Simpleis mixes neo-noirwith many of the tropes of Westerns, with it attempting to look at the genre through a more grounded and contemporary lens. Although the film doesn’t take place in the Old West, tropes like hired hitmen, a saloon owner, and an affair can be seen all throughout the Western genre. Embedding Western elements into their very first film highlights how important the genre is to the Coen Brothers, with this continuing to be a trend throughout their careers.
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Movies likeRaising Arizonacontinued to use elements lifted from Westerns, although the Coens didn’t make another film likeBlood Simpleuntil 2007. This is whenNo Country for Old Menwas released, with this being another modern take on many Western tropes and stories.The Coens then made a true classic Western in 2010 with their remake ofTrue Grit, putting a fresh spin on the classic 1969 John Wayne movie.True Gritproved that the Coens could make a tried and true Western, with them then turning the tables on their next attempt.
It Allows The Coens To Tell Every Type Of Western Story
The Ballad of Buster Scruggsis the culmination of the Coen brothers' obsession with Westerns, with the film acting as a true love letter to the genre.Blood Simple,No Country for Old Men, andTrue Gritwere all more serious dramas, meaning that the Coens could only tackle certain facets of the genre with each one. The anthology format ofThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs, however, allowed the Coens to encompass everything that there is to love about the genre, with each segment tackling a new type of Western story.
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Thesix stories that are contained withinThe Ballad of Buster Scruggseach take on a different trope, with the film containing stories about singing cowboys, bank robberies, traveling artists, prospects, the hardships of traveling West, and death. By the end ofThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs, viewers have been given a sampling of everything that the genre has to offer, with the film wearing its inspirations on its sleeve.The Ballad of Buster Scruggswas the best way for the Coens to pay tribute to the genre, which is why it is such a fantastic film.
What’s The Coen Brothers' Best Western?
There has been a lot of conversation surrounding whichCoen brothers movie is their best Western, with there being a variety of different answers. DespiteBlood SimpleandThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsbeing critically acclaimed, most fans of the directors don’t hold these two up as their best. Instead, one common answer isNo Country for Old Men. Despite its departures from the Western genre,No Country for Old Menis one of the duo’s most critically acclaimed movies, with it even winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
When it comes to more traditional Westerns, however, there is no doubt that their best isTrue Grit. The film has all of the fingerprints of the Coen brothers, but it also acts as a perfect representation of the classic Western genre. The film features career-best performances from actors like Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld, and it is considered one of the best movies of the 2010s. WhileThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsis great, it doesn’t quite live up toTrue Grit.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Cast
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a Western anthology film by the Coen Brothers that comprises six distinct stories. Each vignette explores themes of the American frontier, blending humor and tragedy. With a richly detailed setting, the film delves into various aspects of frontier life, showcasing a range of characters from singing cowboys to intrepid prospectors. The distinctive narrative style and evocative cinematography create a compelling portrait of the Old West.
