The Man Who Wasn't There

By Richard Schickel Sunday, Oct. 21, 2001

Affectlessness is not a quality much prized in movie protagonists, but Billy Bob Thornton, that splendid actor, does it perfectly as Ed Crane, a taciturn small-town barber, circa 1949. Everyone cheats on him--his wife, his business partner, his teen lover, his hotshot lawyer. By the movie's end, he is facing his final comeuppance, deadpan sangfroid still miraculously intact. The ever astonishing Coen brothers say their film was inspired by the spirit of James M. Cain's novels about ill-fated dopes. But the Coens transcend Cain. If this were not such great American-vernacular moviemaking--hilarious yet hypnotic--one would be tempted to see something Greek in the tragedy that Ed never comprehends.

Most Popular »

Full List »
  1. Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China
  2. Good and Bad News for Boxing: Only One Pacquiao
  3. The Meaning and Mythos of Manny Pacquiao
  4. How a Bank Robber Became an Antihero in France
  5. Why We Shouldn't Give Christmas Gifts
  6. Does Mexico City Need a Red-Light District?
  7. Happiness Paradox: Why Are Americans So Cheery?
  8. Prosecuting Mohammed: Harder Than You Think
  9. Why Does the U.S. Want to Seize Mosques?
  10. China Investigates Deaths After Swine Flu Shot
  1. Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China
  2. Happiness Paradox: Why Are Americans So Cheery?
  3. Good and Bad News for Boxing: Only One Pacquiao
  4. The Meaning and Mythos of Manny Pacquiao
  5. Why We Shouldn't Give Christmas Gifts
  6. On the Copenhagen Agenda, Reducing Deforestation May Still Succeed
  7. How a Bank Robber Became an Antihero in France
  8. Why Does the U.S. Want to Seize Mosques?
  9. What Gets Lost When Our Finances Go Paperless
  10. Postcard from Minneapolis

Quotes of the Day »

Get & Share
"I absolutely would look forward to having coffee."
HILLARY CLINTON, saying in an interview on Sunday's "Meet the Press" that she'd be open to meeting with Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor, whose book on the 2008 presidential campaign comes out this week
More Quotes »
For use in rail of Articles page or Section Fronts pages. Duplicate and change name as necesssary to distinguish.

Time.com on Digg

POWERED BY digg

More on TIME.com »

Quotes of the Day »

Get & Share
"I absolutely would look forward to having coffee."
HILLARY CLINTON, saying in an interview on Sunday's "Meet the Press" that she'd be open to meeting with Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor, whose book on the 2008 presidential campaign comes out this week
More Quotes »

Today in Pictures »

Stay Connected with TIME.com

Learn More »