Blank Check with Griffin & David Miller's Crossing with Ari Aster
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Jul 27, 2025 Filmmaker Ari Aster, known for his chilling works like Hereditary and Midsommar, dives into the Coen Brothers' masterwork, Miller's Crossing. He passionately explores themes of ethics and character complexities within the film. Listeners will love his insights on Gabriel Byrne's performances and the surprising Oscar win for Marcia Gay Harden. A discussion on the influence of Jewish identity in cinema adds depth, while humorous anecdotes about Cinema's quirks make it an engaging listen!
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Miller's Crossing: Classical Elegy
- Miller's Crossing is a complex gangster film synthesizing influences closely related to each other.
- Its narrative and visual style are more classical and elegiac compared to the Coens' earlier, more manic works.
Ari Aster's Early Inspiration
- Ari Aster was a lonely fat kid with a stutter who wrote scripts instead of making movies.
- Miller's Crossing deeply inspired his early script writing and remains important to him.
Coens' Dialogue and Characters
- Coens' films often faced criticism for overwritten dialogue and perceived lack of character sympathy.
- Their films explore cruel, indifferent universes and build world with reverence and irreverence simultaneously.
