Joel: Director Joel Coen received much critical praise for his handling of the stylish crime drama "Blood Simple", which marked his directorial debut, and Raising Arizona, a comedy about an unconventional couple whose obsessive desire for a child leads them to redefine the rules of parenthood. Those films, like Miller's Crossing, were based on original screenplays which he co-wrote with his brother and filmmaking partner, Ethan. The critically acclaimed director learned his craft at the New York University Film School. After graduation he found work as an assistant editor and also began doing a bit of writing with this brother. "I was working as an editor on some low-budget horror movies after I got out of school," explains Joel. (One of the films he worked on was The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi, who dies spectacularly in a brief scene in Miller's Crossing.) "Then Ethan and I started doing some writing for a few of the producers we were working with." Seeing other independent filmmakers putting their own picture deals together, the Coens decided to go out on their own and find financing for a script they had written entitled Blood Simple. They found the money, cast the parts and headed to Austin, Texas, to film their movie. Blood Simple appeared on several prestigious lists of top ten films of 1985, including Time Magazine, The Washington Post, and USA Today. It was also honored as one of the year's best pictures by The National Board of Review. Their next film, Raising Arizona, was produced by Circle Films, the Washington-based company that distributed Blood Simple. An original blend of screwball comedy and hyperbolical action filmmaking, it charmed reviewers and audiences alike with its wild humor and unexpected sweetness. Quotes from Joel on Miller's Crossing
Ethan: Producer Ethan Coen co-wrote Miller's Crossing with his brother Joel. Ethan and his brother previously collaborated on the screenplays for Blood Simple and Raising Arizona, on which they also functioned as producer and director, respectively. Ethan has been interested in film since he was old enough to buy a theatre ticket, but never seriously thought about it as a career until after graduating college. He attended Princeton and earned a degree in philosophy. After graduation, he took some temporary clerical jobs and started writing, both on his own and with his brother. Quotes from Ethan on Miller's Crossing:
Joel and Ethan Coen's films since Miller's Crossing include Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. |
Deleted Scenes | Tommy Gun Scene: Shot by Shot |
Classic Lines | Glossary |
Washington Post review / poster | Trivia |
Production Notes | Full Script |