Imaginatively exploring questions of faith, responsibility, odd behavior, dental phenomena, academia, mortality, Judaism,… and how they all might combine: ‘A Serious Man’ is the new film from Academy Award-winning writer/directors Joel and Ethan Coen, that explores these intersections.
It’s the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe dated 1967, orbiting the world of Larry Gopnik as a physics professor, having been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous acquaintances, Sy Ableman who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the sofa, his son Danny is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah is withdrawing-regular money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While these lives tumble forward the struggle, for sense, meaning and direction is Larry’s chief pursuit. Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?
“How does God speak to us? It’s a good question.”
This “serious” question lies at the heart of the Coen’s black comedy, and on the lips of its feeble, yet sympathetic lead Stuhlbarg. Larry is averaging along with aspirations and yet within the space of days, his life accelerates into a train wreck. Shadowing the biblical figure of Job, the order of Larry’s world is flipped upside down. Searching intently for answers, Larry turns to his three rabbis, whose advice is anything but clear. Sadly, the knowledge these rabbis have of God is mystical and experiential, and lacks scriptural rooting. But the Bible gives us so much more clarity and insight into the nature of God’s relationship with the world than this film would have us believe. Though we only know God and his ways “in part” – seeing “in a mirror dimly” this side of heaven, God has revealed to us the big picture of God’s purposes in the world, and in the detail of our lives. It might not be a complete revelation, and we might not comprehend his plans in every little detail, but his revelation is indeed true and sufficient for our lives.
On one hand, the Coen’s brilliant creation of Jewish suburban dystopia and mid-life despair in the 60s is a very serious film indeed. In this darkly comedic film there are pepperings of truly absurd scenes (e.g. Danny’s stoned Bar Mitzvah), the opening subtitled parralel parable, and the hilarious dialogue (“Hush-hush”, “Look at the parking lot, Larry”!). As with most of the Coens’ films, the sublime and ridiculous seamlessly go hand in hand; showcasing their brilliance and capturing the absurdity of life without God.
With the impersonal and distant God of Gopnik and his three rabbis, it is ridiculous to,….
“…receive with simplicity everything that happens to you”. There is haunting apologetics in the questions and comment throughout this piece:-
‘When all the truth you believe lies, and all hope within you dies then what…?’
“Why does God make us feel the questions if we cannot know the answers?”
Christians know with certainty that God has spoken for us in Jesus, and therefore (whatever we maybe feeling) we are always loved. Life is imbued with meaning, even amidst moments of pain, suffering and frustration because we know that through Jesus, God graciously and personally (is always) working in all for the good of his people. Coen’s movie is genius, my first and best new movie of the decade!! With an intelligent script, a sharp, yet unknown cast, spare cinematography and immaculate design, it is reflective, thought-provoking and stimulatingly brilliant. You guessed it: I loved it!!
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