Evil in Fargo and No Country For Old Men

Today I watched Fargo, and noticed striking similarities between the character Grimsrud in Fargo and Chigurh in No Country For Old Men. I think that the Cohen Brothers use these characters to display their definition of evil. The similarities span farther than the disturbingly silent performances by their actors and awful haircuts. In Fargo, after being caught for seven homicides, Grimsrud sits in the back of the squad car while Marge, the female police officer, tries to comprehend his motives. She says, "And for what?  For a little bit of money. There's more to life than money, you know. Don't you know that?...  And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day". Her words of reason are left on Grimsrud. He doesn’t reply and merely stares blankly ahead with what’s described in the screenplay as “hallow eyes”. I’ll compare this scene with the one in No Country For Old Men. 

ARLA JEAN
You don't have to do this.

CHIGURH
People always say the same thing.

CARLA JEAN What do they say?

CHIGURH
They say “You don't have to do this.”

CARLA JEAN You don't. . .

Chigurh stares at her for a beat.

CHIGURH
This is the best I can do. . .

He digs in his pocket for a coin.

CHIGURH . . . Call it.

CARLA JEAN
I knowed you was crazy when I saw you settin there. I knowed exactly what was in store for me.

CHIGURH Call it.

CARLA JEAN
No. I ain't gonna call it.

CHIGURH Call it.

CARLA JEAN
The coin don't have no say. It's just you.

CHIGURH
I got here the same way the coin did.

In both of these encounters, the Cohen Brothers use female characters to show the reasoning and humane nature of woman against the cold murderous rage of man. On the surface, Grimsrud seems to be motivated by 80,000 dollars, but to him, it is only a job. He’s a hired gun. Chigurh is also a hitman. But neither are truly motivated by the money their job brings in. Anton is offered money during one of his jobs, and he turns it down. It’s about seeing a job to its completion. He stands by set principles and rules, and does not falter. Both men are forces of evil that make sure purpose is enacted on a random and meaningless world.  Anton gives Carla Jean a chance to leave her life up to random fate, but she refuses. The coin toss is a random device that has no intentional purpose. This is juxtaposed against Chigurh’s purposeful assassinations. Carla Jean refuses to give her life to chance, and so evil takes her life. Evil in the Cohen Bother’s movies are personified as hollow men who strive to make sure their morals are fulfilled. They have purpose. It’s not chaotic. It may be born out of nihilism, but it’s evil with a purpose. This is in stark contrast with the evil we’ve been analyzing. There isn’t a sympathetic or relatable characteristic in either character. It makes them a terrifying plot device, but also fascinating characters whose absolute dedication to their law make them impossible forces to be reckoned with. There is no moral ambiguity. Perhaps this means the Cohen Brothers are arguing that evil comes from intent purely. Nature is random and has no consciousness, but humans do. Evil is born from striving towards fulfilled purpose. Their films show the dangers of committing to a way of life without remaining flexible or understandable to those who do not agree or fit in with established principles. To the audience, Grimsrud is a cold and empty vessel, but in reality he is a hyper focused man who has no room for outside influence. Both characters who speak to these agents of evil cannot seem to connect with them, and cannot comprehend their actions. To Carla Jean, Chigurh doesn’t have to kill her, but what she doesn’t understand is that in order for Chigurh to live a life full of purpose, he does. Evil’s motives are often mistaken for greed, similarly to how Marge thinks Grimsrud did it all for the money. This shows that once evil takes ahold of its host, they become disconnected and alone. Rebellion is a lonely road, and so is the gathering of knowledge.