Norm son-of-a-Gunderson! Another re-release?

Fargo, the 1996 Coen Brothers black comedy of down-to-earth Minnesota crime, gets remastered in its latest blu-ray release.   This is the film that granted The Coens (Joel directs; Ethan produces; both handle screenplay duties) Main Street Hollywood access and a wider general audience, don’t cha know. Perfectly sprinkled with brilliant performances and a nuanced script with murder on its mind, MGM is including Fargo as part of its 90th Anniversary celebration with this re-release.

In this snowbound (Thank you, Donald Fagen) film noir, an attempt to get some extra cash goes wrong when a schmuck of a car salesman named Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy in an excellent performance) hires two greasy thugs (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom. He’s in over his head with financial debt and needs some extra money. This is his idea to get some more. The plan is to let his otherwise couldn’t-be-bothered father-in-law (Harve Presnell) dish out the money, get his wife back, and pocket the extra above what the two hoods cost for their dirty business.

Unfortunately, they get stopped by the police on their way out of town and, when they botch an attempt at bribery, kill the police officer who pulled them over. Now, we have a dead body on our hands and, with the rising of the sun, so enters the wise but uber uncool rural chief of police, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand). The film absolutely adores her. You will, too.

As much fun as the script has with Marge’s dialogue, events turn pretty grisly quick. Director of photography Roger Deakins has his camera opening the movie with blinding white snow as a pair of headlights cut through it but this picture is anything but innocent. And soon enough the color of blood will be splayed out across the snow.

The speed of the film is hypnotic as it turns comedy into tension and then delivers some smart investigation.

Because this film has been released previously, I’m going to shift the review to the technical upgrade. Is it worth another purchase? Indeed, it is. Shout! Studios has presented viewers with a 4K UHD release of the acclaimed Coen Brothers masterpiece and the new 4K scan and restoration of the original camera negative has been supervised by Deakins himself.  It is both haunting and crisp.

Finally, the picture is punctuated correctly with good levels throughout. The "middle of nowhere" has never looked better in this new edition, now remastered for the best high-definition picture yet. The previous version had flickering problems on the edge of the picture. This one is clean and the white of the snow doesn’t burn through the screen.

Fargo belongs on your shelf or your digital library. Oh, ya betcha, yah!

Collector's Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - November 7, 2023
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Video: HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0; Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0; French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski), this crime thriller features an all-star cast including Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare and more.  In this seven-time Oscar-nominated film, things go terribly awry when small-time Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) hires two thugs (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife so he can collect the ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. Once people start dying, the very chipper and very pregnant Police Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) takes the case. Is she up for this challenge? You betcha.

VIDEO

Is it worth another purchase? Indeed, it is. Finally, the picture is punctuated correctly with good levels throughout. The "middle of nowhere" has never looked better in this new edition, now remastered for the best high-definition picture yet. The previous version had flickering problems on the edge of the picture. This one is clean and the white of the snow doesn’t burn through the screen. Like previous editions, the film is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio throughout its runtime of 98 minutes. As mentioned before, the improvements are a little tough to pick out.

AUDIO

Make no mistake about it, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & Stereo mix still ignites with the screen to create an auditory boost among all the snow.  It is dynamic and keeps the dialogue crisp and clear. 

Supplements:

Commentary:

• Deakins gives us a great commentary.  It’s not new, but it is necessary

Special Features:

Unfortunately, there are no new special features in this remastered edition of Fargo either. The most notable extra is the half hour documentary Minnesota Nice, unfortunately not filmed in HD. It includes interviews with the main cast, the Coen brothers and Director of Photography Roger Deakins. The majority of the screen time is devoted to William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, and the Coen brothers, though Steve Buscemi and Peter Stomare share some interesting history.

• NEW 4K Restoration From The Original Camera Negative Supervised By Director Of Photography Roger A. Deakins
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & Stereo
• Audio Commentary With Roger A. Deakins
• "Minnesota Nice" Featurette
• Interview With The Coen Brothers And Actor Frances McDormand
• American Cinematography Article
• Original Trailer And TV Spot
• Still Photo Gallery

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Writer: Ethan Coen; Joel Coen
Cast: William H. Macy; Frances McDormand; Steve Buscemi
Genre: Crime | Thriller
Tagline: A Home Spun Murder Story.
Memorable Movie Quote: "You're darn tootin'!"
Theatrical Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: April 15, 1996
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 7, 2023.
Synopsis: Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.