The Man Who Wasn’t There - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Laconic barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), in a classic twist of fate found in sordid noir stories, finds himself in an avalanche of trouble, all caused by a simple decision he made, and everyone in his wake is sucked into the chaos, right along with him. Ed’s wife, Doris (Frances McDormand), is a bookkeeper for “Big Dave” (James Gandolfini), a local businessman, and the two are having an affair. Mostly, Ed is a pretty easy guy. He knows about the affair, but it doesn’t particularly bother him. It bothers him when they have to entertain Big Dave and his wife, but mostly because Ed hates entertaining company in general.

Opportunity (aka trouble) comes a-knockin’, in the form of a shady traveler looking for a business partner for an investment opportunity. Creighton Tolliver (Coens regular Jon Polito) needs $10,000 to open up the first of what he hopes is many establishments that offer a brand-new technology called dry cleaning. No water! No suds! No soap! Just chemicals, and it avoids the unpleasantness involved in clothing shrinkage. Ed thinks Creighton’s pitch sounds solid, so he goes all in. But not with his own money. He’s not that gullible. But with Big Dave’s money. Ed writes an anonymous blackmail letter, saying that if Big Dave doesn’t drop off $10,000 in cash in a specified location, he’s going to go public about the affair he’s having with Doris. If word of the affair got out, it would destroy Big Dave. The business, it belongs to his wife. She’s take it and throw him out, leaving him with nothing. Desperate and out of ideas, Dave surrenders the cash, which Ed takes to Creighton for the investment.

One thing leads to another, as things are wont to do in stories such as these, and Big Dave finds out that Ed was the one who blackmailed him for the money. A scuffle ensues, and Big Dave winds up dead after being stabbed in the neck. To add complications to an already-complicated situation, Doris is arrested for the murder and must stand trial. Ed and her brother (Ed’s brother-in-law) put the barbershop up as collateral for a bankloan to afford one hell of a lawyer. Meanwhile, Creighton is nowhere to be found. All of this, all of these lives crumbling, all over Ed’s quiet dreams of a get-rich-quick scheme.

The Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, have written a love letter to the Film Noir genre by way of the novels by James M. Cain that would become classic films. The Man Who Wasn’t There is almost like a Film Noir’s wet dream of itself–so exaggerated and aggrandized is the style. At times, it looks more like a sci-fi inspired by German Expressionism, but that’s all a part of its charm. It’s larger than life, and the cinematography and set design reflect that, while the performances themselves vary between over-the-top and restrained.

At around the time I first saw The Man Who Wasn’t There, back when I was in high school, it was shortly after I’d seen their freshman feature Blood Simple for the first time. Thus began a lifelong admiration for the genre. While I’d seen noirs before, the Coen brothers really introduced me to the genre and left a lasting impact on me. Films like these, that almost seem to mythologize the genre, serve as a great introduction. Before long, I was gobbling up everything noir had to offer.

Like many films they’ve made before this, The Man Who Wasn’t There may, at times, be too quirky for its own good. Aliens from another world may or may not be involved, and frequent UFO imagery appears throughout–an odd decision that may alienate certain viewers looking for a more straightforward tale of suspense and greed. But The Man Who Wasn’t There isn’t just some straightforward story about a man who killed another man, while everyone else pays for his crimes. It’s often quite hilarious, striking in its beauty, and cynical in how it views the human condition. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Man Who Wasn’t There is inducted into the Criterion Collection in a two-disc release, housed in a standard case, containing a booklet featuring an essay from Laura Lippman. The new cover artwork, a haunting image of Billy Bob Thornton as Ed Crane, was created by Marc Aspinall.

The Man Who Wasn’t There was shot on 35mm film by legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, and for this release, it is presented in 2160p resolution, graded in Dolby Vision HDR. During production, it was shot in color and then converted into black and white during post-production. The Man Who Wasn’t There, for my money, has always been one of the Coens’ most attractive features, and this new 4K transfer, sourced from its original camera negative, looks absolutely gorgeous. The entire thing is razor sharp, with fine details visible throughout the presentation. I’ve read before that Deakins isn’t a huge fan of HDR, so movies he’s shot tend to range closer to SDR, and while that may be true, the variance between light and dark is still improved through its grading. Darks are a pitch black, and lights, like a ring or a silhouette against someone’s face, gleam brilliantly. The film has truly never looked better on home video than it does now. This is masterful work all around, from film production to production on this disc.

On the audio side, we get a 5.0 surround mix, encoded in DTS-HD MA, remastered from the 35mm magnetic printmaster. The surround channels mostly see activity through Carter Burwell’s score, but atmospheric effects occasionally make their way to the rear, like whooshing traffic on a busy street or the ambient chatter of a crowded restaurant. This is going to be a fairly front-heavy presentation, but it’s leveled with precision. About 95% of this movie is people talking, so dialogue is given priority and is crisp and crystal clear.

For a Criterion release, The Man Who Wasn’t There is a bit light on new special features. Criterion has one new feature for this release, but has ported over a few archival supplements from previous releases, like the rare audio commentary recorded by the brothers Coen, along with Billy Bob Thornton, one of the all-time great commentaries. I’m unsure of how much the three of them are pulling the listener’s leg throughout, but they tell some hilarious stories about scenes planned that wound up taking the weirdness way too far, even for them, and had the restraint to either leave unfilmed or on the cutting room floor.

4K Disc

• Audio Commentary - Writers/directors Joel and Ethan Coen, star Billy Bob Thornton

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary - Writers/directors Joel and Ethan Coen, star Billy Bob Thornton
• Interview (HD 36:58) - New conversation between the Coens and author Megan Abbott
• Interview (SD/HD 12:42) - Archival interview with Roger Deakins
• Making The Man Who Wasn’t There (SD 9:37) - Archival Featurette
• Deleted Scenes (HD 4:03)

The Man Who Wasn’t There is pure Coens. It’s hilarious. It’s horrific. It’s cynical. And it’s gorgeously shot, beautifully acted, and wonderfully written. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those on this film’s wavelength, it’s a real treat. Criterion’s release may be a bit light on new supplements, but the interview conducted with Joel and Ethan Coen is robust and informative. And the A/V stats are excellent, particularly the video, which is damn near a demo-worthy presentation. The Man Who Wasn’t There, from the Criterion Collection, is Highly Recommended.