Do you want to see ‘Barton Fink’?

Barton Fink (1991)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 53
Fresh: 48 | Rotten: 5

Twisty and unsettling, the Coen brothers' satirical tale of a 1940s playwright struggling with writer's block is packed with their trademark sense of humor and terrific performances from its cast.

Average Rating: 7.5/10
Critic Reviews: 11
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 1

Twisty and unsettling, the Coen brothers' satirical tale of a 1940s playwright struggling with writer's block is packed with their trademark sense of humor and terrific performances from its cast.

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Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 39,507

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Movie Info

The title character, played by John Turturro, is a Broadway playwright, based on Clifford Odets, lured to Hollywood with the promise of untold riches by a boorish studio chieftain (played by Michael Lerner as a combination of Louis B. Mayer and Harry Cohn). Despising the film capital and everything it stands for, Barton Fink comes down with an acute case of writer's block. He is looked after by a secretary (Judy Davis) who has been acting as a ghost writer for an alcoholic screenwriter (John

R, 1 hr. 56 min.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Joel Coen , Ethan Coen

Written By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

In Theaters: Aug 21, 1991 Wide

On DVD: May 20, 2003

20th Century Fox

Barton Fink Trailer & Photos

Cast

John Turturro
Barton Fink
John Goodman
Charlie Meadows
Judy Davis
Audrey Taylor
Michael Lerner
Jack Lipnick
John Mahoney
W.P. Mayhew
Tony Shalhoub
Ben Geisler
Jon Polito
Lou Breeze
Steve Buscemi
Chet
David Warrilow
Garland Stanford
Richard Portnow
Detective Mastrionotti
Christopher Murney
Detective Deutsch
Robert Beecher
Referee
Harry Bugin
Pete
Lance Davis
Richard St. Clair
Jack Denbo
Stagehand
Gordon Anthony Davis
Maitre d'
Max Grod�nchik
Clapper Boy
I.M. Hobson
Derek
Jana Marie Hupp
USO Girl
Johnny Judkins
Sailor
William Preston Robertson
Darwyn Swalve
Wrestler
Isabelle Townsend
Beauty
Gayle Vance
Geisler's Secretary
John Lyons
Donna Isaacson
Meagen Fay
Pippy Carnahan

Critic Reviews for Barton Fink

All Critics (53) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (5) | DVD (14)

Gnomic, claustrophobic, hallucinatory, just plain weird, it is the kind of movie critics can soak up thousands of words analyzing and cinephiles can soak up at least three espressos arguing their way through.

October 13, 2009 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

| Comment

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

Again the Coens take familiar movie tropes and twist them into something new. This may be their most haunting movie.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Newsweek

| Comment

David Ansen

Newsweek

Top Critic

Scene after scene is filled with a ferocious strength and humor.

November 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

This creepy satire is full of laughs and flaky twists, but by the end you may still be scratching your head.

November 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comments (8)

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

It's an exhilarating original.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

Partly hilarious, partly horrific, totally mesmerizing.

May 12, 2001 Comment

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

Goes off the deep end.

April 4, 2011 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Bizarre Hollywood dream factory. Teens only.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Kelly Kessler

Common Sense Media

Resembles not the artist's churning mind but the filmmakers' conjoined colon

November 15, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion

| Comments (10)

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Does cinema get any better than this?

April 19, 2008 Comment

Clint Morris

Moviehole

The film's period decor, mood lighting and artful camerawork are beautiful, at times thrilling, to look at.

November 6, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Fascinating tale by the Coen brothers, among their best, with standout work by leads Turturro and Goodman.

November 4, 2007 Comment

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Someone pleaaaaase explain this movie to me!

August 25, 2006 Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium

| Comments (8)

JoBlo

JoBlo's Movie Emporium

The worst of the Coens' genre-ransacking; mean and self-congratulatory.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: F5 (Wichita, KS)

| Comments (9)

Jake Euker

F5 (Wichita, KS) Source: F5 (Wichita, KS)

Somehow everything coheres, thanks to the Coens' superb writing and assured direction, and a roster of marvellous performances. The result works on numerous levels, thrilling the mind, ears and eyes, and racking the nerves.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Written during their own creative block, Joel and Ethan Coen's noirish satirical allegory decodes the myth of the "sensitive" artist, the mysteries of the creative process, and the ambiguities of Hollywood authorship.

July 3, 2005 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment (1)

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

... a courageous and horrific glimpse through the ego and courage of the human spirit into the emptiness of even the kindest human being's heart.

January 15, 2005 Full Review Source: Looking Closer

| Comment (1)

Jeffrey Overstreet

Looking Closer

Another great turn by the Coen brothers, with regulars Turturro and Goodman at their best.

November 11, 2004 Comment

Michael A. Smith

Nolan's Pop Culture Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Barton Fink

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In the beginning, Barton Fink is a nice drama film that don't look like a Coen Brothers' picture. But, suddenly, the film give an upheaval and become a surreal and dark comedy with influences of others great movies. With terrific performances of the cast and clever screenplay and direction: Barton Fink is an

January 18, 2012

Lucas Martins

Super Reviewer

A Broadway playwright relocates to Hollywood and suffers writer's block while enduring the attentions of an affable but mysterious insurance salesman who lives next door. Barton Fink is an odd fish, even by the off beat standards of the Coen brothers. It's actually quite difficult to differentiate the "real" from the

November 10, 2006

xGary Xx

Super Reviewer

Barton Fink Quotes

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1. Detective Mastrionotti: You're a sick fuck, Fink.
– Submitted by David A (3 days ago)
1. Charlie Meadows: Heil Hitler.
– Submitted by Lucas M (21 days ago)

Character	Quote
	Enter quote here...	Delete

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