Miller's Crossing (1990)

The Coens, always masters of the period piece, gangster, uninhibited violence types of films, have made a much more subtle, and more character driven film than they had previously attempted. Though there are many supporting characters with their own vendettas, political factions, and die hard approach to crime syndication, it's the singular path of Tom Reagan (Gabriel Bryne) that interests the watcher of this film. It's his actions that drive the rest of the film into fruition. The supporting cast is exceptional, beyond words or compare. Albert Finney is the mob boss who runs the unnamed city (the film was shot in New Orleans) with the full support of the city's mayor and police chief during the Prohibition era. He runs the rackets, a booze joint, and has Reagan by his side as his right hand man. Reagan himself is an enrapturing character, both quiet and reserved, and yet frightening in the fact that he has a fierce attitude under the surface. Though he seems not able to kill the men who cross him and his boss through his harsh conscience, he is dangerous, able to hit men with chairs, backstab anyone who is a direct threat, and change the entire political system of the city through blackmail, deceit, and faking deaths left and right. He even lets certain men who try to berate and reveal his true colors be beaten and killed for their efforts. The entire movie is an intricate plot filled melange of slight noir, gangster film, and period piece. The plot was so thorough that the Coens had to stop and write an entirely different movie just to get their heads clear. The film is filled with iconic scenes of murder, intrigue, and politics that amount to some very tense scenes. The entire film isn't all needless violence of course. The scene in the woods, one of the only examples of one scene hinging everything together, was poignantly bereft of violence and later came back to make the ending even more meaningful. The absolute badass of everything was when Finney escapes death while pulling some Godfather worthy stunts. Every aspect of this has the right mood, an understandable yet complex plot, and a great cast. One of the best Coen films of all time.