The Coen Brothers’ The Who Man Who Wasn’t There is a mesmerizing, modern neo-noir that shows how fragile one’s station in life is when Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thorton) commits a crime in an attempt to better his life. Once he tugs a thread of the unspoken tapestry that binds a society, his life and that of those around him unravel.
Buy The Man Who Wasn’t There (Criterion Collection)Although he narrates the story, Ed doesn’t have a lot to say and doesn’t think much of other people. He is married to Doris (Frances McDormand), who drinks, but it is more a marriage of convenience currently. He works in his brother-in-law Frank’s (Michael Badalucco) barber shop. Into his life comes Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito), a man looking for investors in a new technology, dry cleaning. Intrigued by the idea, he needs $10,000 to become a partner in the venture. Ed blackmails Doris’s boss, department-store manager Dave (James Gandolfini), believing they are having an affair. After Dave takes the money from his business, which he intended to open another department store, and drops it off, Ed gives it to Creighton, signs a contract, and awaits what this new opportunity will provide.
But Ed is no criminal mastermind and didn’t think things through. Being a salesman, Creighton propositioned other people in town with the dry-cleaning offer, including Dave. Although he rejected the offer, Dave presumed Creighton was the one putting the pinch on him since the dollar amount was the same. He found Creighton and beat him to death, but not before he gave up Ed’s name. Dave attacks Ed, who stabs him to death. However, once the police investigate the murder and discover there’s been embezzlement, Doris is arrested as the main suspect.
The Coens have crafted a brilliant script that offers many more plots twists, keeping the audience a step behind what’s going in the story, much in the same way Ed finds himself. Thorton plays Ed consistently detached from his life. The rest of the cast brings their characters to life and, along with their dialogue, make them appear as more than basic noir archetypes. Director of Photography Roger Deakins’s use of shadows and light makes each scene visually sumptuous.
The liner notes state, “supervised and approved by…Deakins, this new 4K restoration was created from the 35 mm original negative.” The video has been given a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer and is displayed at the film’s original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Blacks are inky, whites are bright, and a variety of grays are on display. The image is clean, has a strong contrast, and allows for a good distance of depth. Fine texture details in objects are apparent.
Also from the notes, “the original 5.0 surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35 mm magnetic printmaster.” Dialogue is clear. Composer Carter Burwill’s score fills the surrounds and ambient effects can be heard in them, from a ticking clock elevating the tension when Dave confronts Ed to the blowing wind when Dave’s wife Ann visits Ed after his death.
The Special Edition Features are:
- Audio Commentary – Recorded in 2004 with filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen and Thornton
- Joel and Ethan Coen with Megan Abbott (37 min) – From 2025, the trio sit for a conversation.
- Roger Deakins, 2004 (13 min) – An archival featurette with the director of photography.
- Making The Man Who Wasn’t There (SD, 10 min) – A brief making-of documentary.
- Deleted Scenes (4 min)
- An essay by author Laura Lippman
If it wasn’t for the cast and how sharp the image is, The Who Man Who Wasn’t There seems like it could have been made in the post-WWII period when the other classic noirs in the Criterion Collection were. It’s a well-made crime drama that keeps the viewer invested in where its story leads. The HD presentation looks and sounds very good.
