A Serious Man
“Please, accept the mystery.”
by Philip Bassett
A Serious Man (2009), the Coen Brothers’ most recent film, opens with a mystifying scene. A husband, Velve (Allen Lewis Rickman), comes home in the middle of a snowy night, marveling. He has a story to tell his wife, Dora (Yelena Shmulenson), and his story goes like this: On his way home, his cart overturned and, being unable to lift it himself, he stood helpless. But a man came along, even though it was the middle of the night, and helped him with his cart. This man was not just any man, however; he was Traitle Groshkover (Fyvush Finkel), a rabbi who can quote every verse of the Torah. That’s not possible, Dora says, because Traitle Groshkover died three years ago. Before Velve can respond, a knock comes from the door. It’s Rabbi Groshkover. I invited him to dinner, Velve tells his wife. The man comes inside, and things get even stranger. But whether this man is a living person, as the husband believes, or a dybbuk—a wandering malevolent spirit—as the wife believes, we never learn.
This opening sequence, which is spoken entirely in Yiddish, has nothing to do with plot of the movie. The scene occurs in a different time period, and the characters in it never reappear. But what it does do is leave us with a mystery, one that forces us to wrestle with metaphysical questions. What does it mean, we wonder. Was that rabbi human, or was he something else? Additionally, this episode sets up two different camps of interpretation. One is skeptical of spiritual explanations, while the other is convinced of them. Either we resemble the husband, who says, “I do not believe such things. I am a rational man.” Or, we resemble the wife, who says, “The curse of God is upon us.” As unconnected as it seems then, this little folk-tale sets the tone for the entire movie.
Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is our protagonist, a professor of physics at a small Jewish college. Bad things befall him. One of his students wants a better grade, so he tries to bribe him. His wife, Judith (Sari Lennick), wants a divorce, so that she can marry his good friend, slimy Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed). The cops want to incarcerate his unemployed brother, Uncle Arthur (Richard Kind), who lives with the family and spends his time designing The Mentaculis (“a probability map of the universe”). His kids, Sarah (Jessica McManus) and Danny (Aaron Wolff), only want him around when they need things fixed, whether it’s Uncle Alfred hogging the bathroom or channels not coming in clearly on the television. Before long, Larry finds himself living at the Jolly Roger motel, kicked out of his own house, so that Sy and Judith can live together. Of course as a consolation, these two tell Larry they have not engaged in the act of “whoopsie dopsie,” as Judith calls it. In spite of appearances, Larry seems to believe them.
Up to this point, people—namely, Judith, Sy, and perhaps Larry—have been responsible for all the trouble in the film. But who (or what) is responsible for the next series of unfortunate events is not so easy to determine. Next the plot moves from the mildly odd to the bewilderingly strange, but this is where the story begins to get interesting. I do not want to spoil the surprises, so let’s just say these mishaps come in the form of accidents, bad weather, and illness. Their common theme: each incident lies beyond Larry’s control and suggests the influence of an unseen force. But are these shenanigans the work of Hashem, the Hebrew God, or are they the product of random chance? The circumstances involved in the first accident are so bizarre that Larry begins to seek help. He needs an interpreter, and being an upstanding Jew, he decides to pay a visit to his local rabbi.
From here the plot moves into a succession of interviews—three different rabbis, three inconclusive answers. Yes, as you might expect, these meetings prove hilarious. What you might not expect, especially in a Coen Brothers’ film, is that these authority figures also have meaningful things to say. These rabbis talk of eyes of faith, accepting the mysteries of the divine, and doing good. And, though the Coens use them for laughs, they do not exploit these men. This may set off a shock, but there is not a hint of contempt in this film. To me, at least, this story comes across as a genuine attempt to understand the divine. What those rabbis do not say, however, is also what their faith does not allow them to say: the Jewish tradition knows of no God-Man who came to earth to bridge the gap between God and men. So the divine, at least for now, remains a mystery, and that is what these rabbis offer Larry, mysteries.
Well, here I am at the end, and I still cannot decide what to make of this film. But at the very least I can say this. Most of the Coen Brothers’ movies are about a pursuit, and in most instances the object of that pursuit is money. Here, however, the goal is not gold but God. That switch gives this film a different subject than any of their other films. And, thankfully, the Coens have also filmed this subject with a different tone. Of course, the standard Coen ironies are still on display here, especially in the theme song of the film, the Jefferson Airplanes’ “Want Somebody to Love.” But you will also find episodes here that are honestly heartfelt, including a scene between Larry and his brother that is completely un-ironic. Given their trials, these two feel like exiles, and the emotion we feel in response to their unheard cries is genuine and uncomplicated. Now we realize how much is at stake. Such straightforwardness is hard to find in the Coen canon. It hints that these great filmmakers may indeed have a heart.
Rating: Impressive/Unforgettable.
Written on July 15, 2010 by Philip
Points of Interest: Coen Brothers, Comedy, Drama, Jewish, On DVD
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