Keanu Reeves has an iconic comedy movie that has an odd connection to one of many biggest Western films of the twenty first century. Reeves has starred in a number of very fashionable films in numerous genres, however one style he hasn’t had success in is the Western. He solely appeared in a single Western, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, in 1993.
Whereas his John Wick films borrow closely from Westerns, on high of Samurai tropes, it is not a style that he has ever match into. That mentioned, Reeves has been in a number of comedies over his profession, and one among his hottest franchises has a connection to the Western that was named among the finest ever launched within the twenty first century.
No Nation For Outdated Males Has A Enjoyable Connection To Invoice & Ted’s Bogus Journey
When No Nation for Outdated Males and Invoice & Ted’s Bogus Journey, there does not appear to be a number of comparisons between them. No Nation for Outdated Males is a movie a couple of employed killer attempting to retrieve drug cash that leads to the fingers of a person in a small rural city. The physique depend is excessive, and it is extraordinarily violent.
Invoice & Ted’s Bogus Journey is the sequel to Keanu Reeves’s breakout, Invoice & Ted’s Wonderful Journey. After the primary film confirmed the slackers attempting to go a historical past undertaking in highschool utilizing time journey, the second confirmed them trying to meet their future by writing the track that will deliver the world collectively.
One film was about nihilistic violence, and the opposite was about hope for a vivid future. Nonetheless, each movies did characteristic dying, and the concept of dying in every film got here from the very same inspiration. Each releases patterned their themes of dying from the Ingmar Bergman traditional, The Seventh Seal.
The Seventh Seal is a couple of knight getting back from the Crusades and eager to get again dwelling to see his spouse yet another time earlier than he dies. It is the bubonic plague that’s killing everybody, and the knight makes a take care of Loss of life to play chess for his life. So long as they play, he’ll stay alive as he travels again dwelling.
Loss of life in The Seventh Seal is performed by Bengt Ekerot, and he is portrayed as a white-faced man, sporting a protracted black hooded cloak, who likes to play video games. When Invoice and Ted die of their sequel, they make a take care of Loss of life to return to life in the event that they beat him at video games. Loss of life, performed right here by William Sadler, seems to be precisely the identical because the character from The Seventh Seal.
The theme of enjoying video games to win life again was additionally in each films. This results in No Nation for Outdated Males, the place Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is the personification of dying. The Coen Brothers even reference The Seventh Seal of their script greater than as soon as, exhibiting this was their affect.
Woody Harrelson’s Carson Wells says that Anton Chigurh is the “bubonic plague,” instantly referencing the reason for dying in The Seventh Seal. Chigurh does not technically play video games, however he does supply the coin flip to find out deaths, making them a factor of likelihood.
Each Invoice & Ted’s Bogus Journey and No Nation for Outdated Males use Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal as an inspiration for his or her takes on dying. Whereas the comedy affords a direct copy of the character, the Coen Brothers’ Western depends on the themes to ship the message, however each honor this Swedish masterpiece.
Keanu Reeves’s John Wick Additionally Suits Anton Chigurh’s Supreme Of An Unstoppable Killer
Whereas the Keanu Reeves film that references Loss of life from The Seventh Seal is a straight comedy, Reeves additionally performed a personality who shares so much in frequent with Anton Chigurh. Each males are forces of dying, and once they’re summoned, there isn’t any likelihood for anybody to outlive.
Whereas Anton was known as the “bubonic plague,” delivering dying to wherever he arrives, John Wick is a person who will kill anybody and everybody who will get in his approach as he exacts vengeance for the wrongs towards him. John Wick has a a lot greater kill depend than Chigurh (at the very least within the film), and nobody survives when Wick has them in his sights.
In fact, there are variations, as John Wick is a power of vengeance, and Anton Chigurh is solely a weapon of destruction, typically mindless, as he kills even the harmless if the coin flips proper. Nonetheless, each males ship dying on an enormous stage, and each are forces that can ship an individual to the afterlife and not using a second thought.
No Nation For Outdated Males Was Named One Of The twenty first Century’s 10 Finest Movies
Whereas Invoice & Ted’s Bogus Journey is a cult traditional, it is going to by no means be thought of a “nice film,” regardless of its massive fanbase. The identical cannot be mentioned for The Seventh Seal and No Nation for Outdated Males. The Seventh Seal is a masterpiece and one among Bergman’s biggest movies, which says so much, contemplating his legendary profession.
Whereas No Nation for Outdated Males is perhaps a more moderen film, solely launched 20 years in the past, it has already achieved legendary standing. After taking a ballot of business professionals, the New York Instances listed No Nation for Outdated Males within the high 10 of the very best films of the twenty first century thus far.
The one different Western to make the record was There Will Be Blood, which was additionally ranked within the high 10, and paradoxically, got here out in the identical 12 months as No Nation for Outdated Males. With its depiction of dying and brilliantly advised storyline, it is going to stay a masterpiece for a few years to come back.