You just don't know what to believe any more, do you? I saw the

[raccoon]

movie FARGO a few days ago, mostly to hear the characters' MN accents which another DU'er had told me were very obvious.

Good movie (although too violent for my liking) HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER:



Fargo opens with the following text:

“ THIS IS A TRUE STORY. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred. ”

Although the film itself is completely fictional, the Coen brothers claim that many of the events that take place in the movie were actually based on true events from other cases that they threw together to make one story. Joel Coen said, "We weren't interested in that kind of fidelity. The basic events are the same as in the real case, but the characterizations are fully imagined." He later noted, "If an audience believes that something's based on a real event, it gives you permission to do things they might otherwise not accept."

The Coens claim the actual murders took place, but not in Minnesota.<2> The main reason for the film's Minnesota setting was based on the fact that the Coens were born and raised in St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis.<3>

On the special edition DVD's trivia track for Fargo, it is revealed that the main case for the movie's inspiration was based on the infamous 1986 murder of Helle Crafts from Connecticut at the hands of her husband, Richard, who killed her and disposed of her body through a wood chipper.<4> There was a rumor going around that a Japanese woman, Takako Konishi, died while searching for the missing money in the film, but the death was actually ruled a suicide and the media had invented the Fargo motive.<5> The end credits to Fargo bear the standard "all persons fictitious" disclaimer for a work of fiction.<6>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fargo_(film)

What a crock. What an absolute crock. The events "took place in MN in 1987", only thing is, they didn't take place in MN then or ever.

Am I the only person who thinks moviemakers shouldn't pull this kind of crap? :grr: The movie would've been OK just as fiction.

[tigereye]

1. ti's a great film, nonetheless

[redqueen]

2. I sure don't care.

It's a movie.

I've seen other moviemakers do the same thing... maybe it's very mildly annoying to get to the end and see the 'all the characters in this movie are fictitious' stuff... but yeah, just slightly annoying. That's it.

[raccoon]

4. Yes, it's a movie, but don't go telling me it's true when it isn't.

To me, it's a major annoyance that the moviemakers lied about it.

I guess the smart thing to do is to assume it's fiction, even if at the opening of the movie it says otherwise.

Anyway, that's what I'm going to do from now on.

[AwakeAtLast]

3. I somehow missed that opening

I never knew that - very interesting.

I just always assumed it was fiction - there's some crazy stuff in that movie!

[MineralMan]

5. I was totally shocked to learn that

there had never actually been a Senator Blutarsky, too.

Those pesky filmmakers!

[SoxFan]

6. Simple explanation: The Coen Bros. are full of shite

[surrealAmerican]

7. I think it's all part of a general disregard for fiction in our ...

... society. You generally hear more about this with books rather than movies, but there is a feeling that the audience won't accept "made up stories", only "real" events. I agree that claiming the events are real when they are fictional, is irresponsible journalism, but of course, these aren't journalists we're dealing with.

[ogneopasno]

8. And Fargo isn't in Minnesota! WTF?

[harmonicon]

9. I think that makes it better

good for them to have the guts to do that.

[jobycom]

10. So you're upset that they changed not only the names but also the location?

I don't see the outrage. Maybe they should have said "Based on a true story" or "Based on true events," rather than stating it's a true story, but categorizing the film as fiction would seem to be saying the same thing.

[jobycom]

11. Another possibility...

Maybe the Coens really do know of a case similar to what happened in Fargo, and really are protecting the innocent by not only changing the names, but also by misdirecting people with the Helle Crafts connection.

There was a book and movie a few years back called "Hell's Kitchen" where the writer claimed that the story was true, but that he'd changed names and events so that no one could figure out who the story was about. For some reason to him the finished product represented a true event he was part of, but it wasn't literally true.

A lot of writers do this under the label "fiction," because it allows them to give a biased opinion of a story rather than having to stick to provable, neutral events.

[Orsino]

12. I think it's hilarious.

In an interview on the DVD, they say that they were telling an outrageous story, and wanted just that extra bit of suspension of disbelief. Months after the release, I believe, when reviewers mustered the outrage you're feeling, their statement was something like, "We are shocked that such a thing could have happened, and will take steps to ensure that it does not happen again." :rofl:

I won't bust on anyone for feeling betrayed, though. Had I not been in on the joke from the beginning, I might even share that reaction. I guess one either demands adherence to journalistic standards in fiction, or one doesn't. I kinda like that the Coens messed with our heads a bit.