The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

The Coen Brothers: 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

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The Coen Brothers have made a career out of turning extremely minor roles into some of their most memorable characters.

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The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

The Coen Brothers have made a career out of turning extremely minor roles into some of their most memorable characters. Over the years their movies have featured more and more star power with key roles going to Hollywood heavyweights like George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and more.

Despite all the well-known names, it is the Coen Brothers’ minor characters that allow their films to truly stand out among the rest. Capable of characterizing someone just by the way they speak or dress, they are able to craft memorable and important characters in a matter of minutes or even seconds. There have been plenty of small roles that have impressed but many of these are so tiny that they only appear in just one scene.

9 Mike Yanagita (Fargo)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

Fargo just might be the Coen Brothers masterpiece, as well as being one of Martin Scorsese’s favorite movies. Despite how deliberate and concise the story of Fargo is, there is one small derailment from the main plot that has perplexed audiences since the release of the movie. After receiving a late-night phone call from an old friend, Marge decides to go to Minneapolis to have lunch with the caller.

However, when she arrives things immediately take several strange turns. Mike Yanagita is clearly enamored with Marge and what ensues is hilarious and awkward, leading to one of the most memorable “what in the world?,” scenes in any Coen Brothers movie. Complete with a total meltdown and a made-up story about his deceased wife, the scene is something to behold.

8 Col. Stonehill (True Grit)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

An extremely memorable scene in a movie full of them, the quick-witted negotiation scene in the first act of True Grit showcases some brilliant interplay between Mattie and Col. Stonehill as Mattie attempts to renegotiate the terms of a pony sale that her father made before he passed.

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Col. Stonehill goes from sympathy to amusement to confusion to anger all over the course of a few minutes. Stonehill’s arrogance fading as he realizes he is losing the negotiation to a 14-year-old girl is possibly the most satisfying scene in the film.

7 Girls At The Bar (Fargo)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

Memorable for so many reasons, Fargo turning the setting into its own character is one of the aspects of an already near-perfect film. The numerous evidence gathering scenes are where this decision truly shines, as Marge and Lou talk to various citizens, leading to there are multiple unforgettable interactions.

Perhaps the most memorable is when Marge talks to two girls inside a bar that remembered meeting with Carl a few days before. The scene is filled with some of the best dialogue in the movie as the girls attempt to describe what Carl looked like but can’t give details beyond “funny lookin’.” Thick northern accents and Marge’s polite facial expressions make this a scene to remember.

6 C.C. Calhoun (Hail, Caesar!)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

Frances McDormand has appeared in just about every Coen Brothers movie to date. Although it is rare to see her in such a small role, it is a terrific scene despite the movie being ranked fairly low amongst Coen Brothers films.

Only appearing on screen for a few minutes, McDormand plays a chain-smoking projectionist who manages to get her scarf stuck into the projector and nearly choke herself to death. Although brief, the scene is still a standout despite numerous cameos featuring throughout the film.

5 Bank Teller (The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

Although it wasn’t the Coen Brothers’ first Western movie, this anthology was definitely a departure from the norm for the Coen Brothers and one that critics and fans welcomed with open arms. Focusing on multiple short stories, nearly every character can be viewed as a major and a minor character, with a few exceptions.

By far the most memorable of the true minor characters only has one real line: “Pan Shot!” Hilarious, chaotic, and confusing, the brilliance of a man covered in pans and a washboard while running full speed and deflecting bullets just might be one of the best Coen Brothers moments ever.

4 Storekeeper (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

Perhaps the funniest of all the Coen Brothers movies, the dusty world of depression-era Mississippi is surprisingly full of comedic opportunities. The highlight possibly involves the visor-wearing and dead-pan storekeeper.

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Ulysses is already quite heated when the interaction begins but the storekeeper remains incredibly calm despite Ulysses’ frustration about the man’s pomade inventory and the fact that the shop seems to be “two weeks from everywhere.”

3 Desert Aire Manager (No Country For Old Men)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

The only person to disrespect Anton Chigurh and live to tell the tale. In just 45 seconds, the manager at the RV park that Llewlyn lives at provides one of the most unforgettable scenes in any Coen Brothers movie. By this point in the film, it’s clear that Chigurh sees murder the way most people see swatting flies, so watching a woman refuse to back down to his intense glare is terrifying before becoming amazing as the audience realizes that he is at least a little intimidated by her and decides to spare her.

Anton’s realization the woman will not “give out no information,” is hilarious despite the tension. This is just one of many scenes that make No Country For Old Men so special.

2 Bear Man (True Grit)

The Coen Brothers 10 Best Characters That Only Appear In One Scene

The Coen brothers love throwing completely random scenes into their movies. With most directors, these scenes would disrupt the narrative or the aesthetic yet the Coen brothers always find a way to make even the weirdest of scenarios work. The hysterical bear scene in True Grit is a great example of this.

Waiting patiently on a snow-dusted trail for La Boeuf, Cogburn and Mattie are instead greeted by a man wearing massive bear skin who claims to be a dentist and a vet, amongst other things. The scene is perplexing and surprising, yet exactly what viewers expect from the Coen Brothers.

1 Gas Station Attendant (No Country For Old Men)

Widely considered the best single scene in any Coen Brothers movie as well as being one of the most intense to ever hit the big screen, the gas station scene in No Country For Old Men is a masterpiece. Every single line, eye movement, and the smallest shifting of weight from each character adds to the tension.

There is plenty to be said about Javier Bardem’s performance in this scene but it is the unnamed gas station attendant that takes this scene to the next level. Casual to uncomfortable to terrified, the facial expressions and man’s babbling puts the viewers right in his shoes: all alone in the middle of nowhere with a psychopath.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/coen-brothers-best-minor-characters-single-scene/

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