1935-2024
Blood Simple by the Coen brothers is near-universally viewed as one of the greatest directorial debuts. And there is perhaps no better introduction to a filmmaker’s – or in this case, filmmakers’ – sensibilities than the monologue that opens the movie, in which a narrator lays out the most direct explanation of the Coens’ approach to their fictional universes: ‘The world is full of complainers. And the fact is, nothing comes with a guarantee. Now I don’t care if you’re the Pope of Rome, President of the United States or Man of the Year; something can always go wrong…’
This narration is delivered by one of the best voices ever to grace American cinema, that of beloved character actor M. Emmet Walsh. The late performer – known for his hangdog features and dry voice – had well over 200 credits in film and television across nearly 60 years, though Blood Simple was a rare starring role, winning him the inaugural Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. For many, that private-detective character will be his defining performance: an alchemical combination of his ability to be scary, sleazy, darkly funny, and even a little sweet, sometimes simultaneously.
Two years prior to Blood Simple, Blade Runner saw those skills used to similarly searing effect in a very different neo-noir. Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic wows you in its opening moments, and only gets better once Walsh enters as LAPD captain Bryant: pulling Harrison Ford’s Deckard out of retirement and intimidating him with a mix of deceptive friendliness and stern menace.
From his first significant bit part in Alice’s Restaurant through
