When brothers Ethan and Joel Coen were asked whether they had read The Odyssey before, they say that “Between the cast and us… Tim Nelson is the only one who had read it”. Yet their 2000 blockbuster production O Brother, Where Art Thou? begs to differ. Homer’s epic poem serves as the director’s central narrative of three fugitive’s adventures across 1937 Mississippi, and it is clear that both brothers had read the story before including countless comparisons in their film.

But Some Comparisons are More Important than Others

It didn’t take me long to notice the many references to Homer’s work in the film. The Coen brothers name characters Ulysses and wife Penny on behalf of Ulysses and Penelope and use figures like the Sheriff to mimic Poseidon in either’s attempt to halt the heroic quest. I could go on drawing these correlations, as there are numerous, but some are more important than others. 

There is class conflict in O Brother, as Ulysses and his two companions Delmar and Pete experience the daily struggle that was 1937 Mississippi during the Great Depression. Politicians like Pappy O’Daniel are not shy in their unjust treatment of the less fortunate and act on selfish financial motives. Like Zeus and Poseidon in The Odyssey, the use of godly power is not for the betterment of the people they govern, but for their interests. 

Ulysses and his “crew” struggle to live under the rule of unjust Mississippi politicians. Powerful figures that affect these “heroes” are not gods but god-like mortals. Homer Stokes, Menelaus “Pappy” O’Daniel, and Sheriff Cooley all manipulate and exploit human beings in their own battle for power. O’Daniels voice can be heard throughout the film from unseen sources like the radio, which directly relates to the way the God’s spoke to mortals in The Odyssey.

Meanwhile, Odysseus can’t seem to scratch the itch that is the constant torment from Zeus and Poseidon. The Coen brothers leave out the only fair person of power, Athena, in the film to further emphasize the injustice of authority. While Odysseus is supported by Athena’s godlike ability, Ulysses and his crew are helpless and must fend for themselves. Without this protection from injustice, the Coen brothers are then able to totally expose the unfair treatment of the common man. 

Outside Critiques of the Film Can Help Us Understand Its Meaning

Ethan and Joel Coen are known for an ironic tone in their films. This presents the illusion of a story that lacks meaning, while in reality having some pretty significant things to say behind the comedy. Traditional film reviewers were unable to look through such an illusion. 

For example, Robert Ebert of the Chicago Sun said that “I left the movie uncertain and unsatisfied…O Brother contains sequences that are wonderful in themselves, but the movie never really shapes itself into a whole.” This snobbery was consistent amongst other reviewers too, like when reviewer Michael Cohen’s said that “I see them wasting their talents on something as frivolous and inconsequential as O Brother and I can’t help but be disappointed…it is becoming obvious that the Coens want to be fun filmmakers, and not serious filmmakers.” Both reviews totally write off the possibility that the Coen brothers were trying to do more than making their audience laugh. But I see these critiques actually going hand in hand with what O Brother was meant to do, and that is exploit those in power.  

The Movie Reviewer is No Different than the Mississippi Politician

The ending of O Brother shows the three fugitives disguised as a band called the “Soggy Bottom Boys” gain popularity and respect from these people in power. The irony is clear at this moment, as three former criminals are suddenly celebrated by the same people who had placed them in their original unfortunate circumstances as prisoners. The Coen brothers expose this blindness of those who would consider themselves above the common man. In these reviews of their film that reflect such snobbery, it becomes obvious to me that these “elite” film reviewers are no different from the Poseidons or the Pappy O’Daniels. 

These critiques of the film only support its narrative. The reaction that the Coen brothers are able to get out of those holding power to influence through review proves this point. Funny enough, the same snobbery that suggests O Brother is lacking something actually contributes to what it is trying to say. 

By Brennan Troy

I am a sophomore English Creative Writing Major at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.