Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the most talented and prolific filmmakers working today. In this decade alone, they have made seven feature-length films. The quality of their work varies in large part because they are willing to approach a wide range of challenging genres. They try their hand at film noir in “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” at romance in “Intolerable Cruelty” and the thriller in “No Country for Old Men.”

A new Coen brothers film is always worth seeing, if only because their films are always extremely well made on a technical level. The Coens oversee all aspects of their productions, but they seem cordial enough to allow each of their collaborators to achieve his or her full potential. Their collaboration with cinematographer Roger Deakins has been particularly fruitful, yielding beautiful landmarks in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “The Man Who Wasn’t There.”

There is so much to talk about that instead of discussing general aspects of the Coen brothers’ work, I will focus on three of their films that I particularly enjoy and use those as jumping points for discussion.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is an odd but endearing mixture of “old-timey” music, the narrative of Homer’s Odyssey and Depression-era politics. The larger narrative centers on three convicts, led by George Clooney, who are trying to find a treasure in the heart of rural Mississippi. It’s a loose narrative that’s driven not by conflict but by musical interludes and memorable episodes and characters.

The Coens are known for making interesting, distinctive characters who stick with viewers long after their films have ended. It’s sometimes difficult to figure out these characters’ roles; they seem so over-the-top that they verge on becoming caricatures. I have always had qualms about the governor, because it feels like the Coens were trying to make him humorous. But the character is too acrid, and the humor that’s supposed to stem from this unpleasantness falls flat. On the other hand, I love John Goodman’s hilarious character, a large, seemingly amicable Bible salesman who turns out to be a vicious thug and petty thief.

Perhaps the most important aspect of “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is Roger Deakins’s photography. This is the film that made the use of a DI—or Digital Intermediate—for a film’s entirety common practice. Deakins used digital color correction tools—instead of photochemical processes in a lab—to manipulate the look of the film. The Coens wanted an old, hand-tinted look that maintained strong skin tones. Deakins desaturated the greens so they took on a golden color. The resulting film has a beautiful, dusty appearance that evokes America in the 1930s.

The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

“The Man Who Wasn’t There” is an excellent neo-noir film that’s staged in a suburban setting rather than in a noisy, energetic city like the classic “The Naked City” (Jules Dassin, 1948). The film is about malaise, as embodied by a lonely, down-on-his-luck barber (Billy Bob Thornton). His story, relayed for the most part in Thornton’s voiceover, is one of confinement: It’s about the constraints placed on an ordinary man’s aspirations.

Once again, Deakins’s work is the film’s highlight. The Coens envisioned the film as a black and white film from the start, but Deakins shot the footage in color before printing it in black-and-white. Curiously, the color film stock gave a superior quality image—it was less grainy and crisper, according to an interview with Roger Deakins. This is a technique that another great cinematographer, Robert Elswit, would employ in George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005).

No Country for Old Men (2007)

It’s best to think of “No Country for Old Men” as a precisely tuned clock. The Coens put their talents to rigorous use in creating this electrifying, extremely suspenseful thriller, based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. The performances stand out: This was Josh Brolin’s breakout role, and Javier Bardem gives a terrifying performance as a cattle gun-wielding hitman who may well be Death incarnate.

The Coen brothers’ editing, in particular, really shines here. Working under the single pseudonym Roderick Jaynes (as they always do for editing), they ratchet up the suspense till it reaches the breaking point. And then they completely subvert the film by switching protagonists two-thirds of the way through. The film won critical praise and confounded countless viewers, who found the sudden switch near the end off-putting. The brothers won Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Directors and Best Picture.

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I haven’t been particularly impressed with the Coens’ work since “No Country for Old Men.” “Burn After Reading” is a forgettable farce about government miscreants; “A Serious Man,” as I note in this review, is a nihilistic work that basically provides an excuse for the Coens to pile terrible scenarios upon their protagonist. Still, it’s amazing that the Coen brothers managed to create two more films after “No Country for Old Men.” I have no doubt that they will make equally compelling work in the coming decade.

The Coen Brothers’ Filmography (2000s):

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
The Ladykillers (2004)
Paris, je t’aime: “Tuileries” (USA: 2007)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Burn After Reading (2008)
A Serious Man (2009)

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Articles:
“The Digital Domain: A brief history of digital film mastering—a glance at the future,” by Robert Allen
“The Colorists,” by Barbara Robertson
“A Conversation with Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC,” by Bob Fisher
Image Sources: Miramax Films and Paramount Vantage, Universal Studios
Links: CGSociety, The Daily Cal, IMDb, International Cinematographers Guild