1. Analysis of how Joel and Ethan Coen successfully created suspense and anticipation through
the use of Cinematography, Performance and Sound in the “coin toss” scene in the film “No
Country for Old Men”
In one of the first scenes of the movie, the audience is immediately jolted as Chigurh’s character is
revealed simply by the manner in which the deputy was killed and the disposition of Chigurh is
shocking as you immediately know that he is capable of any brutal act. It sets the tone for the rest of
the film and is one of the most important reasons why the “Coin Toss” scene is so successful at
creating suspense, because the dramatic irony is that the audience know that Chigurh is a
psychopath and what he is capable of.
The Coen brothers create this scene in reference and great attention to the dialogue in the book.
However its Javier Bardem who portrays “Chigurh” that brings the scene to life, his unique name is
the first thing to be noticed about the character as his name is untraceable to any race or origin
which instantly creates mystery and horror to his character as there is a sense of uncertainty to him.
His appearance also establishes his character as he is wearing black which is clearly the sign of the
villain and his facial expressions are very dominant and significant yet very subtle. Throughout the
film Chigurh is established to be a cold hearted man, eager to kill anyone who tries to cross his
path. However Chigurh himself is dismissive and tries to cover up his violence with "principles" to
avoid any responsibility. His hair style and black clothing shout Death. Furthermore Chigurh is seen
to be an intelligent person rather than a crazy one because of his logical planning and survival
instinct yet his cruel actions clearly show he is the villain.
The establishing shot starts with a Crane-high angle shot of the petrol station with a house behind it;
therefore this implies that they are isolated surrounded by acres of field. This setting is the iconic
American location which symbolised westerns with the pure silence and the creaking of the petrol
station sign, creating the best location for a showdown. This already creates a sense of danger as the
audience already have connotations of the location and suspect it’s not going to stay silent for long
and the shop owner is clearly in trouble if Chigurh decided to act. Then it cuts to a medium shot of
the shop owner which Chigurh then dominates as he walks in the shot creating a two shot allowing
the audience to absorb the contrast between the two characters. The shop owner’s character is
instantly established as the shot is on him for a couple of seconds before our focus is on Chigurh
again. He is an older man who’s just in the wrong place at the wrong time unaware of events that
are about to happen. This character is particularly picked because in contrast with Chigurh he’s a
helpless victim who the audience can sympathise with as he’s powerless. However on the other
hand Chigurh’s character is seen to be very confident and from the start the audience have a simple
construction of his character as he is wearing black which has, in many films connotation of the
villain.

2. Chigurh has walked in wanting to pay for his petrol so he can leave and continue on his hunt
however he’s very subtle and gives nothing away through his expressions which conveys that he’s
very in control. This soon changes as the shop owner decides to have small talk “I seen you was
from Dallas.” identifying where Chigurh has come from. This clearly ticks off Chigurh and the over
the shoulder shot of him clearly shows this as he tilts his head up to look at the shop owner in an
annoyed expression and says “What business is it of yours where I'm from, friendo?” because the
fact that the shop keeper knows where he is from could be a threat. Also the inappropriate use of the
word “friendo” is another thing that’s noticed about Chigurh which explores his character even
more and to some extent fits him. A reverse over the shoulder of Chigurh looking at the shop
owner, suddenly aware that he has offended Chigurh, and in this bit there are 3 shot reverse shots to
catch up with the pace of the script as it shows Chigurh clearly irritated and the shop keeper
suddenly realising he has caused offence as he is alarmed and tries to repair the situation.
The shop owner quickly repairs what he’s said by saying “I didn't mean nothing' by it.” However by
this point Chigurh has already decided to pick on the shop keeper and wants to take the
conversation further “Didn't mean nothing.” Here he repeats what the shop keeper says with a
certain mocking tone implying that the shop keeper did mean something and that he better answer
him. This is very similar to a western movie called “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” because
in the opening sequence of this film no one knows that Sundance is a professional gun slinger and
once everything is revealed the other player becomes like the shop keeper wanting to take back
everything he’s said so he can get out of the situation because they’ve both sensed danger. For its
time “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was a contemporary western film however this film is
even more so contemporary which means it still has a hint of western and though out the scene this
is explored through dialogue and also through the scenes.
Whilst the shop keeper is still trying to conclude the conversation Chigurh is talking more and
creating an awkward situation. The shop keeper finally feels like he’s repaired his offence and
concludes the conversation by saying “...Will there be something' else?” and he sighs a relief and
goes back to writing on his pad expecting Chigurh to leave however Chigurh is not done yet and
continues the conversation “I don't know. Will there?” not really making any sense in the question
he’s asking because he just wants to take the shop keeper deeper into conversation. This causes the
shop keeper to say “Is something' wrong?” expecting to get an answer however Chigurh isn't
cooperating and amusingly playing with words asks another question “With what?”. This means
he's not letting the shop keeper take control and he's using another question to push the dialogue
down more layers. We're three levels down in this dialogue, which is about as much as people are
good at handling. Any deeper and the shop keeper will be lost. The audience can sympathise with

3. because so they would be lost to put it that situation. Chigurh continues to talk to the shop keeper as
if he’s a child and mocks him for not understanding where Chigurh is going with. However in
Chigurh mind the shop keeper is too stupid to understand therefore he gets fed up and says “Is that
what you're asking me? Is there something wrong with anything?” he says this with a serious and
dangerous tone simply wondering why the shop keeper is unable to catch up. By this point the shop
keeper has lost hope of understanding Chigurh and tries once again to finish the conversation “Will
there be anything else?” and Chigurh says “You already asked me that.” And this means he gives
not another question, but a hostile comment and the shop keeper only has one way out: make a bid
to terminate the dialogue properly. Therefore he says “Well...I need to see about closing.” And this
is what pushes Chigurh to the edge as he sees that the shop keeper is backing down but he wants to
continue on as if it’s like a showdown and he wants to kill the other player but the other player opts
out. Chigurh is not amused and very frustrated at the shop keepers stupidity and lack of
understanding however we don’t fully understand what he needs the shop keeper to say to be
satisfied, maybe he never is satisfied and that is why he continues on his path as we see throughout
the film.
Chigurh rejects the conclusion of the conversation and he takes control, issuing question after
indirectly threatening question. “What time do you close?” the shop keeper answers very quickly
clearly showing he’s agitated “Now. We close now.” However Chigurh is not happy with the
answer. He will decide the level of specificity required. Therefore he continues on with his
threatening questions and this means the mood is getting more and more intense and the audience
can almost feel the tension building up. Until the camera cuts to a close up of the rapper of the nuts
Chigurh was eating creating a crunching noise as it un-crunches. This shot somehow direct the
audience to look away or take a break from the intensity of the conversation as it may seem that
nothing’s going on but ironically in this conversation a lot is happening and the shot was used to
help the audience take a breath before they are put back into that position. Then without hesitating
Chigurh asks “...What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?” starting his game and seriously
putting the shop keeper’s life in danger. The “coin toss” scene is one of the most significant scenes
in which the character of Chigurh is explored further without blood or violence which is why it’s an
effective scene as it build up tension to create fear and anxiety for the audience out of a simple
situation because the dramatic irony is that we know Chigurh as a character and expect him to act
out at any moment however the shop keeper has no idea. This creates a climax in Chigurh’s
psychopathic expression just before he reveals the coin and this is the moment the shop keeper and
the audience are relieved. “Well done.” He congratulates the owner on having won out against the
odds. Ordering the owner not to put the quarter in his pocket, Chigurh says, “Or it will get mixed in
with the others and become just a coin……which it is.”

4. The “coin toss” scene is one of the most significant scenes in which the character of Chigurh is
explored further without any blood or violence which is why it’s an effective scene as it build up
tension to create fear and anxiety out of a simple situation because the dramatic irony is that we
know Chigurh as a character and expect him to act out at any moment however the shop keeper has
no idea. This creates a climax in Chigurh’s psychopathic expression just before he reveals the coin
and this is the moment the shop keeper and the audience are relieved. However the shop keeper still
doesn’t understand the immensity of what had just happened yet we the audience understand
perfectly that if that coin had tossed the wrong way that scene would have ended very differently.
The emphasis here is on fate and chance. Chigurh says that the coin has arrived at this moment
much the way that he and the gas station owner have arrived, asserting that fate has brought them
here. Now, Chigurh leaves it up to chance to determine the final outcome.
In the end, it is Chigurh who goes on. Chigurh's principles and adherence to his "moral code", evil
as it may seem, allows you to develop a strange respect for him. He took care of himself; he kept
himself clean, never wanting to get his boots dirty. While watching the film, I felt feelings of
likeness and slight admiration for this serial killer. In the moral sense of society he is not a good guy
and I think did represent the pervasive evil in society, which is why it would make sense for his
character to go on.
This is a powerful film because it takes classical themes and makes them complex by using the
characters to reveal something new, or something from a new perspective. The way the camera is
used is effective because it directs the audience's attention, such as always showing Chigurh wash
his hands, make sure his boots are clean, etc. It is showing instances like this in the film that are
revealing. The film emphasized Chigurh's principles and rigidness by emphasizing his cleanliness.
The setting, a character, also provided a setting that made the film and narrative believable. There
were several elements that the Coen's synthesized together to make the film effective. They took
familiar themes and used the characters in innovative ways to support the message of this film.