Crime, Comedy, and Chaos: The Early Cinema of the Coen Brothers

Crime, Comedy, and Chaos: The Early Cinema of the Coen Brothers is a five-week film course led by Andre Puca, focused on the Coen brothers’ work from the 1980s and 1990s. The class examines the filmmakers’ distinctive combination of genre experimentation, dark comedy, visual precision, moral uncertainty, and Americana-inspired storytelling.

Each session features one Coen brothers film. Meetings begin with a 30-minute presentation covering the film’s historical setting, production background, and major themes, followed by a screening and an open discussion. Across the course, participants will consider the Coens’ narrative methods, recurring ideas, visual style, and the ways their early films relate to one another.

When: Five Tuesdays, November 10 through December 8

Showtimes: 10:00 a.m.–1:15 p.m. on November 10, November 17, November 24, December 1, and December 8

Run time: 3 hours 15 minutes per class

Instructor: Andre Puca

Instructor background: Puca holds a B.A. in English from Cornell University and an MFA in Film Studies from Boston University. He is Senior Affiliated Faculty at Emerson College, where he teaches film and media studies, and has also served as a Visiting Lecturer in film studies at Babson College. His academic work has been presented at conferences in the United States, including the Society for Cinema and Media Studies conference. He has taught three previous Coolidge Education courses, including two on Alfred Hitchcock. His research primarily concerns American independent cinema, and his recent publication in The Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies examined Italian comedian and director Massimo Troisi.

Venue: Coolidge Corner Theatre

Tickets: Price not available