Ethan Coen Reflects on His Directing Journey
Ethan Coen has opened up about the reasons behind his split from directing films alongside his brother, Joel Coen. Together known as the Coen Brothers, they have crafted some of cinema’s most iconic and critically acclaimed works, including Blood Simple, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and the remake of True Grit.
Their last joint project, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, released in 2018, marked the moment when they began to pursue separate creative paths. Joel directed The Tragedy of Macbeth, while Ethan worked on Drive Away Dolls and is set to release Honey Don’t!.
Rekindling Passion During the Pandemic
In a recent interview with Collider, where he was joined by his wife and co-writer Tricia Cooke, Ethan discussed why the brothers have not collaborated in recent years. Contrary to speculation, their decision to part ways creatively was not due to a falling out. Instead, Ethan cited sheer exhaustion as his reason for stepping back from directing after their last film together.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, however, Ethan began to rekindle his passion for filmmaking. He worked on the documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind, which sparked his desire to direct again. At this point, Joel was already engrossed in his own projects, which led to the brothers becoming somewhat out of sync.
Ethan explained, “Neither of us knew what the other would be doing or not. After the last movie we made together, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, I was like, ‘I can’t do another one. This is too hard. I’m out.’ And Joel went on to do Macbeth. And then COVID happened… I kind of got interested again, but Joel was working on his thing, so we kind of got out of sync. There was never a decision by the two of us to do movies separately.”
Solo Projects Reflecting Their Styles
Since their creative split, both Ethan and Joel have produced films that showcase the varied tones of their past collaborations. Joel’s The Tragedy of Macbeth mirrors their more dramatic works like No Country for Old Men, while Ethan’s films Drive-Away Dolls and Honey Don’t! echo the comedic essence found in classics like Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski.
Joel’s upcoming project, Jack of Spades, featuring Josh O’Connor, is already in the pipeline. Critically, Joel’s work has fared better; The Tragedy of Macbeth garnered a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received two Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design. In contrast, Ethan’s films have had a mixed reception: Drive-Away Dolls sits at 63%, and Honey Don’t! has the lowest rating of all the Coen Brothers’ films at 47%.
Future Collaborations Still Possible
Despite their separate journeys, both Joel and Ethan have expressed that they have not closed the door on future collaborations. Currently, Ethan and Tricia are focused on completing what they call their “lesbian B-movie trilogy,” initiated with Drive-Away Dolls and continuing with Honey Don’t!. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted many in the film industry, including the Coen Brothers.
If they do reunite for another film, it promises to be a highly anticipated event for fans.
