Artist O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Swimming with references to literature, movies, and especially the evocative bluegrass and country music of the period—superbly arranged by T-Bone Burnett—Joel and Ethan Coen’s joyous musical comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? cross-pollinates Clark Gable, Robert Johnson, Busby Berkeley, The Wizard Of Oz, and the KKK. And that’s just in one bravura sequence. To add another layer to the mix, the story is based in part on Homer’s The Odyssey, casting George Clooney as an escaped Mississippi convict whose long journey home to his wife (Holly Hunter) includes run-ins with a blind soothsayer, a trio of sirens, and a Cyclops (John Goodman). The soundtrack got the most attention, but the movie deserves a second look.

Updated 09/23/2009