Joel and Ethan Coen return to their subversive, comedic roots with Hail, Caesar!, a boisterous caper into 1950s Golden Age cinema when the cold war machinery of the American empire demanded studio heads to dish out big budget Hollywood distraction and grandeur.
The film is at once a brilliant parody, celebration, and critique of old Hollywood — when production was helmed by iron-fisted studio executives who micromanaged almost every aspect of the cinematic factory. In Hail, Caesar!, this herculean studio strong man is played to perfection by Eddie Maddox (Josh Brolin), a commanding figure in his double-breasted, wide-lapeled suit who has no qualms about barking orders and slapping actors and actresses around when doubts and troubles arise.
The Coen brothers weave an artful mix of fast-paced action and Humphrey Bogart-esque dialogue to show us the turmoil Maddox is tasked with managing. From miscast actors incapable of delivering lines and the barrage of inquiries coming from gossip columnists always on the hunt for scandal, to the sudden pregnancies that threaten the wholesome mythology of its actresses and the fussy, prima donna directors who’ve deluded themselves into thinking that their work is akin to art.
Although the film’s underlying plot is simple (the kidnapping of lead actor Baird Whitlock played by George Clooney whom Maddox must find in order to complete his film), the archetypes and the insights into 1950s Hollywood is where the Coen brothers succeed in creating characters, sets, gags, and dialogue that are bound to achieve cult-like status and serve as examples of film-making at its finest. Pulling this off is a slew of notable actors and actresses who provide brief, albeit memorable, cameos to depict the unique genres 1950s Hollywood production was masterful in producing.
There is DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson), an Esther Williams-type actress who, after a visually stunning and pristine swim sequence, is full of brusque talk and rude mannerisms as stage hands struggle to peel off a particularly uncomfortable mermaid costume. And Channing Tatum, whose sailor-themed dance sequence perfectly illustrates the then multi-talent lead requirements of not only being easy on the eyes, but also capable of dancing, singing, and acting. There are also several scenes paying homage to the unsung heroes responsible for a film’s completion. We see a scraggly-haired visual editor labouring over endless spools of film that must be cut and assembled while production hands scurry and scuttle to arrange sets on the fly next to extras who maintain painful poses for hours on end until a director finally deems a take acceptable.
The film also delves into darker territory, delivered behind the guise of comedy in signature Coen brothers directorial style. Take for example a group of religious leaders whose opinions Maddox consults for the sake of authenticity. Needless to say, a theological argument erupts showcasing the enduring ideological differences of faith that make all interpretations seem ridiculous in their attempts to assert truth. Digging deeper, the film can even be construed as a brilliant critique of the capitalist system, with all its hypocrisy, class structures, and cultural artifice. Herbert Marcuse, anyone?
While Hail, Caesar! is a brisk and joyful jaunt through the façade of beauty behind which Hollywood hides and often feels compelled to manufacture, it’s also a reminder of the thirst audiences may still have for an older era of spectacle. After watching Hobie Doyle’s (Alden Caleb Ehrenreich) dazzling Spaghetti Western acrobatics and several other intricately timed song and dance choreography, you’ll no doubt walk away hoping for more such scenes of physical craft and a little less CGI that saturates today’s movies.
(This article was originally published on February 11, 2016)