so i just saw fargo and i was suprised at how easily the Coen brothers played with the basic narrative structure of normal films. This was not a rearranging of time, either. The Coens messed with character structure.

 The antagonist is first set up as the protagonist. The protagonist is not introduced until what i think was the film’s ”point of no return.” After introduction, the protagonist becomes a witness to the events and is not actually present during the major turning points. Also, despite the action-packed first two and a half acts, the climax occurs suddenly and is over quickly.

The set up of the film begins with what would be considered the “opportunity” in most films. Jerry is setting up the kidnapping of his wife in order to pay off his debts. However this is used to establish Jerry’s character and afterwards he returns to his life. The first turning point, or “opportunity,” comes when Jerry seems to be given a way to get out of debt without going forward with his scheme. In most films the protagonist would begin by trying to be honest and would be driven to crime in order to protect his family. This is the first clue that Jerry is actually the antagonist.

When the kidnapper Gaear kills a state trooper and two witnesses, this is the point of no return. The audience sees that the consequences for Jerry’s actions will be great. More importantly, they see that Jerry’s scheme is directly responsible for the deaths of three innocent people. This is too high a price to pay for Jerry’s financial freedom. It becomes obvious that Jerry is no protagonist.

It is at this point that the true hero, Police Chief Marge Gunderson, is introduced. She is quirky, loveable and seven months pregnant. It is quickly established that she is a competent detective as well. With the triple homicide, including the death of a police officer, the stakes are raised and the path of the main characters becomes more obvious. Still, the film is about Jerry even though he is not the protagonist. Therefore, the complications and higher stakes involve him. As Gunderson begins to put together the pieces of the puzzle, Jerry gets into more and more trouble.

Gunderson is considered the protagonist because of how likeable she is and how it is her responsibility to solve the crime and bring the criminals to justice. She is friendly and her motives are pure, unlike almost every other character in the film. Her goal is to solve the crime. The obstacles in solving these crimes are more in her personal life seeing as the criminals are stupid. Her pregnancy is her biggest detractor throughout the film. She is smart and she is also very good at getting things out of people. Her weaknesses, besides her pregnancy, include that she is too trusting. She may not have solved the crime as quickly had Jerry been smarter. She is very endearing to the audience.

            Jerry, though set up as a traditional protagonist, turns out to be the antagonist. His goal is to get out of debt without getting caught. His obstacles are his own stupidity and the lack of his father-in-law’s trust. He also puts himself in a situation where he has absolutely no control over the outcome. He is strong at selling a scheme to people who tend to trust him, but this trust goes away quickly. He does not think through his decisions and is never one step ahead of his enemies. He is a worthy opponent for the protagonist because the audience wants him to pay for his mistakes.