Summary
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen Brothers' Netflix Western, earns a high accuracy grade from an Old West historian. Released on the streamer in 2018,The Ballad of Buster Scruggscomprises six vignettes, all of which chronicle different aspects of life on the American frontier in the 19th century. The well-received Western anthology film features a star-studded cast across the six shorts, with actors including Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, and Clancy Brown.
In a recent video forInsider, Old West historian and real-life cowboy Michael Grauer takes a look at select scenes fromThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs, analyzing them for their historical accuracy.
While the film does feature some inaccuracies, Grauer explains that many elements ofThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs, particularly, the first vignette with Nelson’s titular cowboy, are being presented in a way that’s poking “gentle fun” at past depictions of cowboy life. Check out Grauer’s comments below and his score for the film out of 10:
“This Tim Blake Nelson character, Buster Scruggs, is hysterical because he’s a singer cowboy right out of the 1930s suddenly appearing in the Old West. Nobody wore a costume like that, that’s all an invention of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, movie cowboys from the ‘30s and ‘40s. Strolls into a saloon that has batwing doors, which most did not, by the way. The swinging doors was an invention of movies and television.
“Saloons, variably, attracted a criminal element. Either gamblers – gambling was quite common – and of course alcohol consumption was a big part of that. So often times you saw them as gathering places, but typically they were gathering places for criminals in gangs and gamblers.
“You did have saloon fights, that part is true, and in some cases someone might pull out a concealed weapon. Sometimes. Most of the time it was with fists, and they didn’t last that long. You didn’t have the great scenes like you see where everyone is punching everybody else, punching furniture and so on. It was usually just a couple of people.
“On a frontier town like that, there wasn’t a whole lot of cash available. It was largely a cashless society. It was more on barter than anything else, and so only banks in more established communities really had the cash that was worth the effort, that bank robbers might undertake to rob one.
“I’d call it a seven. They’re poking fun – gentle fun, to be sure – at the singing cowboy films of the ‘30s and ‘40s.”
The Coens' Previous Westerns Explained
The Ballad of Buster Scruggsearned positive reviews from criticsupon its release in 2018, with praise aimed at how the filmmaking duo injected their signature sense of dark humor into a somewhat tired genre. The six vignettes are all different enough as to keep the viewing experience fresh and surprising, and each features some combination of violence, comedy, irony, and commentary on the nature of human existence.The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, however, is far from the first time the Coens tackled the Western genre.
89%
78%
79/100
7.4/10
7.2/10
1984’sBlood Simple, the firstCoen Brothers movie, is very much a low-budget neo-Western, and it’s the project responsible for getting their filmmaking career off the ground. In subsequent decades, the brothers would return to the genre on several occasions, each time presenting a radically different take on it. In 2007, they would release the critically-acclaimedNo Country for Old Men, a deadly serious neo-Western, and in 2010 theyreleasedTrue Grit, their first true period Western.
10 Most Dangerous Villains In Coen Brothers Films
The Coen Brothers are among the all-time most celebrated film directors, and their movies are full of memorable albeit dangerous characters.
In addition to the crime drama, then,the Coen Brothers clearly have an interest in the Western as a genre, and each movie they’ve made in the genre has been very well-received. Even entries in their filmography that aren’t strictly speaking Westerns in the traditional sense, titles likeRaising Arizona;O Brother, Where Art Thou; andThe Big Lebowski, have elements that could be considered Western-inspired. It doesn’t seem like the Coens are set to make another Western anytime soon, but the pair have evidently now explored the genre fairly extensively.
What They’ve Said About Their Next Project
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, unfortunately, marks the last movie that the Coens made together, and they’ve since been working separately on their own projects. Joel’s next project after the 2018 Western was 2021’sThe Tragedy of Macbeth, which starred Denzel Washington as the titular Shakespearean king. The film was well-received critically and sports a stellar 92% onRotten Tomatoes, butThe Tragedy of Macbethseems unlikely to be mentioned among Coens' best collective works.
After mastering the Western, then, it seems like the duo will be exploring some very new territory.
Ethan, on the other hand, turned his attention back to a familiar genre with2024’sDrive-Away Dolls, a crime comedy he directed and co-wrote with his wife, Tricia Cooke. The film, which stars Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, was met with a lukewarm reception from critics but was a box office bomb and didn’t fare well with audiences.Drive-Away Dollsis expected to serve as the first installment in a “lesbian B-movie trilogy” for Coen and Cooke, with the next installment,Honey Don’t!, having reportedly wrapped filming earlier this year.
Honey Don’t!features an impressive cast that includes Qualley, Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, and Billy Eichner, among others.
Thankfully, however, it seems as if the two brothers aren’t finished working together just yet. Earlier this year,Ethan Coen revealedthathe’s set to reunite with brother Joel on a “very bloody” horror movie. No details have emerged about this project, and it’s not clear how far along in development it is, but it will evidently be quite a departure for the Coens. After mastering the Western, then, it seems like the duo will be exploring some very new territory.
Should The Coen Brothers Reunite For Another Western?
Why Another Genre Might Be Best
The Western genre has been struggling for decades now, and something likeThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsonly works because it’s a streaming film. As an anthology movie and as a Western, it probably wouldn’t have done well theatrically. The lackluster reception toKevin Costner’sHorizon: An American Sagathis summer is sure to serve as a major deterrent for big-budget Westerns moving forward. That, combined with the fact that the Coens have already made a number of Westerns, suggests their talents are perhaps better directed elsewhere.
The Coen Brothers' upcoming horror film marks a first for the pair, as they’ve never made a pure entry in that genre before. Instead of retreading some familiar ground with another Western, it would be exciting to see them branch out and continue to try new things, especially since it seems like they won’t be working as regularly together as they were in the ’90s and 2000s. If they ever want to make aBallad of Buster Scruggssequel, however, the anthology format certainly presents an easy way in.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Cast
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a Western anthology film by the Coen Brothers that comprises six distinct stories. Each vignette explores themes of the American frontier, blending humor and tragedy. With a richly detailed setting, the film delves into various aspects of frontier life, showcasing a range of characters from singing cowboys to intrepid prospectors. The distinctive narrative style and evocative cinematography create a compelling portrait of the Old West.
