Despite how the title card for "Fargo" confidently states that "This is a true story," the Coen brothers' classic crime thriller is, in fact, a work of fiction. That's common knowledge at this point, but the Coens were inspired by actual real-world events when constructing the story. Instead of an exact retelling of a true crime story, the screenplay is a bit of a hodgepodge of elements taken from several news events with a good dose of the Coens' own original input. Strangely enough, the notoriously grisly woodchipper scene, which seems like the most fabricated part of the whole tale, is actually the part of the film that is closest to reality.
One inspiration, according to an interview with The Huffington Post, was John McNamara, who defrauded $6 billion from General Motors. Another possible influence was the case of St. Paul attorney T. Eugene Thompson, who put a hit out on...
One inspiration, according to an interview with The Huffington Post, was John McNamara, who defrauded $6 billion from General Motors. Another possible influence was the case of St. Paul attorney T. Eugene Thompson, who put a hit out on...
- 4/9/2023
- by Andrew Housman
- Slash Film
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