About the opening short film

The fierce old woman insisted that Gorshkov died of typhoid fever, but please pay attention, she said: "This is what Bunim (Gorshkov) said, and she also dressed him in sackcloth and filial piety" - Lao The woman didn't see Gorshkov's death, or even him, but she believed Bunim's account with all her might. The trust between them is the trust between the neighbors, and it is the trust between the "aunt and aunt gossip groups" that we usually think the most inconspicuous. This trust, coupled with the obsession with the "devil", made it possible for an awl to pierce Yelairen's chest. When ordinary people see the "devil", they usually either run away or turn pale in shock. This kind of behavior can only be done by the most devout and obsessed believers. Therefore, I think that the secret of the "resonance" between this little story and the following stories lies in the strong medieval colors contained within it: iron ethics + pious belief + cruelty to pagans and demons. The old woman's ferocity perfectly explains why belief in God can lead to the Centennial Crusade. She is the accomplice of the executioner who sent Bruno to the stake and imprisoned the "Miko" in the "Iron Virgin".
In the back story, why did you choose Jews? I think this is because the Jews are the most stable people in terms of religion and ethics. (In particular, they are the founder and guardian nation of the "Single God", and they are the most religious nation.) But in the face of the American business society and legal society, they have also suffered a strong impact. If you have seen "Big Bang", you must recognize the first priest is Howard in bigbeng. The Coen brothers have brilliantly brought the "hippie and conservative" Howard straight into the film, making the comical image of Jews in America and the bitter face of the male pig's feet a more wonderful double irony. In stark contrast to Howard's femininity is the "discomfort" of the male pig's feet - his inability to adapt to the huge contrast between the two cultures. The physical examination at the beginning and the final phone call have two meanings. One is that the male protagonist has a disease, or that he is an "inflamed" organ. On the other hand, of course, the first time the male pig's feet gave up his moral standards, he immediately evoked the punishment of divine retribution.
From this point of view, the existence of the Eastern European short story at the beginning prevents the film from falling into Rousseau-style "reductionism" and "naturalism". Assuming that there is no Eastern European story, we can ask the Coen brothers: "Then you mean that we should give up the coldness of a modern rational democratic and legal society and return to the warmth of the old ethics?" The existence of Eastern European stories blocks this layer of pursuit. ——The warmth of the old ethics is not necessarily good, and there is also the factor of killing people without blinking an eye.


As for the other wonderful details of the film, we will have the opportunity to discuss them later.

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