by Sarah Bagwell

In the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? the storyline depicts a southern version of Homer’s The Odyssey set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. The three main characters meet after escaping prison and throughout the movie the group attempts to outrun the authorities. Along the way they partake in endeavors including a baptism, a radio broadcasting of early country music, an altercation with a one-eyed Bible salesman, and a run in with the Ku Klux Klan. The protagonists are comprised of a sly but charming Southern gentleman who acts as the Ulysses of the story, and his two rather stupid sidekicks. At one point, this stupidity is exacerbated when the characters believe that one of the sidekicks turns into a frog.

The southern aspects of the movie are at the forefront and portray the South in a negative stereotypical way, full of extreme religion, hateful racists, simpleminded Southerners and large families with unintelligent children. However, the film still romanticizes the South when it comes to the physical scenery with the railroads, tall grass, rivers, plentiful trees, and the constant hum of cicadas. Strong southern accents are abundant and are especially unintelligible and slow on the foolish characters. And of course, every character seems to make a fool out of themselves at some point in the movie, including the charismatic villains.

These tropes used to depict the South and its inhabitants are not new, but they are combined to make a stylized, entertaining setting for the film. While these characteristics are often used to poke fun, they also carry a charm about them that almost praise the distinctiveness of the South. Although the film is not quite an appreciation of the South, it recognizes some features of the South in a pleasant light, especially considering the physical landscape and start of traditional Southern bluegrass and country music.