FARGO - Theme

The characters WANT money in the first half.
The characters LACK honesty in the second half.


I wrote awhile back about the Character Flaw in Fargo.  I stated that "Minnesota Nice" was the character trait that is the draw of the story but will need to be overcome if the goal is to be reached.

Another name for the thematic element of "Minnesota Nice" is Trust.

From the very beginning of the story, the Coen brothers weave this theme into the piece.

"This is a true story" is written on the screen right before it begins.  Most people in the audience/readers trust that if it is written then it probably is true.

Jerry trusts the kidnappers.

Jerry trusts his father in law.

Marge trusts Jerry

Marge trusts Mike

Once Marge learns that Mike has been lying to her.  She returns to question Jerry.

Trust has been broken and now it's game on.