Coen Brothers 5: The Hudsucker Proxy

It's difficult to know what exactly to do with 1994's The Hudsucker Proxy, Joel and Ethan Coen's fifth film. The reason for this difficulty is that it does not provoke new thought in the traditional Coen way but rather satirizes a very old method of thought.

Here. Watch the trailer, and then I'll tell you what I mean.

SPOILERS Ahead.

The basic story is this: The CEO of a highly successful company in 1958 New York City commits suicide by jumping out of a 44th-story window. A powerful member of the board of directors, Sidney Mussburger (Paul Newman) hatches a plan to manipulate stock prices by appointing a dope to be the new president of the company in order to drive down stock value so that the current members can snatch it all up for themselves. Later that day, Mussburger encounters said dope, Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins), and immediately sets him up as the company's patsy. Local fast-talking ace reporter Amy Archer thinks something fishy is going down over at Hudsucker Industries (where all of the previous shenanigans have taken place), so she decides to go undercover to see what's what. While Barnes seems to be the complete moron that the board assumed he would be, he inadvertently makes a triumphant business success when he invents the hula hoop (this, by the way, is fictional. Norville Barnes neither existed nor invented the hula hoop). To the chagrin of the board members, Hudsucker stock goes through the roof. Mussburger hatches a scheme to sabotage Barnes and remove him from his post. When all hope seems lost, Norville climbs out onto the ledge of his 44th-story office and, before deciding to climb back inside, evil maintenance man Aloysius locks him out. Norville falls and, time suddenly stops, freezing him in mid-air. We learn that this is the work of the magical man who lives in the Hudsucker clock tower (God?). Norville is visited by the angel of Waring Hudsucker, who gives him the information he needs to save himself. Long story short, good conquers evil, Norville keeps his job, and Mussburger is sent to the insane asylum. The End.

First of all, sorry about all that. I don't typically like to spend time and space summarizing a movie that you could have just as easily watched for yourself (also, I left quite a bit out in terms of details and circumstances, so any Hudsucker Proxy purists out there will know that I realize I have done this). However, I did feel like this was all important information to get out of the way before really getting into a discussion of the film.

The entire movie is a satire of a style of movie from the 1940's and 50's, specifically the films of Frank Capra. This is what makes Hudsucker difficult to discuss in any sort of meaningful way--because it is aping a style of film that has not been relevant in several decades.

As a satire, however, The Hudsucker Proxy is incredibly apt. It begins with two Capra-esque tropes: 1) a wide-eyed and hopeful hayseed (Robbins) steps off the bus and goes looking for his dream, and 2) someone commits suicide (granted, in It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey only tried to commit suicide, but it still counts). There is, of course, a fast-talking, tough-as-nails dame who begins in an antagonistic role but later softens to the bright-eyed charm of our protagonist. Also, the film's villain, Mussburger, is taken right out of Capra--he is a greedy, soulless, cigar-puffing bastion of capitalism. The only thing separating him from It's a Wonderful Life's Mr. Potter is that Mussburger isn't in a wheelchair.

I never really thought about it until after watching The Hudsucker Proxy, but Capra's films reflected a very clear worldview: Greed is bad, and money will never truly satisfy anyone (unless they have no soul). That's why It's a Wonderful Life ends with the line, "Here's to George Bailey, the richest man in town!" Wealth, from a a Capraesque standpoint, has nothing to do with financial gain, and everything to do with what kind of person you are and how many people love you for you.

Within this construct, there is a religious component. When he is at his lowest point, and Norville is contemplating suicide, the God-like figure who lives in the clock tower (Bill Cobbs) stops time, allowing the now-angelic Waring Hudsucker to visit Norville, wearing wings and a halo, singing "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain" (much in the spirit of Clarence from Wonderful). The angel saves Norville, not only from his physical demise, but from professional ruin as well.

I can't say if this is a reflection of the Coens' actual point-of-view or if it is merely a satirization of Capra's point-of-view (sorry about that sentence), but there present here the idea that God smiles on the pure of heart and, in contrast, frowns upon the greedy. This is so much the case that God is actually will to stop time itself to ensure a happy ending for those who deserve it.

Since Hudsucker is a satire of a long-abandoned style of film, it's difficult to find a richer meaning beyond the fact that it is offering commentary on that which it satirizes. However, it does remind us of these films from the days of Capra. While the Coens always present challenging characters, it is clear that they have quite a bit of admiration for these old movies, even if their admiration is manifested in light-hearted mockery (if they took it too seriously, they wouldn't be the Coen brothers).

The Hudsucker Proxy is not my favorite Coen film, but it achieves its apparent goals. Also, it's always fun to watch Paul Newman in any role.

****

Frances McDormand - 4

John Goodman - 3 (did uncredited voice work in Hudsucker)

Steve Buscemi - 3

Jon Polito - 3

John Mahoney - 2

M. Emmitt Walsh - 2