Welcome back to another issue of Your Movie Mage, where I discuss underrated movies across genres. Last week, we discussed the highly underrated film adaptation of the popular book, “Where the Wild Things Are.” This week, we’ll be talking about the well-received, but lesser-known film, “Inside Llewyn Davis,” starring Oscar Isaac.
“Inside Llewyn Davis” follows folk musician, Llewyn Davis, who is aspiring to make music his career in New York City during the 1960s. Davis is trying to do what Bob Dylan did with folk music just after this movie is set. Davis, however, is stuck in a soul-crushing loop of performing his new solo act after the death of his friend and partner, Mikey.
Davis is miserable from the very beginning of the film, couch surfing and being rude to the few people in his life who put up with him. He seems annoyed with everybody and the world outside of when he’s performing. Davis is undoubtedly a powerful performer but, seeing as he’s a folk musician, he isn’t performing his own songs, and nobody seems interested in monetizing the folk scene.
Through other folk musicians Davis interacts with, the film examines how people change themselves and their past in pursuit of playing authentic folk music.
Another wonderful aspect to directors Joel and Ethan Coen’s films is that multiple watches of the same movie can result in feeling as though you’ve watched different films. One can watch “Inside Llewyn Davis” and, on the first viewing, think he’s a prick who’s failing because he’s unlikable and stubborn. On the second viewing, one could think Llewyn is a wonderful musician with immense talent who is very unlucky.
The ending can be interpreted as Davis being destined to remain in this middle ground of performing, unable to use his talent to pay his bills. Alternatively, the ending could represent Davis accepting and learning to love the place he’s in, done with the rat race and pressure to sell-out. He realizes he loves music and, even though it doesn’t pay the bills, it doesn’t necessarily have to for it to bring him joy.
We’re so used to movies ending with a message of hope about succeeding” through persistence and passion. That isn’t the message of this movie by any means, as Davis does not seem to get a big break, but it doesn’t matter in the end.
Davis learns that success should not be defined by the standards of others. He tried to commercialize his talent, especially while working with Mikey, but after his partner’s death, he grappled with what performing and music meant to him. When Davis performs, he can’t help but perform the songs he wants to, as opposed to the songs people recognize and love.
The decision to make this movie surrounding a ‘failed’ folk musician is genius. It subtly shows the world we live in, where talent is not even secondary to what can be monetized most. Davis is undeniably talented and captivating, but nobody is interested in him. Budd Grossman sums this concept up perfectly in his response to Davis’ performance/audition when he says, “I don’t see a lot of money here.” Along with that, we’re left to ponder what success in the arts truly is.
Davis can perform and receive applause, but he can’t go further than that. He attempts to reach a level of success and ability to pay his bills or at least afford a place to live. By the end, he accepts his life, realizing that there are many people in his life who love him unconditionally and that he can play music without making money from it.
Davis wasn’t willing or able to do what Dylan did at the end of the film, which is to modernize folk music and write new songs that are relevant to the current place and time. So, while it’s easy to blame Davis’ lack of commercial success on luck, it’s inaccurate to do so. It isn’t bad that Davis wasn’t interested in doing this, as he was one of many who wanted to maintain traditional folk music, but it inherently wouldn’t grant him fame or fortune.
There are multiple factors playing into Davis’ story, as he’s grieving his best mate who died from a tragic and unexpected suicide. This deep sadness and grief are obvious to those around Davis, despite his disinterest in actually discussing or opening up about it. This results in people being put off by him.
A lot of people point out the seeming lack of arc or progress made by Davis. With a somewhat ambiguous ending to the movie, we aren’t left totally sure of what Davis’ fate is, but after many watches of this movie, I finally think I have a decent grasp on the ending. Davis hasn’t made much progress as we see with the circular beginning and end. He seems to end where he began, but in reality, his journey was one of grief and acceptance.
We see a hint of change at the end when he sings the song he used to perform with Mikey after his performance of “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me,” the song he played in the very beginning of the film. His ability to perform this song shows growth in his grieving, as well as growth in his approach to music.
“Inside Llewyn Davis” doesn’t focus on success, despite following a talented musician who is persistent in reaching his dreams of being signed by a label. Rather, we are left to ponder various implications of Davis’ stagnancy. Although the film was very well-received, meaning it’s hard to argue it’s incredibly underrated, I will still say it’s underrated because not nearly enough people have seen it or continue to talk about it. For this reason, I give “Inside Llewyn Davis” an underratedness score of 3/5.