Ethan Coen reveals why he took a break from directing
Last year, many were surprised when Joel Coen released the first solo feature of his career – The Tragedy of Macbeth – which starred Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand among others. It was reported that, because of various reasons, Ethan Coen had quit directing and that the Coen brothers had split up for good.
In a recent interview, Ethan Coen provided some details about his hiatus and claimed that he could no longer see the fun in filmmaking. The director said: “What changed is I started getting bored. I was with Trish in New York at the beginning of the lockdown. So, you know, it was all a little scary and claustrophobic.”
“You start out when you’re a kid and you want to make a movie,” he added. “Everything’s enthusiasm and gung-ho, let’s go make a movie. And the first movie is just loads of fun. And then the second movie is loads of fun, almost as much fun as the first. And after 30 years, not that it’s no fun, but it’s more of a job than it had been.”
This year, Ethan Coen returned to the world of filmmaking with a brand new documentary which is included in the Cannes Festival lineup. Titled Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble In Mind, it will focus on the life and the career of “rock n’ roll’s first great wild man” and has already garnered the attention of music fans.
The director also addressed the possibility of reuniting with his brother. “None of the decisions are definitive. We might make another movie,” he explained. “I don’t know what my next movie is going to be after this. The pandemic happened. I turned into a big baby and got bored and quit, and then the pandemic happened. Then other stuff happens and who knows?”
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