Javier was the standout in this scene for sure, but lets give props to the shopkeeper. His acting at being a confused, nervous, frightened old small town country gas station cashier
Its because this scene works so well. You can pass it off as a weird person talking to a random gas station clerk but when you know the context it becomes so much more. Thats how film becomes art
I think the cashier was relieved also. The sigh and movement he made when he saw it was heads. I’m sure he knew he was gonna die if he said the wrong thing.
The tension in this scene is incredible. You can see the civilian of the scene be initially concerned he offended the traveller....then grow progressively more concerned, realizing this person in front of him isn't normal and something is VERY wrong. This whole god damn movie is amazing.
It will never not blow my mind that Javier pulled off one of the most authentic & terrifying portrayals of psychopathy in cinema history whilst sporting soccer mom hair.
Grow up wicked witch of the east. Call it in. When your life is in the line no 9 line medevac can excuse you from yourself. Be mindful. Call it. Get called out. It doesn’t matter. None of this matters.
Wonderful wonderlust oh girl would you just look at the time? Have you been paying attention when it paid you? Time is money so stop wasting mine. I take no quarter or give no quarter. But this quarter is younger than my father, son. Don’t stare at the sun.
One of the best scenes of any movie...pure conversation. No music...no special effects...perfect dialogue...perfect delivery...awkward pauses.. and great camera angles...
I really like how he gives him a 😏 type look at the end, like he’s his fun uncle giving him a lucky quarter after messing with him for a while, and not a psychopath who would’ve murdered him without a second thought
Completely relevant because like life and nature's randomness every time you walk out the door you're tossing a coin, there's no guarantee you'll make it home.
We really don’t talk enough about how the guy playing the cashier was able to hold his own in this scene while Javier was killing it in one of the best performances of the decade.
A core memory of mine is meeting with my buddy who worked as a gas station cashier - who I watch all the movies with. I was having a bad day and finishing a packet of chex mix, and I guess he read my demeanor, because I heard him start to say in a distinctly old man voice, "Y'all get any rain up your way...?"
Yea that’s the moment I realized the old man was scared shitless and feared for his life.😮😮 it was probably only early afternoon and that just made Anton want to scare him even more.
Now this is a scene. This is how you direct, film, edit, act and write brilliant dialogue. Such a simple idea written on paper, but absolutely gripping and tense when done well.
@@theblackflame4002 The analysis of a scene by itself in a vacuum and if a scene within a film can be considered filler are too different arguments. Either way opinions are subjective.
I really like the moment at 3:46. He takes a moment to comprehend exactly what is at stake, realizes there's no way out, and accepts the challenge with dignity. Given that he's introduced as being somewhat bumbling, it's a great moment of character depth: he'll look death straight in the eye and say, "Heads."
The way Anton sounds tired and passive at first but then instantly switches and deepens his voice is a great detail. It’s so powerful and chilling and the Clerk’s face reacts perfectly. Great stuff, man.
Anonymousity is an assassins friendo. U want to change all that, friendo? 😀... Well then say hello to my quarter... It's been traveling for 20 yrs, blah blah blah.... 😀
I like how he looks almost relieved when the man correctly calls it. As if he didn't really want to kill him but was merely a tool of "fate". Fits into the entire persona of Chigurh.
I don’t think that was relief. This dude is beyond evil and didn’t care about his life in the least bit. I think it was just the switch to a decision to let him live instead of murdering him for no reason that we see, like a man who was going to smash a spider in his house, but decides to catch it and let it go at the last minute
I disagree. He absolutely wanted to kill him. He thinks he'll be doing the guy a favor by killing him. Which is why he made him call it to begin with. But he knows it wouldn't be fair to take that decision up himself so he leaves it to chance
I love how the moment he made the right call Anton begins treating him casually, almost amicable, even calling him "sir," simply for the fact fate has decided the man is no longer his to punish
@@absolutelyaidan1767 This is interesting to me because he 'won' the coin toss. If it is true that he returned to kill them, he would seemingly violate the ethos he had professed, specifically the ethos he professed in the films final scene. This would act as confirmation for the assertion that the person he shared that scene with made. Tried to word this for no spoilers.
Honestly one of the best scenes of any movie in the history of film. Javier is naturally brilliant but Gene Jones’ fear and confusion is so palpable, it completely sells the exchange. Absolutely brilliant by both of them.
well to be fair....anton never intended to trick the man...its all the shopkeeper fault...he should've mind his own business...just tell the total price..because that's the only thing anton asked...how much...take the payment say tq.....simple...but noooo he really need to be friendly really want to start a stupid friendly conversation.....all of this would not happen if he just shut his trap after giving anton the total price
3:35 this part of the exchange, where the clerk asks what he stands to win and Anton says "Everything", always intrigues me. Watch the light leave the clerks face. Just look at his expression. And when he responds with "How's that?"; it's almost just instinctually said. And then for the rest of the exchange until the result of the coin flip is revealed, his entire body language changes. His lip quivers a little. I really honestly believe, while never openly said, the clerk understood at that point what was at stake with the coin toss. Add the sigh of relief once it's revealed? He knew. He knew exactly what was at stake.
Absolutely he did. He tried to act all passive- aggressive with Chigurh until the realization set in that Chigurh was the real deal. At that point it was call heads or tails or else.
I slightly disagree. Before the toss, the clerk decided to close "at dark" in broad day light, it was obvious he was scared. He had a rough idea that the wrong call would mean an extreme beating if not his life. Asking for the stakes, was just stalling for time.
In my mind he did just enough to suggest he might have understood the situation. Perhaps even understood it, but couldn't come to terms with it. It's skilled acting because some of us read it one way and some the other, right there on the borderline of uncertainty. The fact that we can't be sure creates a personal tension with each individual watching the moment. An outstanding scene played to perfection, in my opinion. Not only that but the juxtaposition of the hitman involved in million dollar drug trafficking against the simple guy who married into a very small gas station business, is a commentary on the United States itself and the divide between rich and poor. There's so much in the scene.
@gtd9536 Good point - I think the beauty of this scene was that it was open to interpretation. I felt Anton realized he had to kill a witness because the man saw too much . (Could tell police what kind of car, Anton's description, prolly memorized the license plate #) I am confused about when Anton said then he'll have to come back which prompted the man to ask why would he come back. Because Anton could kill the man now, instead of coming back when dark to do it. He was killing everybody else in broad daylight except the shootout with Brolin at night.
i love the genius of this scene, the clerk makes small talk, he accidentally says something " nosey " from Anton's perspective Anton in turn calls him out on it, makes his own small talk to make the man feel uncomfortable, asking odd questions, and eventually prying into where he lives and the fact he married into it. before making him play the coin game. - after he wins Anton is alot more friendlier and seemingly relieved
He's relieved because he didn't have to do any contemplation, the coin and the store clerk, do all the work. After the flip, Anton didn't have to decide anything, fate controls the situation from there
It is a great scene, I interpreted it as the shopkeepers initial questioning had Anton paranoid so he began being aggressive to work him out and in the end realised he was just a simple shopkeeper stuck in the desert.
So funny how the scene starts as Anton not wanting to be identified yet his strange behavior makes him stand out 10 tiimes more 😂 Edit: holy cow. Nearly 3k likes. Didn't see that coming
That's exactly the things that makes it even more scary. We know what happens to people who see Anton. He gave the old guy a chance for simply being a bystander, and as luck would have it, he won the bet.
To me it’s less about Anton staying under the radar and more about him simply being an agent of chaos, he enjoys the brutality, it’s not just a numbers game or a job to him, that’s just an excuse to do the one thing he really cares about, causing chaos, carnage and death wherever he goes. Letting the shop keeper live by chance is just another way for the writers to show that this man doesn’t care about his job or about being seen. That’s all just an excuse to be pure chaos and brutality embodied.
I've watched this scene about a dozen times, and I know exactly how it ends, and still. This scene is so tension filled, I forget to breath. As if this time watching it could end differently, even tho I know that's impossible. Amazing acting, not just from Mr.Bardem, but whoever played that cashier. Javier did an amazing job at being big, and intimidating in this scene. The cashier did an astounding job at acting small, and intimidated, and genuinely scared. Like, I'd say most people would act the same way in that position. One of the best scenes in film history.
When i finished this movie long time ago, i just think of it as any other movies and move on. But to this day i still couldn't forget it and i keep coming back to watch the clips dozen of times. Anton Chigurh just became my favorite movie character years after i watched it. lol
Look at this sweet man making a conversation with this old man to pass time. Even let him keep the change. I bet every clerk wish to have more customers like that.
Loved every bit of sound engineering on this masterpiece. Sometimes I would play the entire movie on my car on long trips, watching and just listening to those sound effects and dialogue.
Same here, it's such a nice ASMR feeling while driving, and stopping other lonesome cars every now and then, asking them to stand still politely. Always works, so soothing.
It's scary how our minds are really ticking time bombs. You don't know if the person passing next to you has sweet thoughts or is headed to a slaughter
Only ones i can think of that come close are Kevin Spacey in Se7en and Kathy Bates in Misery. Honorable mention goes to Laurie Piper as Margaret White in Carrie.
The fact that Chigur-a complete psycho-laughs at this guy for “marrying into” the business is so funny. Like he can kill people without a thought but this thought makes him have a real embarrassed reaction.
That's the moment he decides to do the coin toss. He abhors that this dipshit married into a business that he clearly doesn't care about. Chigur has very very clearly defined morals despite being a psycopath.
This reminds me of every childhood bully I ever had to deal with. That awful feeling of being trapped. Words will not help, everything you say will be taken as an escalation, and there are crosshairs on you from someone who doesn’t have rules like you do. Terrifying. Both did a great job here.
@@PeterT-i1w He's literally a cashier in the absolute middle of nowhere. Most so-called "proletarians" probably make more than he does---and they don't have to put up with the boredom.
@@ianian4162 Since you didn't get the very obvious joke, I recommend you to go outside and talk to people a bit more often, instead of debating politics online.
Chigurh is literally the personification of death in this scene. He is cold and indifferent to circumstance. Death doesn't care who it is, what kind of life they lived, or whether its a good time for them or not. People could die at any moment, and whether they continue living or not really is based on random chance. This is what the coin represents.
This movie is genius! The two coin tosses encapsulate just how deeply philosophical this movie is. Anton justifies himself by thinking he is no different from a tornado ripping through that gas station, leaving the old man's life up to chance. His psycho-epistemology makes no difference between the metaphysically given, which can not be judged, and the man-made, which is and should always be. In the second coin toss, he is hit with reality by Carla Jean when she refuses to play his game. "The coin ain't got no say. It's just you." A masterpiece!
Its like I've read somewhere that anton does what is to occur naturally, like he is death. So Anton would think that the choice is decided by the coin but the thing is that the interpretation he gives to it,is what it means and what outcome he decides. So Anton is the killer and not a mere bringer of death like a calamity. He decides the rule and merely assigns meaning to the coins as he flips and decides by the coin who lives and who dies.
Before the coin toss Anton belittles the old man. After the coin toss Anton shows respect and calls him "Sir" along with a grin and a funny face. Awesome.
That’s the most riveting, compelling, and immersive, four minutes that have ever been put on film. Halfway through, you’re not even aware of your surroundings cause you’re so involved in the scene. Just amazing.
One of the most chilling, disturbing moments in film... The look in each other's eye's.. The reaction from Anton at discovering the time waster "married into it". A man not of his own making. The fan belts behind him like a noose... The relief in Antons eyes when he calls it correct! Just.. Awesome!!!!
it takes.... a good actor to feel something during a movie.. it takes a Javier Bardem to get so inmerced in a coin toss that you loose yourself in the moment.. and the cashier was absolute terrified. 10/10 acting here... its a incredible movie.
The way he answers questions is so off putting. For example, when the clerk says “is their something wrong” Anton says “with what?” Clerk says “with anything” that’s where a normal person would respond with something such as “no, why?” And he responds with “Is that what your asking me?” And repeats the question “is their something wrong with anything ?” With a faint smirk. Just absolutely psychotic.
I love how Javier says “You stand to win everything, call it.” You can see and hear the utter pure, inner animalistic fury in his voice, the rage that he’s just barely holding back, almost desperately trying to give the shopkeeper a chance by insisting he calls it before it’s too late and he finally gives in to his instincts and murders him
That'd be a good parody skit actually "You stand to win everything. Call it." *confidently* "Alright then, tails never fails!" Cut to the reveal being heads Hard cut to a pair of feet sticking out of an oil drum (provided Gene Jones isn't available to film new footage)
One of the best scenes of the movie, you don't want to blink because you might miss something. The tension became palpable after the attendant innocently asks about the weather in Dallas. Chigurh's demeanor changes on a dime. Great exchange between the two!!
Chigur doesn’t make eye contact at first then as soon as the shop keeper mentions origin or where chigur might have driven from, he looks dead at the shop keeper and doesn’t look away for the rest of the scene. Javier bodem is one of my favourite actors.
@IncognitoSprax yeah, at first he just acts non-distinct, not making eye contact so that potential witnesses don't remember his face. But when he realizes the shopkeeper already knows too much it doesn't matter if his face is seen or not and it's just game on from then, his voice, demeanor all immediately change.
This scene is so legendry. Anton pure Evil but funny how you can tell he is enjoying this conversation by the way he eating and talking. He is like a apex predator playing with his food.
Chigurh looks like and is the death in person. At 1/3 of the conversation the shop keeper suspects it. At 3/4 he knows it. He knows exactly what is on stake with this coin toss. Absolutely masterfully written scene. Perfect acting of both. Just wonderful
every time I get a little aggressive with someone out in the world later on I'm like "wtf was I thinking? I don't know if I was being standoffish with a murderer or what"
This is one of the best scenes I have ever seen since watching movies at a very young age, particularly in the realm of witnessing evil. It's such a simple scene, short too, but so darkly delicious, well written and mesmerizing. Both actors were brilliant in this shot, so perfectly timed and filmed.
A heavy scene performed by two heavyweight actors. The menace coming from one actor and the fear of the other was spot on. Extremely impressive acting. Rarely seen anymore. Most movies now are pretty models trying to act. Or rappers with zero acting talent in top billing.These two should teach acting.
@@richardrooms9509 yaeh. He's like "this country bumpkin dude has been living life on autopilot for like 60 years when other people "flip a coin" every day on whether they get to live another 24h or not, thankfully life (through me) has reached him, let's have him flip a coin for once in his life too :)"
Of course Javier Bardem won a well-deserved Oscar. But Gene Jones here is perfect in this scene. It's difficult to imagine anyone else playing the role. It's so natural, he doesn't appear to be acting at all.
I love to speech that was given you stand to lose everything or gain everything the choice is yours and to tie everything together is how some people have no idea they have been following the stream of what was laid before them instead of them going against grain and taking charge of their own destiny. At least Anton gave him a fair choice to take matters into his own hands . Well Done
Check out more movie clips on HBO Max here: ruclips.net/p/PLSduohp5OGX53DBrdcisLhjcbKpOGceML
🎉
Thank you for uploadimg this scene.
I might
Good god what a perfect scene
I will bet my life on a coin
I think the scariest part of the film is that fact that it has no music. It makes it so much more immersive and real. Real life has no soundtrack.
I think I watched this movie like 8-9x... Straight classic
it has a delicate spooky barely audible soundtrack at the end to increase tension in the coin toss.
@@hbk-hotboy713 yup.... Straight classic.....
@@maurogca yeah....
Funnily enough , the only bit of soundtrack is ONLY in this scene ..
Javier was the standout in this scene for sure, but lets give props to the shopkeeper. His acting at being a confused, nervous, frightened old small town country gas station cashier
The shopkeeper is Gene Jones, who is a great actor himself.
Its because this scene works so well. You can pass it off as a weird person talking to a random gas station clerk but when you know the context it becomes so much more. Thats how film becomes art
He wasn’t acting
Have you seen The Sacrament?
The Shopkeeper (Gene Jones) has a much larger role in it, and you get to see more of his range.
He was really good in this scene.
Gas station employees never attempting to make small talk again after watching this movie
Next time, they'll keep their cake hole to themselves😀
😁
that is a good thing
True, all gas stations workers in my city, they just stopped small talk.
Make small talk great again.
The coin itself deserves an Oscar just for being a coin. Which it is.
This fool with that line 😂😂😂
But it's not just any coin, if he puts it in with the others, it'll get mixed in, just like any other coin
@@JohnWayneStraightcynah fr what was that 😭😭😂
@indexoptions the way @ziaraju says the coin should get an Oscar for being a Quarter! Then he uses that Line from Chigurah
You're putting it up, don't you?
Love how genuine his “well done” is and how he almost becomes somewhat friendly after the man correctly calls it.
I feel like he wished it was tails and kinda annoyed he that it wasnt
@@Joe-sf9wzI got the opposite vibe. He seemed relieved the guy correctly called it.
I think the cashier was relieved also. The sigh and movement he made when he saw it was heads. I’m sure he knew he was gonna die if he said the wrong thing.
@@blake7871 i guess, but for me that "well done" did not sound friendly at all
@@Joe-sf9wz Chugur ain't giving a friendly 'well done.' Getting a 'well done' out of him at all is pretty unbelievable.
The tension in this scene is incredible.
You can see the civilian of the scene be initially concerned he offended the traveller....then grow progressively more concerned, realizing this person in front of him isn't normal and something is VERY wrong.
This whole god damn movie is amazing.
blah blah
@@IbrndUSA well no reason to get offended, he didn' mean nothin' by it
@@brotimwelt "He didn't mean nothin'?"
@@brotimweltand if he doesn’t wanna accept it then idk what else he can do for him
@@IbrndUSA what's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?
It will never not blow my mind that Javier pulled off one of the most authentic & terrifying portrayals of psychopathy in cinema history whilst sporting soccer mom hair.
Psychopath isn’t even a diagnosis
Grow up wicked witch of the east. Call it in. When your life is in the line no 9 line medevac can excuse you from yourself. Be mindful. Call it. Get called out. It doesn’t matter. None of this matters.
Wonderful wonderlust oh girl would you just look at the time? Have you been paying attention when it paid you? Time is money so stop wasting mine. I take no quarter or give no quarter. But this quarter is younger than my father, son. Don’t stare at the sun.
@@jacobmyrick2961ok nerd 🤓
S-soccer mom h... 😠
Can we take a second to recognize the amazing acting from the peanut wrapper? Played to perfection.
um yeah he ate a CASHEW there buddy happy new year
@@yungricefields7148 Alright Yung RiceFields
Can we take a moment that you robbed this comment that ive read so many times just for likes........SIR!
Gee, that's clever. You must be so proud.
the tension unraveling is a nice touch
One of the best scenes of any movie...pure conversation. No music...no special effects...perfect dialogue...perfect delivery...awkward pauses.. and great camera angles...
A little O Fortuna, wouldn't hurt😀
Can you please explain to me why you use so many ellipses, and incorrectly?
@@grafzeppelin4069 We understood the OPs intention, grammar Karen. Get lost.
@@billydeewilliams9104 No, I need to know.
There was music. Atmospheric music.
I really like how he gives him a 😏 type look at the end, like he’s his fun uncle giving him a lucky quarter after messing with him for a while, and not a psychopath who would’ve murdered him without a second thought
Ahahahaa
fr lol
i belive the adjective would be "pointy" look
@@geraltofrivia2570 *flips coin*
Call it.
@@Vodka6329 i prefer the edge
This scene alone could have been an award winning short film. Not at all relevant to the plot but integral to Antons character
Well it is relevant to the plot because it shows how he uses the coin toss to determine who lives or who dies.
Amazing scene, and I agree, it could have been an award winning short film.
Completely relevant because like life and nature's randomness every time you walk out the door you're tossing a coin, there's no guarantee you'll make it home.
lol awards.....
@@GreatNewsVideo lol what?
I love the shopkeepers integrity to say I need to know what I stand to win. Even the peanut wrapper is intense. Best scene ever.
He said “everything” what does that even mean? Everything what?
If the shopkeeper lost the toss, he would lose everything - i.e. Chigurh would kill him.
@@the_wisterian I think he realized it too right before he called it
Very intense indeed! Just like trying to watch the harris hoard's fake numbers rise as they cheated!
@@CharmingChowder ''you've been putting it up your whole life, you just didn't know it yet''
That was the greatest scheme to get out of paying for gas I’ve ever seen 😂
hahaha.. brilliant observation,he didn't pay for the gas,or the peanuts..,and not to mention the hilarious comment.. cheers!
True, im definitely gonna try this at arco next time. Jugdeep wont see it coming
He paid! He gave him a quarter. He actually overpaid I think because the till says "paid out .21"
@@modernape9878the bill was $0.69
Dont do this in any bumfuck gas station in Tx. Unless you like getting a shotgun blast to the knees @@eh2396
We really don’t talk enough about how the guy playing the cashier was able to hold his own in this scene while Javier was killing it in one of the best performances of the decade.
There are SEVENTEEN different threads on here talking about exactly that. Do not diminish these people and their contributions by saying such drivel.
@@charlottecorday8494 Maybe he wanted EIGHTEEN threads.
@@davidjames579😂why not have more
@@lavellelee5734 That would be greedy. 😄
@@charlottecorday8494 touch grass
A core memory of mine is meeting with my buddy who worked as a gas station cashier - who I watch all the movies with. I was having a bad day and finishing a packet of chex mix, and I guess he read my demeanor, because I heard him start to say in a distinctly old man voice, "Y'all get any rain up your way...?"
God damn you!!! I just nearly died choking on a cashew nut reading that
*Pulls out coin*
Class ❤😂😂
In Lappland no one says anything except the obligotary: Hej, then when they pay for their stuff, bye
The look on his face when he says “…. which it is.” gets me every single time and I’m not sure I can really describe what emotion it’s making me feel.
It kinda makes you feel like he is human, after all... He is.😮😅
It's like he's saying it's not really a lucky quarter after all, and you're not lucky...
It's sort of like denying that he ever threatened the guy's life. It's like a bully pretending there was never any bullying
@@Thomas-fg9ilwrong! He wants the guy to know that that quarter just saved him, and everything he's owned and worked for!!!!!!
@@SoapinTruckerno dude you’re wrong. Thomas is right
"now is not a time, what time do you close?"
"generally around dark, at dark"
*gestures outside where it's clearly bright daylight*
yes, that is the point of what he said
You don't know what you're talking about, do you?
@@Nuka-Lucas sir?
@@jbl3466 You're a bit deaf, aren't you? That is the point of what he said
Yea that’s the moment I realized the old man was scared shitless and feared for his life.😮😮 it was probably only early afternoon and that just made Anton want to scare him even more.
Now this is a scene. This is how you direct, film, edit, act and write brilliant dialogue. Such a simple idea written on paper, but absolutely gripping and tense when done well.
Um..no, this is how you drag things out for filler.
@@theblackflame4002 The analysis of a scene by itself in a vacuum and if a scene within a film can be considered filler are too different arguments. Either way opinions are subjective.
@@theblackflame4002how is this filler? It explains the antagonist to the audience pretty well in one less than 5 minute scene
I really like the moment at 3:46. He takes a moment to comprehend exactly what is at stake, realizes there's no way out, and accepts the challenge with dignity. Given that he's introduced as being somewhat bumbling, it's a great moment of character depth: he'll look death straight in the eye and say, "Heads."
I love that too.
thanks padre pio
Brilliant! Its when we also contemplate that very exact fate & train of thought!
you put into words something I had subconsciously felt but never thought about in this scene. Thank you.
Exactly. He grew a pair when accepting the challenge. Fastest character development in movie history…probably.
*1:17** "Now it's not a time, what time do you close?"*
He senses the shopkeeper's desperation at confusing the words. A good film.
You don’t know what you’re talking about do you?
Thanks captain obvious, we watched the same clip as you. Shut your mouth.
and he says "generally around dark" which is also not a time lol
@@person92906 It also doesn't look like it's anywhere close to dark. Looks like it's high noon outside.
You spelled great wrong buddy
"Friendo" and "Sir?" are my faavourite quotes.
I think that it was actually the first time I ever heard the term 'Friendo' which Javier delivered quite unforgettably.
The way Anton sounds tired and passive at first but then instantly switches and deepens his voice is a great detail. It’s so powerful and chilling and the Clerk’s face reacts perfectly. Great stuff, man.
I'm going to make a recording of the "Well done" line, and play it for myself every time I parallel park.
pretty sure it was because he realised the gas station clerk noticed the cars plate number which in turn would reveal the car to be stolen
@@nothosaur😂✊🏽✊🏽
Anonymousity is an assassins friendo. U want to change all that, friendo? 😀... Well then say hello to my quarter... It's been traveling for 20 yrs, blah blah blah.... 😀
I like how he looks almost relieved when the man correctly calls it.
As if he didn't really want to kill him but was merely a tool of "fate".
Fits into the entire persona of Chigurh.
I agree, Monster Hunter "Unknown" symbol
I don’t think that was relief. This dude is beyond evil and didn’t care about his life in the least bit. I think it was just the switch to a decision to let him live instead of murdering him for no reason that we see, like a man who was going to smash a spider in his house, but decides to catch it and let it go at the last minute
Another inconvenience averted😀
I disagree. He absolutely wanted to kill him. He thinks he'll be doing the guy a favor by killing him. Which is why he made him call it to begin with. But he knows it wouldn't be fair to take that decision up himself so he leaves it to chance
@@heyalun It could merely relief from a practical sense. He could be worrying how to handle the body afterwards and look out for witnesses.
A masterclass from both actors. Amazing script.
I love how the moment he made the right call Anton begins treating him casually, almost amicable, even calling him "sir," simply for the fact fate has decided the man is no longer his to punish
That isn't Anton calling him "sir", it's actually the shopkeeper asking "sir?", which is why Anton repeats "don't put it in your pocket"
Later in the film you hear over the radio that he killed the shopkeeper and wife anyway
@@absolutelyaidan1767 This is interesting to me because he 'won' the coin toss. If it is true that he returned to kill them, he would seemingly violate the ethos he had professed, specifically the ethos he professed in the films final scene. This would act as confirmation for the assertion that the person he shared that scene with made. Tried to word this for no spoilers.
@@warlockCommitteeMeetingthe coin dont have no say. its just you" - Carla-Jean
@@absolutelyaidan1767I missed that part
Honestly one of the best scenes of any movie in the history of film. Javier is naturally brilliant but Gene Jones’ fear and confusion is so palpable, it completely sells the exchange. Absolutely brilliant by both of them.
His name is Gene Jones? He's a brilliant actor, at least he is in this scene.
Agreed. You could cut the tension with a knife. Both actors nailed it.
Hans Landa first 20 minutes of Inglorious Bastards: Am I a joke to you?
I thought his name was Friendo.
nah intertahleer
Anton's voice is so good and it fits his evil character so perfectly.
Arguably one of the greatest scenes in all of film history.
Totally agree!
original comment!!
It’s up there for sure. So menacing
he tricked the man into getting the gas and the peanuts for a quarter. lol
well to be fair....anton never intended to trick the man...its all the shopkeeper fault...he should've mind his own business...just tell the total price..because that's the only thing anton asked...how much...take the payment say tq.....simple...but noooo he really need to be friendly really want to start a stupid friendly conversation.....all of this would not happen if he just shut his trap after giving anton the total price
@@alonelypotato2788 a silver quarter
More than enough for gas and peanuts
@@alonelypotato2788😢
I’ve been using this same trick for years now, have gotten almost everything in my life for just a quarter.
Such a wholesome scene. He really inspired that man to appreciate life.
This movie blew me away with how good it was, Well worth a watch
I admire how Anton most hauntingly ends this scene on a paradox:
“Or it’ll get mixed in with the others and become just a coin. Which it is.”
it's definitely worth reading the novel too, Cormac McCarthy is one of the best storytellers of the last hundred years
More movies like this please
@@e2dwf976 falling down, american psycho, nightcrawler, joker. all legendary films
3:35 this part of the exchange, where the clerk asks what he stands to win and Anton says "Everything", always intrigues me. Watch the light leave the clerks face. Just look at his expression. And when he responds with "How's that?"; it's almost just instinctually said. And then for the rest of the exchange until the result of the coin flip is revealed, his entire body language changes. His lip quivers a little. I really honestly believe, while never openly said, the clerk understood at that point what was at stake with the coin toss. Add the sigh of relief once it's revealed? He knew. He knew exactly what was at stake.
Absolutely he did. He tried to act all passive- aggressive with Chigurh until the realization set in that Chigurh was the real deal. At that point it was call heads or tails or else.
I slightly disagree. Before the toss, the clerk decided to close "at dark" in broad day light, it was obvious he was scared. He had a rough idea that the wrong call would mean an extreme beating if not his life. Asking for the stakes, was just stalling for time.
Gene Jones did an amazing job for such a small role honestly
In my mind he did just enough to suggest he might have understood the situation. Perhaps even understood it, but couldn't come to terms with it. It's skilled acting because some of us read it one way and some the other, right there on the borderline of uncertainty. The fact that we can't be sure creates a personal tension with each individual watching the moment. An outstanding scene played to perfection, in my opinion.
Not only that but the juxtaposition of the hitman involved in million dollar drug trafficking against the simple guy who married into a very small gas station business, is a commentary on the United States itself and the divide between rich and poor. There's so much in the scene.
@gtd9536 Good point - I think the beauty of this scene was that it was open to interpretation. I felt Anton realized he had to kill a witness because the man saw too much . (Could tell police what kind of car, Anton's description, prolly memorized the license plate #) I am confused about when Anton said then he'll have to come back which prompted the man to ask why would he come back. Because Anton could kill the man now, instead of coming back when dark to do it. He was killing everybody else in broad daylight except the shootout with Brolin at night.
Thank you Coen Brother’s for letting this Man live another day …I just have the feeling he is a very precious soul ❤
Javier's facial expressions, eye movements, exasperated sighs... he's just perfect in this movie. Such a good actor.
He’s damn amazing !
How about the other guy ?
Perfect portrayal of a psychopath
Yah it’s perfect because even that is an act lol psychos are everywhere watch out
He is. He always delivered the roles he played.
“Which it is”
The comedic timing couldn’t have been any better
💯
I can remember the theater burst out laughing at that one
Why so serious... Basically. 😀. Get it? The joker😀. Who says psychopaths can't have a sense of humor 😀
💯
If that's the way you wanna put it.
1:39 is underrated asf lmao
i love the genius of this scene, the clerk makes small talk, he accidentally says something " nosey " from Anton's perspective
Anton in turn calls him out on it, makes his own small talk to make the man feel uncomfortable, asking odd questions, and eventually prying into where he lives and the fact he married into it. before making him play the coin game.
- after he wins Anton is alot more friendlier and seemingly relieved
He's relieved because he didn't have to do any contemplation, the coin and the store clerk, do all the work. After the flip, Anton didn't have to decide anything, fate controls the situation from there
It is a great scene, I interpreted it as the shopkeepers initial questioning had Anton paranoid so he began being aggressive to work him out and in the end realised he was just a simple shopkeeper stuck in the desert.
He had it coming... It's been coming for the last 20 years.... And now it's here... 😀
This scene lives rent free in my head. No Country is hands down my favorite movie of all time.
Me too , watch it over and over 😊
It really is just that good
His arrogant rudeness is very off putting but it’s his sinister charisma and ominous disposition that makes him intriguing. Javier is brilliant
So funny how the scene starts as Anton not wanting to be identified yet his strange behavior makes him stand out 10 tiimes more 😂
Edit: holy cow. Nearly 3k likes. Didn't see that coming
That's exactly the things that makes it even more scary. We know what happens to people who see Anton. He gave the old guy a chance for simply being a bystander, and as luck would have it, he won the bet.
i like how he’s an intelligent sociopath that is also an abomination socially. don’t see a lot of those in movies
"Yall getting any rain up your way?"
that line nearly cost the shopkeepers life
@@HarvenHaven Tactically he is very sound. Very clever. But he could never stay in one place too long, exactly for the fact he is a social disaster
To me it’s less about Anton staying under the radar and more about him simply being an agent of chaos, he enjoys the brutality, it’s not just a numbers game or a job to him, that’s just an excuse to do the one thing he really cares about, causing chaos, carnage and death wherever he goes. Letting the shop keeper live by chance is just another way for the writers to show that this man doesn’t care about his job or about being seen. That’s all just an excuse to be pure chaos and brutality embodied.
I've watched this scene about a dozen times, and I know exactly how it ends, and still. This scene is so tension filled, I forget to breath. As if this time watching it could end differently, even tho I know that's impossible. Amazing acting, not just from Mr.Bardem, but whoever played that cashier. Javier did an amazing job at being big, and intimidating in this scene. The cashier did an astounding job at acting small, and intimidated, and genuinely scared. Like, I'd say most people would act the same way in that position. One of the best scenes in film history.
“‘Cause here’s the thing: to know how it ends / and still begin to sing it again” -Hadestown
Gene Jones played the store clerk.
When i finished this movie long time ago, i just think of it as any other movies and move on. But to this day i still couldn't forget it and i keep coming back to watch the clips dozen of times.
Anton Chigurh just became my favorite movie character years after i watched it. lol
Look at this sweet man making a conversation with this old man to pass time. Even let him keep the change. I bet every clerk wish to have more customers like that.
🤣🤣
As tense as this scene is….. I’ll never not laugh at “why would you be coming back then we’ll be closed”
You already said that.
@@gaynzz6841what?
@@wyattasher1761 you're a bit deaf aren't ya
@@wyattasher1761 exactly.
That's uh, psychopathic.
Loved every bit of sound engineering on this masterpiece. Sometimes I would play the entire movie on my car on long trips, watching and just listening to those sound effects and dialogue.
ur a psychopath urself lol
Same here, it's such a nice ASMR feeling while driving, and stopping other lonesome cars every now and then, asking them to stand still politely.
Always works, so soothing.
The best villain in a movie in a very long time. You could walk past this man and never know his intentions. A very real life villian
It's scary how our minds are really ticking time bombs. You don't know if the person passing next to you has sweet thoughts or is headed to a slaughter
Only ones i can think of that come close are Kevin Spacey in Se7en and Kathy Bates in Misery. Honorable mention goes to Laurie Piper as Margaret White in Carrie.
Lorne Malvo
True to real life,they communicate more than normal people to gain your trust at which point you should be wary.
“Is that what you're asking me? Is there something wrong with anything?” 😅😅😂😂😂
gets me every time 😂
🤣🤣🤣
,,🤔
(Guy wins the coin toss)
Anton:LISAN AL-GAIB!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂😂😂
you sir, won the internet today 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
The fact that Chigur-a complete psycho-laughs at this guy for “marrying into” the business is so funny. Like he can kill people without a thought but this thought makes him have a real embarrassed reaction.
That's the moment he decides to do the coin toss. He abhors that this dipshit married into a business that he clearly doesn't care about. Chigur has very very clearly defined morals despite being a psycopath.
He almost choked on his peanut lol
Anton Chigurh became a stone-cold killer through hard work and dedication. He didn't marry into it.
It's as if Anton was thinking, "Dude, marrying into this is worse than anything I could do to you." And it is.
He didn’t laugh. He heaved
2:39 Most tension-filled unravelling of a wrapper in movie history.
That wrapper was scared AF!
@@JSC178 you can actually hear the wrapping paying crying for it's life as it unfold
@@gary-st3qy lmao
The coolest part of this scene is the fact that he paid 25 cents for 69 cents nuts and gas.
🤣
If that's the way you wanna put it.
And what way is that?
I worked on nightclub doors for 8 years confidently dealing with conflict, Javier would have had me stuttering and stumbling over my own words
Is that what you're asking me? Is there something wrong with anything?
I would've told him to f off
@@mushroom11g55 and you think that choice is gonna get you far? especially in THIS situation? :D
Any stories that are basic and quick you care to share?
Ok Tyrone, tell it to George Floyd
This reminds me of every childhood bully I ever had to deal with. That awful feeling of being trapped. Words will not help, everything you say will be taken as an escalation, and there are crosshairs on you from someone who doesn’t have rules like you do. Terrifying. Both did a great job here.
The way Javier repeat questions in the same tone at 1:14 and 1:28 is just MASTERPIECE of writing and acting.
I absolutely love the way he chokes when he's told its his wifes fathers place😂 "you married into it?"
I wish I could just marry into the Bourgeoisie like that
@@PeterT-i1w He's literally a cashier in the absolute middle of nowhere.
Most so-called "proletarians" probably make more than he does---and they don't have to put up with the boredom.
@@ianian4162 Since you didn't get the very obvious joke, I recommend you to go outside and talk to people a bit more often, instead of debating politics online.
@@PeterT-i1wback to the gulag 😂
You loved that choke scene, because he performed that so genuinely that doest even look like it was on the script
Javier completely wrapped in his character like a warm blanket. Another masterpiece in cinematic history.
Anton chigurh being made an analog for a warm blanket, not something I ever thought I'd hear.
What a scene, no music no fancy shots. Pure cinema pure performance.
Totally brilliant cinematic scene. It is always breathtaking to watch.
I just be taking breaths all the time anyways🤷
"Breathtaking?" Oh, brother. Get a thesaurus, or better yet, just put a sock in it until you can ever come up with an actual idea.
@@Robaatosensei hey pal, you just blow in from stupidtown?
@@Robaatosensei Your username rings true.
@@RobaatosenseiIs the saying too complicated for you to understand?
This is pure comedic gold. This is the only person in the entirely film who breaks javier bardem character calmness. I love it.
You're forgetting the old lady at the trailer park.
Comedy isn't the word I'd use, but a good scene none the less...
There’s also the main characters’ wife at the end of the film when she challenges his perception that he’s an agent of death
Greatest, scariest movie villain of all time. Brilliant Bardem.
“Y’all getting any rain up your way?”
“What way would that be?” Lmao
Chigurh is literally the personification of death in this scene. He is cold and indifferent to circumstance. Death doesn't care who it is, what kind of life they lived, or whether its a good time for them or not. People could die at any moment, and whether they continue living or not really is based on random chance. This is what the coin represents.
Unbelievable. It gets better every single time. The acting by both. Brava!
This movie is genius! The two coin tosses encapsulate just how deeply philosophical this movie is. Anton justifies himself by thinking he is no different from a tornado ripping through that gas station, leaving the old man's life up to chance. His psycho-epistemology makes no difference between the metaphysically given, which can not be judged, and the man-made, which is and should always be. In the second coin toss, he is hit with reality by Carla Jean when she refuses to play his game. "The coin ain't got no say. It's just you." A masterpiece!
Its like I've read somewhere that anton does what is to occur naturally, like he is death. So Anton would think that the choice is decided by the coin but the thing is that the interpretation he gives to it,is what it means and what outcome he decides. So Anton is the killer and not a mere bringer of death like a calamity. He decides the rule and merely assigns meaning to the coins as he flips and decides by the coin who lives and who dies.
Before the coin toss Anton belittles the old man. After the coin toss Anton shows respect and calls him "Sir" along with a grin and a funny face. Awesome.
It's like Anton feels like he earned his life and now he has his respect again lol
The old man said sir to him when he said don't pit in your pocket but immediately the old man says, sir. No hate jmogreat movie
Anton didn't say "sir", the cashier said it
Why is this upvoted so much?
Anton DID NOT SAY sir.
@@mushylog 4:00 "Don't put it in your pocket SIR, it's your lucky quarter"
That’s the most riveting, compelling, and immersive, four minutes that have ever been put on film. Halfway through, you’re not even aware of your surroundings cause you’re so involved in the scene.
Just amazing.
One of the most chilling, disturbing moments in film... The look in each other's eye's.. The reaction from Anton at discovering the time waster "married into it". A man not of his own making. The fan belts behind him like a noose... The relief in Antons eyes when he calls it correct! Just.. Awesome!!!!
I don't see how marrying into something is any worse than being born into something.
@@Thomas-fg9il Less work to marry into something than make it yourself
@hardstyle905 Well how do you see it?
That's the way it is.
Nepotism is gross it serves him right to get called out for it
That final bit "it will become just a coin. which it is" always gives me goosebumps. every damn time.
it takes.... a good actor to feel something during a movie.. it takes a Javier Bardem to get so inmerced in a coin toss that you loose yourself in the moment.. and the cashier was absolute terrified. 10/10 acting here... its a incredible movie.
What a psycho and he plays the part with perfection. I love it. I was even scared for the old man.
The way he answers questions is so off putting. For example, when the clerk says “is their something wrong” Anton says “with what?” Clerk says “with anything” that’s where a normal person would respond with something such as “no, why?” And he responds with “Is that what your asking me?” And repeats the question “is their something wrong with anything ?” With a faint smirk. Just absolutely psychotic.
I almost shat my pants worrying for the old man’s life😝😝😊
One of the greatest scenes in cinematic history, god what amazing acting. His last little look at the end is perfection
The more I see this clip the greater appreciation I have for everyone that wrote, acted choreographed, lighted, captured, and directed that scene. 🎬
I love how Javier says “You stand to win everything, call it.” You can see and hear the utter pure, inner animalistic fury in his voice, the rage that he’s just barely holding back, almost desperately trying to give the shopkeeper a chance by insisting he calls it before it’s too late and he finally gives in to his instincts and murders him
Excellent writing combined with great actors.
One of the best Movies ever made Awesome masterpiece
With my luck I would’ve said “Tails never fails”
That's definitely what I would have said 😂
My stupid bf says that . Here it wouldn't have ended well, lol
That'd be a good parody skit actually
"You stand to win everything. Call it."
*confidently* "Alright then, tails never fails!"
Cut to the reveal being heads
Hard cut to a pair of feet sticking out of an oil drum (provided Gene Jones isn't available to film new footage)
@@DunstlookalikeI tested it, it works 60% of the time.
It would've failed brother
Even the wrapper plays it’s part perfectly
Goes from the Shop keeper trying to pass time but ends up the otherway around!! Terrific acting and intense scene without music, fight!!
One of the best scenes of the movie, you don't want to blink because you might miss something. The tension became palpable after the attendant innocently asks about the weather in Dallas. Chigurh's demeanor changes on a dime. Great exchange between the two!!
Chigur doesn’t make eye contact at first then as soon as the shop keeper mentions origin or where chigur might have driven from, he looks dead at the shop keeper and doesn’t look away for the rest of the scene. Javier bodem is one of my favourite actors.
Potential loose end
@@IncognitoSprax Indeed. Got him out of paying for gas as well.
@hardstyle905 What business is it of yours?
👁️👁️
@IncognitoSprax yeah, at first he just acts non-distinct, not making eye contact so that potential witnesses don't remember his face. But when he realizes the shopkeeper already knows too much it doesn't matter if his face is seen or not and it's just game on from then, his voice, demeanor all immediately change.
This scene is so legendry. Anton pure Evil but funny how you can tell he is enjoying this conversation by the way he eating and talking. He is like a apex predator playing with his food.
Chigurh looks like and is the death in person. At 1/3 of the conversation the shop keeper suspects it. At 3/4 he knows it. He knows exactly what is on stake with this coin toss. Absolutely masterfully written scene. Perfect acting of both. Just wonderful
1/3d and 3/4th make 118.3% of the time.
2:12 that cashew could've saved a lot of people
😂😂😂
Interesting... there's very subtle ambient music that starts up around 3:26, perhaps the only instance of music being used for this film.
I believe it is the only music cue in the whole movie
There is also some ambient music when Llewelyn is passing near the motel in a taxi. Very subtle as well.
Even though I watched this several times this scene still brings chills and suspense. And I'm still holding my breath watching entire dialogue.
Just simple dialogue but it's scary and impressive very hard to find such masterpiece.
That's why I like to mind my own freaking business. You never know when you will run into someone like Anton Chigurh.
every time I get a little aggressive with someone out in the world later on I'm like "wtf was I thinking? I don't know if I was being standoffish with a murderer or what"
"I'm with you on that one, Frendo!"
Exactly, observe everything admire nothing
Well done
Sure, dont talk to anyne or make any social interaction at all, all sorts of bad things could happen if you insist to exist.
Both actors picked me up with this dialogue. A great and very intense scene.
This is one of the best scenes I have ever seen since watching movies at a very young age, particularly in the realm of witnessing evil. It's such a simple scene, short too, but so darkly delicious, well written and mesmerizing. Both actors were brilliant in this shot, so perfectly timed and filmed.
Well-written, well-acted, well-directed....Well done!
I could watch this scene a hundred times and never get tired!
Ive watched myself many times.
Excellence at its' peak from all
A heavy scene performed by two heavyweight actors. The menace coming from one actor and the fear of the other was spot on. Extremely impressive acting. Rarely seen anymore. Most movies now are pretty models trying to act. Or rappers with zero acting talent in top billing.These two should teach acting.
This a masterful performance by Javier. Bone chilling in just a calm conversation is just incredible!
My god, " you've been putting it up your whole life you just didn't know it. " hes such a force of fate death and chance
Yes
The Deep meabing Is Just this One.
@@richardrooms9509 yaeh. He's like "this country bumpkin dude has been living life on autopilot for like 60 years when other people "flip a coin" every day on whether they get to live another 24h or not, thankfully life (through me) has reached him, let's have him flip a coin for once in his life too :)"
Of course Javier Bardem won a well-deserved Oscar. But Gene Jones here is perfect in this scene. It's difficult to imagine anyone else playing the role. It's so natural, he doesn't appear to be acting at all.
I love to speech that was given you stand to lose everything or gain everything the choice is yours and to tie everything together is how some people have no idea they have been following the stream of what was laid before them instead of them going against grain and taking charge of their own destiny. At least Anton gave him a fair choice to take matters into his own hands . Well Done
When Chigur asks the shopkeeper what time he goes to bed then says, " I could come back then?"
And that’s when the shopkeeper gets desperate to close 👀
This why I never small talk with strangers
You never know who you're talking to 💀
I’ve seen this scene so many times and I just realized how the cables in the background look like nooses. Amazing detail
That man didn't realise just how lucky he was 🙂
A great scene that I always come back to.