No Country For Old Men Analysis

No Country For Old Men introduces its main characters in a way which effectively confuses the audience from the very beginning. The first thing heard in the opening scene is a monologue from Ed Tom Bell, who is the first character we are introduced too. Although he is heard first, he isn't shown until after the introduction of the main antagonist and protagonist, this alludes to the notion that he's always, narratively, a few steps behind. His monologue voices over multiple shots of a traditional western landscape, which slowly introduces the idea of human activity into the film. As the scene progresses, a panning shot comes to rest on a police car, followed very swiftly by a young police officer and a strange, mysterious looking man, who we later come to know as Anton Chigurh. This shot is shown from behind, so we don't immediately see Chigurh's face, which eliminates any opportunity at alignment with his character. 

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