no country for old men, tommy lee jones
Let’s, for argument’s sake take the stance that Anton Chigurh is the devil incarnate or at least that he is a representation of the devil. It seems like a likely theory as he seems to kill people without rhyme or reason. Then, if you look closer, you’ll notice that people who are inherently “bad” or those who seem like the type to have committed acts favored by the devil, he kills, or tries to, without question. Carson Wells, Lew Ellen, the cop, the man who hires Wells, and the Drug lords. I would venture to say these characters have probably killed another human being in their lifetimes, or at least committed a despicable act that would send their soul to hell. There are the some unknown personalities that get killed as well, the hotel concierge and the guy he pulled over in the beginning. But let’s for argument’s sake, assume they‘re “bad” as well. On those who are not so bad, or even good, he offers the coin toss. He lets fate decide. The clerk, Lew Ellen’s wife and most importantly, with respect to the ending, Sheriff Ed Tom. Hang on, I’ll explain. A point was made that Ed Tom never drew his weapon, as evidenced in the trailer home raid. Ed tells Wendell “Gun out and up.” Wendell says ”What about yours?” ED: “I’m hidin’ behind you.” Also in the opening monologue Ed talks about comparing himself to the old-timers who “never even wore a gun.” I would take this to mean Ed has never killed a man, and probably never even almost killed a man. That is until Sheriff Ed Tom entered the hotel room where Chigurh was hiding. Ed unholsters and cocks his gun. This symbolizes a fundamental change in Ed and, as Ed sees it, the world around him. He doesn’t want to confront an evil like Anton because as he states in the opening monologue: “A man would have to put his soul at hazard.”
If you watch the movie a second time, there is no question that they are in the hotel room together. And they both know it. If you question if Ed saw Anton through the busted lock hole when he grabs his gun, the locked window and coins on the floor clearly let you know that he knows Anton is still in the room. He is excellent at deducing a crime scene, as he showed us amongst the Mexican standoff carnage. The hotel scene dissolves into the next leaving the viewer to take everything they have learned so far and apply it to this “missing scene”. We have to assume, from what we have learned about these characters that neither is the type to back down from the other. Ed Tom is a “good” character, as in the type Anton Chigurh gives a coin toss. Ed is also an excellent detective when looking at evidence so he is well aware of his predicament. Chigurh only lets people go if they win a coin toss. Therefore, we must conclude that there was a face off, or at least a face-to-face meeting. Anton must have offered a coin toss, and since Ed Tom is in the next scene, Ed won the toss. It is the only way he could have walked away from that situation. If you watch the movie again and listen to Ed’s dialogue, in the scene with the crippled man (Ellis) you will find that the narrative is giving you even more hints as to what happened in the hotel, if you didn’t get it already.
When asked why he’s retiring:
ED: I don’t know. I feel overmatched. I always thought when I got older God would sort of come into my life in some way. He didn’t. I don’t blame him. If I was him I’d have the same opinion about me that he does.
Ellis: You don’t know what he thinks.
Bell: Yes I do.
Ed Bell is certain that he know what god thinks of him. Maybe he knows that God could take his life or leave it in a coin toss. One could deduce that he knows this because he had a conversation with the devil or someone he believes to be the devil.
Insert the story of Uncle Mac’s death by shooting. Ed asks when he died.
Ellis: Believe it was that night. She buried him the next mornin. Diggin in that hard caliche. What you got ain’t nothin new. This country is hard on people. Hard
and crazy. Got the devil in it yet folks never seem to hold it to account.
With regards to the car accident, this scene serves two purposes. One, Anton can be hurt, which we knew already but more importantly, Anton is human or at least has to play the rules of man which include the rules of fate. He can be on the losing end of a coin toss just like his victims. Secondly, Anton got the money. He gave some to the kid for his shirt.
Boy 2: Hell mister, I don’t mind helping somebody. That’s a lot of money.
Chigurh: Take it. Take it and you didn’t see me. I was already gone.
When Ed tells his wife about his dreams: “The first one was about money and I think I lost it.” The Anton case. The second one is about his father riding up ahead, with a fire in his horn, and he knew that whenever he got there his dad would be there waiting for him with a fire. This is the resolution of the opening monologue where we learn that in not using his weapon against Anton, or anyone else ever again, he will never “Put his soul at hazard.” In other words, his dad will be waiting for him in heaven.
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