Ahead of accepting their Lumière Award, the Lumière Festival’s highest honor, the Coen Brothers explained at a Friday masterclass their secret – ‘we have very big egos’ – and record how Joel Coen met his wife of 40-years, Frances McDormand LYON, France — Joel and Ethan Coen may be among the most celebrated filmmakers of their generation, but the Oscar-winning brothers were in a self-deprecating mood at the Lumière Film Festival on Friday, sharing laughs, anecdotes and tributes to the collaborators who have helped bring their films to life. The filmmakers behind “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski” and “No Country for Old Men” spoke warmly about their four-decade partnership and their remarkably straightforward creative process. Asked by festival director Thierry Frémaux, who also heads the Cannes Film Festival, whether they ever argued, Joel described a process of bouncing ideas off each other.
The brothers were also keen to share credit with their longtime collaborators, repeatedly stressing that their films were the product of a collective effort. The French cinematographer worked with the brothers on “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” and with Joel on “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” “Something emerges out of the collaboration with somebody else,” Joel said, explaining that the same principle governed his partnership with Ethan. The reason, he joked, was that they had “very big egos” and weren’t threatened by other people’s ideas.
Frémaux turned to producer Eric Fellner, who was also in attendance, to ask whether the brothers really were so easy to work with. Joel recalled meeting the actress while casting their 1984 debut “Blood Simple,” when she was fresh out of drama school. Thrilled with her audition, they asked her to return later that day to read with another actor.
She declined, explaining that she had promised to watch her boyfriend appear on a television soap opera. Asked about working with streaming platforms, including Netflix on “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” and Apple TV+ on Joel’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Joel acknowledged that home video had helped launch their careers by opening up new markets for independent films. But he defended the theatrical experience.
The brothers also reflected on Cannes, where “Barton Fink” won the Palme d’Or in 1991. Frémaux recalled how “No Country for Old Men” left empty-handed 16 years later, despite subsequently winning four Oscars, including best picture. Asked how they felt about missing out on prizes at Cannes, Joel recounted a Billy Wilder joke about an elderly man who complained to his doctor that he was having trouble urinating.
Told the patient was 75, the doctor replied: “Well, you’ve peed enough.” Ethan turned the punchline on their host: “Joel and I agree that your graciously having us here was your way of telling us ‘You’ve peed enough.’” Frémaux, backed by enthusiastic cheers from the audience, assured them that the festival was eagerly awaiting their next film. Asked which screenwriting rules they most enjoyed breaking, Ethan insisted they were barely aware of any. Joel had some advice: “If you’re a screenwriter, you should break as many rules as you can.” As Frémaux wrapped up the masterclass by reminding the brothers that Lyon would be celebrating them that evening, Ethan had the last word.
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