Presented as a Neo-Western, a critique on the modern American identity, the Coen brothers 'No Country For Old Men' (2008) puts a twist on the typical American western through the representation of an "anti-lone gunman"; Anton Chigurh's character behaving in similar ways to the "old cowboy" protagonists, even though he's the films antagonist.
Another inversion on the 'typical western' is the films protagonist failing; whether it is Llewelyn Moss being killed off-screen for his greed motivated actions, his wife also being killed by Chigurh as collateral damage--Or Sheriff Bell resigning from an authority role which has passed down generations of his family. Chigurh escaping with no repercussions for his actions symbolise America being built on murder and greed, the 'typical western' not portrayed because the idea of it is just a myth.
One particular theme throughout the film is the unfair and sporadic behavioural pattern that resides in 'fate'. As well as this being the foundation of Chigurh's decisions when it comes to killing people (flipping a coin), its clearly presented in Moss' death taking place off screen--the audience not even offered the satisfaction of a final battle between him and Anton because he's killed by someone else, and along with that Chigurhs' car crash at the films end also heightens the randomness of the worlds events and how incapable they are of being controlled or predicted--playing into Chigurh's nihilistic ideology.
'No Country For Old Men's (NCFOM) opening with the narration of Sheriff Bell places him and his ideologies as central to the films narrative, the things he speaks about generating part of his past and developing his character as well as creating a clear definition of right and wrong from his traditionalist view point. Portrayed as wearing a white cowboy hat signifies Bell as a protagonist to the audience--white cowboy hats being a common trope in Westerns; symbolising justice, hope, virtue and morality. Instantly the Coen brothers present Bell as a character the audience should support as he goes through the struggle of adapting to the 'changing' world where violence, greed and corruption are the norm. The story Bell's narration shares of his father further enforcing this bond as it romanticises the past with reference to safer and happier times; a clear link made to the idea of old westerns being less "confusing" because they created a clear line between good and bad--America often heightened as the saviours to a point where all the chaos and murder they created to get there was ignored or considered 'heroic'.
On the other hand, Anton Chigurh's character is initially shown in a predominantly black costume; Bells' antithesis. Chigurh's ethnicity is left ambiguous and face isn't clearly shown until just after the films opening when he's strangling the cop that arrested him, up until that point he is only represented through the back of his head or a silhouette. This ambiguous introduction juxtaposes Bells', Chigurh given no backstory or motivation represents his absence of morality and plays into his nihilistic ideology (the rejection of all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless). The Coen brothers decision to depict the films antagonist as void of any motivation or care symbolises him almost as Americas' past sins on what their country was built on--what old westerns romanticise (violence, stealing, murder)--returning to enact a form of revenge on the current 'system' and push it into the fully changed world that Bell's so confused by and scared of; this only being reinforced by Anton's' character entering the frame for the first time from the rural west--a common signifier of the western genre--after Bells' narration says: "I don't know what to make of that."
The Coen brothers decision to open with a blank screen paired with Bells' romanticised narration of the past and confusion of the present symbolises the Sheriffs thought process, his point of view centred on a very dark place as he views his job position--something he has grew up surrounded by and learning about--as almost alien. The sound of wind blowing as the visual of dawn breaking is shown signifies something having changed; Bells narration supported from the time passing as the new dawn promises a significant change taking place in America's ideological system.
A slow pan from right to left revealing Anton after the rural and deserted 'west' has been established emphasises his character appearing from nowhere, the officer arresting him also only finding a captive bolt stunner (his weapon) on his person reinforcing his careless attitude as he so openly travels this way because he sees what he's doing as neither right or wrong and therefore has nothing to hide. The film also being set at the turn of the century (1980/80's) is reminiscent of the western genre as almost every western is set during the latter half of the 19th century, during the industrial revolution; a drastic change in American history--this tying into NCFOM's overarching message of accepting change.
As well as this it could possibly be encouraging the audience to relate to certain traits from the nihilistic ideology as that is the only ideology to fully survive the film.
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