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Fargo

Threat advisory: Under evaluation

Movie propaganda

A homespun murder story.

Fargo is a reality-based crime drama set in Minnesota in 1987.

Jerry Lundegaard (William H Macy) is a car salesman in Minneapolis who has gotten himself into debt and is so desperate for money that he hires two thugs (Steve Buscemi as Carl Showalter and Peter Stormare as Gaear Grimsrud) to kidnap his own wife. Jerry will collect the ransom from her wealthy father, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell), paying the thugs a small portion and keeping the rest to satisfy his debts.

The scheme collapses when the thugs shoot a state trooper and two innocent bystanders in rural Minnesota, drawing local police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) into her first homicide investigation. At first unaware that the homicides are connected to a Minneapolis kidnapping, chief Gunderson draws closer to Jerry Lundegaard as his situation further unravels.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film crime police murder fake kidnap Minneapolis Minnesota Coen brothers black comedy wood chipper

Persons of interest

Frances McDormand .... Marge Gunderson
William H Macy .... Jerry Lundegaard
Steve Buscemi .... Carl Showalter
Harve Presnell .... Wade Gustafson
Peter Stormare .... Gaear Grimsrud
Kristin Rudrüd .... Jean Lundegaard
Tony Denman .... Scotty Lundegaard
John Carroll Lynch .... Norm Gunderson
Joel Coen .... Screenwriter
Ethan Coen .... Screenwriter
Joel Coen .... Director
Ethan Coen .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Studios and distributors:

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Media intelligence (DVD)

Article: American cinematographer
Coen brothers family tree
Documentary: Minnesota nice
Interview: Coen brothers
Trailers
Trivia track
TV Spots

Security censorship classification

MA 15+ (Medium level violence, medium level coarse language)

Surveillance time

98 minutes (1:38 hours)

Not for public release in Australia before date

Film: Undated 2001
DVD retail: 18 June 2003
VHS retail: 18 June 2003