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One of the key elements to Llewyn Davis' musicality is his desire to maintain authenticity as an artist. Despite being partially based on Dave Van Ronk, some reviewers noted several distinctions between the two in their artistry: "It's been bandied about that the character of Llewyn is based on Dave Van Ronk, "The Mayor of Macdougal Street," a mainstay and centerpiece of the Greenwich Village folk scene. This is nonsense. Llewyn shares one or two biographical details with Van Ronk, but has none of his personality. More importantly, he has none of Van Ronk's expansiveness, his desire to reach out, to promote, to connect. Llewyn is a very inward singer, up in his own head. He demands that the audience comes to him. That demand, in fact, is, I think what the protagonist wants. Llewyn Davis wants success, craves it, but insists that it be on his own terms." Robert Christgau also noted that the character desired authenticity as among the most important and valued aspects of being a musician: " know that when Jean warns him to plan for his future, Llewyn equates that inescapability with flying cars and Tang and brands Jean "careerist," "square," and "suburban" for thinking about it. We also know Llewyn's definition of a folk song because it's damn near the first words out of his mouth that don't have a tune attached: "If it's never been new and it never gets old, it's a folk song." However, Christgau notes that his desire for authenticity is hypocritical, calling Davis an "angry character", while pondering the cause of the character's anger. Christgau continued, "We don't know he reason for the character's anger€”lots of men are angry. But maybe, the film suggests, that's what drives his passion for his incoherent notion of authenticity. After all, the worst tirade of his bad week by far is the sexist bile he spews at the most certifiably "authentic" musician we get to see: autoharp-strumming Elizabeth Hobby from Arkansas, played by Missouri-born modern folk performer Nancy Blake. "I hate fuckin' folk music," he shouts.
The Coen Brothers distinguished the character from his source of inspiration, Dave Van Ronk, by casting an actor who had an entirely different singing voice and style of guitar playing. The Coen Brothers described that Oscar Isaac as Davis has "this beautiful tenor voice" in contrast to the rough, growling voice of Dave Van Ronk, whom they described as "the ultimate blues shouter." Ethan Coen noted that music was the most important aspect of Llewyn Davis' character, in that it completely defined him. He discussed that to Llewyn Davis, folk music is "his life" and that it "reveals something about him that he audience doesn'tsee somewhere else". The Coen Brothers felt that Llewyn Davis' sarcastic, acerbic, and unpleasant attitude was contradicted by his sweet, alluring singing voice, causing many people to question whether they should like the character or hate him. In the same way, the character of Roland Turner (
Llewyn Davis () is a
Dave_Van_Ronk_
David_Kenneth_Ritz_Van_Ronk_(June_30,_1936_–_February_10,_2002)_was_an_American__folk_singer._An_important_figure_in_the_American_folk_music_revival_and_New_York_City's_Greenwich_Village_scene_in_the_1960s,_he_was_nicknamed_the_"Mayor_of__M_...
's,_who_Isaac_says_"started_teaching_me_this_Travis-style_picking,_which_I_was_not_aware_of_–_didn't_know_how_to_do_it._It's_this_crazy_syncopation._We'd_play_and_I_paid_him_for_lessons_and_then_we_started_playing_in_the_Village._I_opened_for_him_a_couple_times_at_these_open_mics._He_was_like_a_trainer_–_the_last_day_before_the_audition_I_played_for_him_and_then_he_looked_at_me_and_goes_"I_see_the_big_guy_behind_you_giving_the_thumb's_up."
fictional
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a tradit ...
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
and the protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of the 2013 Coen brothers' film ''Inside Llewyn Davis
''Inside Llewyn Davis'' () is a 2013 period black comedy musical drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1961, the film follows one week in the life of Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac in his breakt ...
''. He is a young, struggling folk singer trying to become more famous and financially successful after the flop of his debut album, ''Inside Llewyn Davis''. He was portrayed by Oscar Isaac
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gene ...
.
Casting and creation
When creating the character of Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen summed up the idea as "supposeDave Van Ronk
David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of M ...
gets beat up outside of Gerde's Folk City. That's the beginning of a movie." The Coen Brothers used "Van Ronk's posthumous memoir, ''The Mayor of MacDougal Street''" as an influence for the screenplay and Llewyn Davis' journey. The album cover and title of ''Inside Llewyn Davis'' is also directly inspired by Dave Van Ronk's album ''Inside Dave Van Ronk''. In describing how Isaac was cast, Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
writes that "The Coens... emphasize that Van Ronk's story was only the seed of a fiction, and were pleased to cast Isaac in the title role partly because he's so unlike Van Ronk physically."
In his high school days, Isaac was previously involved in two punk bands and lived a straight-edge lifestyle. Grammy winning producer T-Bone Burnett, who worked with the Coen brothers on '' O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' said of Isaac, "I haven't worked with an actor who could play and sing this style of music this well," admits Burnett. "You can't do it with bluster; you have to do it with the rawest honesty you can." Isaac also developed a style of finger-picking that Burnett explains is "a little bit like patting your head and rubbing someone else's stomach — in another country." Isaac described his audition process thus: "I first auditioned for the casting director, did a few scenes. Then I went home and recorded myself playing "Hang Me." That got sent to the Coens. Then I came in and auditioned for them, learned a few extra songs just in case. They sent that over to T Bone. And T Bone said, The_Producers''.html" ;"title="he_Producers_(1968_film).html" ;"title="nvoking a famous line from ''The Producers (1968 film)">The Producers''">he_Producers_(1968_film).html" ;"title="nvoking a famous line from ''The Producers (1968 film)">The Producers'''I think we've found our Hitler!'" Oscar Isaac "was the opposite of what [the Coen brothers] had initially been looking for: a classically trained actor. But he could also sing and play guitar." In an interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Isaac further noted, "Well, I knew that it was loosely based on Dave Van Ronk nd_his_memoir_ nd_his_memoir_The_Mayor_of_MacDougal_Street">The_Mayor_of_MacDougal_Street.html"_;"title="nd_his_memoir_The_Mayor_of_MacDougal_Street">nd_his_memoir_The_Mayor_of_MacDougal_Street_and_he_was_like_a_six-foot-five,_250_pound_Swede._So_I_came_in,_and_out_of_the_corner_of_my_eye_I_saw_a_photograph_of_a_very_well-known_musician_–_and_I_was_encouraged_because_it_was_a_guy_who_was_a_little_smaller_and_a_dark_haired_and_had_a_beard._I_was_like,_"So_you_guys_have_that_picture_as_kind_of_a_reference?"_And_they're_like,_"Oh_yeah._He_came_in._He_killed_it."_The_blood_just_drained_out_of_my_face._But_then_I_did_the_audition_and_it_went_well_and_they_called_me_back."_He_also_describes_being_influenced_by_Erik_Franzen,_an_old_friend_of__Characterization_and_portrayal
Oscar_Isaac_described_his_character_as_"such_an_internal_guy...an_island,_shut_off_from_everyone_else."_Isaac,_described_antithetically_against_his_character_as_"a_naturally_warm_personality",_said_that_he_prepared_for_the_role_by_simply_approaching_random_strangers_at_parties_and_talking_to_them,_without_trying_to_impress_them_or_putting_on_a_friendly_facade."Dave Van Ronk
David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of M ...
's, who Isaac says "started teaching me this Travis-style picking, which I was not aware of – didn't know how to do it. It's this crazy syncopation. We'd play and I paid him for lessons and then we started playing in the Village. I opened for him a couple times at these open mics. He was like a trainer – the last day before the audition I played for him and then he looked at me and goes "I see the big guy behind you giving the thumb's up."
Characterization and portrayal
Oscar Isaac described his character as "such an internal guy...an island, shut off from everyone else." Isaac, described antithetically against his character as "a naturally warm personality", said that he prepared for the role by simply approaching random strangers at parties and talking to them, without trying to impress them or putting on a friendly facade." Isaac notes that the character is someone who desires authenticity in art">authenticity so much so that the opinions of others do not matter to him. However, Isaac believes that this is not a quality of confidence from Davis, but of spite and apathy, which further "alienates him" and "causes him to lack some empathy". The character has been described as "brooding, depressed, and irritable", and his "blend of artistic idealism and brooding cynicism are irreconcilable, and seem certain to keep him locked in place – alone, broke, staring out into an uncertain future." Critic Amy Klein writes that Davis' "story serves as a dramatic counterpoint to certain beliefs about America that young Americans do not trust anymore: it is, and has always been, a myth that hard work and talent get a person ahead, but Llewyn Davis has to learn firsthand that he's been fed a bunch of lies. In this way, he's an excellent role model for millennials: a guy with talent and an independent spirit, broke but not yet broken, cynical as all hell but still doing what he loves anyway. Fate seems to love nothing more than to kick him when he's down, and yet, he somehow gets up and keeps on going. Believe it or not, the art of failure is actually harder to master than it looks because you really have to keep on trying in order to fail consistently." Christopher Orr of ''The Atlantic'' writes that, "As an artist, he's remote and self-absorbed, despite his clear talent. When he visits Chicago to play for the powerful manager Bud Grossman (F. Murray Abraham), the latter tells him "I don't see a lot of money here" and implicitly compares him to a genial G.I.-turned-musician: "He connects with people." As a person, Llewyn is easily wounded and spectacularly selfish, an "asshole" who, among other trespasses, gets his best friend's girl ( Carey Mulligan) pregnant and then surreptitiously asks said best friend (Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
) for money to pay for her abortion. Inside Llewyn Davis is thus simultaneously the name of the film, of Llewyn's solo album, and of his psychological condition: He is himself trapped inside Llewyn Davis."
Robert Christgau observed of Llewyn that " ere's an anger in Llewyn that appears to predate his partner Mike's suicide" and thought that the character was probably unstable and moody for a long time. However, Sam Adams of Indie Wire disagreed with this assertion, believing that Davis' sour and cold personality was the direct result of Mike Timlin (singing voice of Marcus Mumford)'s suicide. He speculates, "in the small circle of Llewyn, Jim, Jean and the Gorfeins, and probably in the coffee-house community at large, Mike was the glue that held them together", and believes that Davis fell apart after Mike's death. He connects this observation to a scene in which "after Bud Grossman tells Llewyn he doesn't have the charisma to front his own act, Llewyn says he used to have a partner and Bud responds, "Yeah, that makes sense."" Adams further analyzes that Llewyn Davis' story is not one of a man who continues to fail and is destined to fail, but about a man struggling with depression and unable to move forward as an artist or in life. He believes that his depression has cast him into "a Sisyphean loop, a depressive Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day ( pdc, Grund'sau dåk, , , ; Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges fr ...
" and that the character finally begins to accept that his life and career won't progress.
Musicality
One of the key elements to Llewyn Davis' musicality is his desire to maintain authenticity as an artist. Despite being partially based on Dave Van Ronk, some reviewers noted several distinctions between the two in their artistry: "It's been bandied about that the character of Llewyn is based on Dave Van Ronk, "The Mayor of Macdougal Street," a mainstay and centerpiece of the Greenwich Village folk scene. This is nonsense. Llewyn shares one or two biographical details with Van Ronk, but has none of his personality. More importantly, he has none of Van Ronk's expansiveness, his desire to reach out, to promote, to connect. Llewyn is a very inward singer, up in his own head. He demands that the audience comes to him. That demand, in fact, is, I think what the protagonist wants. Llewyn Davis wants success, craves it, but insists that it be on his own terms." Robert Christgau also noted that the character desired authenticity as among the most important and valued aspects of being a musician: " know that when Jean warns him to plan for his future, Llewyn equates that inescapability with flying cars and Tang and brands Jean "careerist," "square," and "suburban" for thinking about it. We also know Llewyn's definition of a folk song because it's damn near the first words out of his mouth that don't have a tune attached: "If it's never been new and it never gets old, it's a folk song." However, Christgau notes that his desire for authenticity is hypocritical, calling Davis an "angry character", while pondering the cause of the character's anger. Christgau continued, "We don't know he reason for the character's anger€”lots of men are angry. But maybe, the film suggests, that's what drives his passion for his incoherent notion of authenticity. After all, the worst tirade of his bad week by far is the sexist bile he spews at the most certifiably "authentic" musician we get to see: autoharp-strumming Elizabeth Hobby from Arkansas, played by Missouri-born modern folk performer Nancy Blake. "I hate fuckin' folk music," he shouts.
The Coen Brothers distinguished the character from his source of inspiration, Dave Van Ronk, by casting an actor who had an entirely different singing voice and style of guitar playing. The Coen Brothers described that Oscar Isaac as Davis has "this beautiful tenor voice" in contrast to the rough, growling voice of Dave Van Ronk, whom they described as "the ultimate blues shouter." Ethan Coen noted that music was the most important aspect of Llewyn Davis' character, in that it completely defined him. He discussed that to Llewyn Davis, folk music is "his life" and that it "reveals something about him that he audience doesn'tsee somewhere else". The Coen Brothers felt that Llewyn Davis' sarcastic, acerbic, and unpleasant attitude was contradicted by his sweet, alluring singing voice, causing many people to question whether they should like the character or hate him. In the same way, the character of Roland Turner (John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, ...
), a jazz musician and heroin addict who antagonizes Llewyn when he hitchhikes a ride with him to Chicago, has been interpreted as a possible older version of the Llewyn Davis character. In an interview with Moviefone
Moviefone is an American-based moving pictures listing and information service. Moviegoers can obtain local showtimes, cinema information, film reviews, and advance tickets, as well as TV content and a comprehensive search tool that allows users ...
, Goodman says that his character is "a possible alternate future for Llewyn. He could turn out this way too." Philip Pantuso of ''Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' considers Davis to be a cyclical, Sisyphean type character, who has an ironic journey in which he is doomed to failure and doesn't know it; whereas the audience is in on the joke. He describes the character as "stuck in a nightmare version of Nietzsche's eternal return." He notes that Davis' musicality is of utmost importance to him, and that he has a mission to maintain the authenticity that he ascribes to the village, which will ironically "desert Llewyn and all he stands for...following the trailblazing path of the famous Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
."
Reception
Oscar Isaac was praised for his portrayal of Llewyn Davis, and the character received universal acclaim from film critics. Kenneth Turan of the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' wrote that Davis is "beautifully played by Oscar Isaac". Reviewer Phillip Kemp writes, "Isaac, who proves to have a strong singing voice, performs the folksongs in perfect period style and succeeds in making Llewyn, for all his prickliness, an unexpectedly likeable, melancholic figure." Steve Persall writes that, "''Inside Llewyn Davis'' opens intimately with Llewyn, a role inhabited in body and voice by Oscar Isaac, performing on the Gaslight Cafe stage. Music is more vital than ever in the Coens' storytelling, with frequent collaborator T-Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
coordinating an expressive folk music sampler, and actors performing songs as character shading. Isaac's opener, the plaintive traditional Hang Me … Oh Hang Me, reveals as much of his restless spirit as his talent." Marc Mohan writes that, "Davis is played by Oscar Isaac, who has toiled in supporting roles for the last few years but anchors this film with a star-making, soulful performance that includes haunting renditions of traditional tunes such as "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me" (which opens the movie) and "The Death of Queen Jane." Calvin Wilson of the '' St. Louis Post Dispatch'' notes that "Isaac, who also shared the screen with Mulligan in ''Drive
Drive or The Drive may refer to:
Motoring
* Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle
* Road trip, a journey on roads
Roadways
Roadways called "drives" may include:
* Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive"
* ...
'', may remind some moviegoers of the young Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
. And like Pacino, he has a gift for being appealing even when he's unpleasant." Critic Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny (born August 8, 1959) is an American film critic and journalist. He writes for '' The New York Times'' and ''RogerEbert.com''.
Biography
Kenny attended William Paterson University, where he majored in English literature.
writes, "We cannot imagine Llewyn Davis happy. The self-defeating Sisyphus of the new film written, directed, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen is the first person the viewer lays eyes on in the movie. Bearded, his unkempt hair falling in his eyes, he picks out some steely, blue notes on a guitar as he sings "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me," not to be confused with "Dang Me." "Wouldn't mind the hangin', except for layin' in the grave so long," he sings, with a good amount of sincerity. The time is 1961, the place is New York City, and the venue where Llewyn—portrayed with haunting conviction by Oscar Isaac, who, like everyone else in the cast, does his own singing and playing—is picking and not grinning is the Gaslight, a soon-to-be-legendary landmark in the "folk revival." A. O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis.
Early life
Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...
of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' writes, "Llewyn's repertoire and some aspects of his background are borrowed from Dave Van Ronk, who loomed large on the New York folk scene in its pre-Bob Dylan hootenanny-and-autoharp phase. Oscar Isaac, who plays both Llewyn and the guitar with offhand virtuosity, is slighter of build and scowlier of mien than Van Ronk, with a fine, clear tenor singing voice...Mr. Isaac, a versatile character actor here ascending to the highest levels of his craft, refuses the easy road of charm. Like his character, he trusts his own professionalism and the integrity of the material."
Despite receiving universal acclaim from critics, Llewyn Davis was panned by those who experienced the Greenwich Village in the 1960s or knew Dave Van Ronk personally. Folk artist Christie Lavin, a friend of Van Ronk, wrote, "I HATE THIS FILM..." Am outraged that the Coens took such a colorful character and interpreted him as a doofus," in reference to what she viewed as a disrespectful interpretation of the late folk singer. Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega ( Peck; born July 11, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter best known for her folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans almost 40 years. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s, releasing four singles that entered th ...
, a folk singer who experienced the Greenwich Village of the 1970s and also befriended Van Ronk around the time said, "I feel they took a vibrant, crackling, competitive, romantic, communal, crazy, drunken, brawling scene and crumpled it into a slow brown sad movie". Van Ronk's ex-wife, Terri Thal, writes, "What bothers me is that the movie doesn't show those days, those people, that world. In the movie, Llewyn Davis is a not-very smart, somewhat selfish, confused young man for whom music is a way to make a living. It's not a calling, as it was for David and for some others. No one in the film seems to love music. The character who represents Tom Paxton has a pasted-on smile and is a smug person who doesn't at all resemble the smart, funny, witty Tom Paxton who was our best man when we married." In response to some folk singers from the Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
scene who detested the film's presentation of the Greenwhich Village and the Llewyn Davis character, Aimee Levitt notes that the film is purposely bleak because it is seen through the eyes of a depressed character. She writes, "Nobody gives a shit about his music. His singing partner has just committed suicide. He's alienated all his family and friends and has to hit up strangers to find a place to stay. The whole movie's told from his point of view, and there's nothing, even Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notabl ...
leading a big old hootenanny in Washington Square Park, that's going to keep it from looking brown and sad, because that's what the world looks like when you're down in the depression hole."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Llewyn Fictional characters based on real people Fictional characters from New York City Film characters introduced in 2013 Fictional guitarists Fictional singers Male characters in film Drama film characters Comedy film characters