Fargo Analysis

Fargo: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Sarah Palin

Film Breakdown - A Scene By Scene Analysis

This is a scene-by-scene breakdown (with timecodes) of the Coen Brothers' masterpiece Fargo. I personally think it's fascinating from a screenwriting point of view to break a film down into its simple little parts (in this case, 44 distinct scenes - films of this length usually have around 40-45) and be able to more easily see how all the scenes fit together to create what we like to call a "plot," and more importantly, a "story."

The first timecode listed for each scene is the length of the scene. The second timecode at the end (in parentheses) is the minute-mark in the film where the scene ends.

Thus, I give you, the 44 scenes of Fargo, followed by an analysis of the film as it pertains to Blake Snyder's beat sheet. And suffice it to say, this article contains spoilers.

1- 02:52 – Credits (02:52)

2- 3:31 – Jerry Lundegaard enters a bar and meets Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud.  He gives them a Cutlass Ciera, and they agree to kidnap his wife in exchange for $40,000.  He keeps the other $40,000. (05:23)

3- 2:06 – Jerry returns home to his wife and son.  His father-in-law, Wade, joins them for dinner.  Jerry tries to get Wade to invest $750,000 in a parking lot. (08:29)

4- 0:56 – Showalter and Grimsrud are in the car, heading for Minneapolis. (09:25)

5- 01:59 – Jerry deals with an angry customer.  He shows himself to be a coward who virtually ignores situations when they arise. (11:24)

6- 0:39 – Grimsrud and Showalter have sex with two hookers. (12:03)

7- 1:18 – Jerry receives a call from Wade who says that Stan Grossman might be interested in his parking lot proposal. (13:21)

8- 1:01 – Jerry goes to Shep Proudfoot (who put him in touch with Grimsrud and Showalter) and asks if there is another way to reach them.  Jerry wants to cancel the deal. (14:22)

9- 1:40 – Grimsrud and Showalter are nearing Minneapolis.  Showalter complains about how little Grimsrud talks. (16:02)

10- 1:28 – Someone calls Jerry asking for the VIN numbers from cars that Jerry received a $320,000 loan on.  Jerry acts evasive about it, talking in circles. (17:30)

11- 2:48 – Grimsrud and Showalter break into Jerry’s house and kidnap Jean, Jerry’s wife. (20:18)

12- 3:21 – Jerry meets with Wade and Stan.  They offer him a finder’s fee of the $750,000, which Jerry suggests is 10%.  He says “that won’t do it for me.”  Thus begs the question, if $75,000 isn’t enough, how is $40,000 from the ransom going to be sufficient? (23:49)

13- 1:30 – Jerry returns home to find the place destroyed and Jean missing.  He calls Wade. (25:19)

14- 7:24 – Grimsrud and Showalter are pulled over by a trooper.  Grimsrud shoots the trooper, and then kills two passing motorists. (32:43)

15- 2:55 – Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Sheriff and the protagonist, gets a telephone call early in the morning informing her about the murders. (35:38)

16- 4:03 – Marge goes to the scene of the crime.  Her ability to deduce details from examining the scene suggests a certain brilliance hidden under her Minnesota accent. (39:41)

17- 2:18 – Jerry meets with Stan and Wade.  Wade wants to go to the police, but Jerry and Stan urge against it.  Stan tells Jerry that they will get $1 million together for the ransom. (41:59)

18- 1:27 – Jerry returns home to find Scotty (his son) upset.  He assures him that everything will be okay. (43:26)

19- 1:10 – Showalter and Grimsrud arrive at a cabin in the woods with Jean.  They laugh as she runs around, unable to see where she’s going. (44:36)

20- 1:24 – Marge is informed by a Deputy that two people checked into the Blue Ox writing in a Ciera and leaving the tag space blank. (46:00)

21- 1:14 – Marge talks with the two girls with whom Showalter and Grimsrud had sex.  She finds out that they said they were heading to the Twin Cities. (47:14)

22- 0:52 – Showalter furiously beats on a TV in an attempt to get a signal.  Grimsrud sits and stares, as usual. (48:06)

23- 1:53 – Marge gets a call from Mike Yanagita, an acquaintance from high school. (49:59)

24- 2:35 – Jerry receives a call from Showalter, who demands the entire $80,000. (52:34)

25- 1:34 – Marge receives info from her deputy that a call was placed to Shep Proudfoot.  She decides to go to the Twin Cities. (54:08)

26- 1:06 – Wade demands that he be the one to deal with the kidnappers, not Jerry.  Jerry, obviously, objects. (55:14)

27- 1:12 – Marge checks in.  She makes a call regarding a search on Shep Proudfoot. (56:26)

28- 1:58 – Showalter enters an airport parking deck and removes a license plate from one of the cars.  He then argues with the ticket person over the $4 parking fee. (58:24) 

29- 1:04 – Marge talks with Shep about who called him.  He doesn’t say, but she points out that he’s on parole, and associating with criminals is a violation of parole. (59:28)

30- 1:58 – Marge talks with Jerry.  She asks if any cars have gone missing off the lot.  He claims that none have. (61:26)

31- 4:01 – Marge meets with Mike Yanagita.  He claims to have been married to Linda Cooksey.  He breaks down in tears after expressing how much he always liked Marge. (65:27)

32- 1:15 – Showalter eats dinner with an Escort. (66:42)

33- 1:12 – As Showalter is having sex with the Escort, Shep enters and savagely beats Showalter. (67:54)

34- 1:07 – Showalter calls Jerry’s house in anger and demands the money.  Wade exits with the money.  Jerry follows. (69:01)

35- 3:32 – Wade arrives at the parking deck with the money.  He demands to see his daughter.  Showalter shoots him and flees with the money.  Jerry arrives at the scene and stuffs Wade’s body into the trunk. (72:33)

36- 0:56 – Jerry comes home.  Scotty informs him that Stan Grossman called.  Jerry lies to his own son as he sits and thinks about how everything is unraveling. (73:29)

37- 2:20 – Officer Olson speaks with a man who says he talked to a “funny lookin’ guy” that was staying up by Moose Lake. (75:49)

38- 2:30 – Showalter discovers that there is well over $80,000 in the satchel.  He removes some of the money and buries the rest in the snow. (78:19)

39- 0:55 – Marge talks on the phone with her friend, who informs her that Mike Yanagita was never married to Linda Cooksey.  In fact, he stalked her.  This tips Marge off to go back and talk to Jerry again. (79:14)

40- 4:14 – Marge goes back to question Jerry.  He gets angry and leaves to do a lot-count.  She then sees him fleeing the interview. (83:28)

41- 2:23 – Showalter returns to the cabin.  He gives Grimsrud the $40,000.  Grimsrud demands that the Ciera be split, but Showalter refuses.  As Showalter is leaving to take the Ciera, Grimsrud murders him with an axe. (85:51)

42- 3:40 – Marge finds the location of the cabin.  She discovers Grimsrud feeding the remains of Showalter into a wood chipper.  He flees, and she shoots him in the leg. (89:31)

43- 2:15 – Marge lectures Grimsrud that there is “more to life than a little money.”  The police storm down the road to apprehend him. (91:46)

44- 1:05 – Police apprehend Jerry from a motel as he tries to flee through a window. (92:51)

45- 1:33 – Marge and her husband get into bed.  They watch TV as Norm talks about his design going on a postage stamp. (93:24)


There are 44 major scenes, with an average run-time of 2 minutes 7 seconds per scene.  The longest scene is 7 minutes 24 seconds, which is scene #14... the end of Act I.  The shortest scene is scene #22 at 52 seconds in length.

I will attempt to fit Fargo to the Blake Snyder beat sheet, although it should be noted that a lot of films have a somewhat unconventional structure, and most will not perfectly fit the beat sheet.  We already know Fargo has an odd structure because we are not introduced to the protagonist until the beginning of Act II.

In fact, I have read quite a few analyses on Fargo, and not one of them has a definitive answer on the structure of Fargo.  Screenwriter Todd Alcott (Antz) asserts that Fargo has no protagonist, but rather a “likable main character.”  I have read articles to assert that Fargo has dual protagonists.  In my opinion, the problem with this assertion is two-fold: 1) Jerry does not have the capacity to pursue his object of desire to the end of the line, and 2) if Jerry is the protagonist, this would make Marge the antagonist.  Marge, however, does have the capacity to pursue the object of desire to the end of the line.

However, despite this odd structure, I will attempt to fit Fargo to the Snyder beat sheet.

*Note:  I have altered these figures based on a 98 minute running time.  Upon completion of the film, I discovered Fargo is in fact 93 minutes long.  But, these are approximations anyway.

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Opening Image (1):  Fargo opens on the image of a vast, bleak, snowy landscape.  Jerry’s car slices through the falling snow as he arrives at the bar.

Theme Stated (5):  There are several themes running throughout Fargo.  Often, theme is described as the protagonist’s internal desire.  Marge, as our protagonist, is not a character that arcs to a large degree.  I do think, however, there is a very nuanced arc.  Her external desire is clear: to solve the case and apprehend the suspects.  But, what is her flaw?  I think the arc in her character lay in her ability to overcome her flaw and accomplish her external desire.  How does she accomplish her external desire?  By realizing that everything doesn’t have a rational solution.  After her encounter with Mike Yanagita, she realizes that maybe Jerry has deceived her.  Maybe some things just don’t make sense.  Her reconciliation between her flaw (the belief that there is a rational explanation for everything) and external desire is the development of her arc.  Thus, the theme is stated when Carl says to Jerry, “it’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul, it just doesn’t make any sense.”  Some things just don’t make sense.

Set-up (1-9):  Fargo sets up the rest of its plot by introducing all major players (with the exception of Marge).  We meet Jerry, Carl Showalter, Gaear Grimsrud, Wade, and Jerry’s family.  We also realize that Jerry needs money, for something.  He wants an investment from Wade for a parking lot. We don’t know what sort of trouble he is in, nor do we ever know.  It doesn’t even really matter.

Catalyst (11):  There are several ways to view the catalyst of the film.  For one, Jerry’s meeting in the first scene could be seen as the catalyst.  It brings Carl and Grimsrud to kidnap Jerry’s wife.  The kidnapping itself could also be seen as the catalyst.  And, also, the catalyst could be seen as the triple homicide at the end of Act I.  Some films push the catalyst to the end of Act I, filling the first act with character introduction and exposition, and then introducing the conflict (Chinatown, Rocky).

Debate (11-23):  There is no actual “debate” in Fargo.  Fargo utilizes its first act to set-up the introduction of Marge Gunderson, and the multiple threads of the film.

Break into 2 (23):  This is when Carl and Grimsrud murder the trooper and then kill the passing motorists.  This is the “change of plans” in the plot, and also brings about the introduction of Sheriff Marge Gunderson.  Neither Marge nor Jerry propel us into Act II.  It’s actually Carl and Grimsrud that bring about the break into 2.

B Story (27):  Fargo has no B-story. Unless you wanted to view Marge as the B-story, but I disagree with that notion. Not every film needs a B-story.

Fun and Games (27-49):  Marge investigates the crime.  Jerry, Wade, and Stan prepare to pay the kidnappers their money.

Midpoint (49):  If we assume this is the point of a false victory or a false defeat, it would most likely be the point at which Carl calls Jerry demanding all $80,000.  It’s a false defeat because Jerry has told Wade the ransom is $1 million.  He isn’t losing all of the money, merely $40,000.

Bad Guys Close In (49-67):  Marge closes in on Jerry, Carl, and Grimsrud.

All Is Lost (67):  Shep beats Carl as he is having sex with the escort.  This would be a false victory.  A seemingly good thing turns bad (false victory) when Shep’s violent reaction drives Carl to demand delivery of the money from Jerry.

Dark Night of the Soul (67-76):  Carl shoots Wade in anger.  Carl takes the entire sum of the money with him.  Jerry lies to those around him, even his son.

Break into 3 (76):  Marge decides to go back and talk to Jerry, again.

Finale (76-98):  Jerry flees the interview.  Marge searches for the cabin up by Moose Lake, and finally she finds it.  She walks around back to find Grimsrud feeding the remains of Carl into a wood chipper.  At the climax, Grimsrud flees across a frozen lake.  Marge shoots him in the leg and handcuffs him.

Final Image (98):  The final image should be the opposite of the opening image.  In Fargo, we opened with a bleak, snowy landscape.  We close with the image of Marge and Norm in a warm, cozy bed.