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Blood Simple

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Blood Simple

Blood Simple is a 1984 American independent neo-noir crime film written, edited, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh. Its plot follows a Texas bartender who is having an affair with his boss's wife. When his boss discovers the affair, he hires a private investigator to kill the couple. It was the directorial debut of the Coens and the first major film of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, who later became a director, as well as the feature-film debut of McDormand.

The film's title is derived from Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest (1929), in which the Continental Op muses, "This damned burg's getting me. If I don't get away soon I'll be going blood-simple like the natives." Stylistically, the film has been noted for its blending elements of neo-noir, pulp crime stories and low-budget horror films. In 2001, a director's cut was released, the same year that it was ranked No. 98 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills.

Texas bartender Ray and housewife Abby drive through a downpour at night, discussing Abby's bad marriage to Ray's boss, Julian Marty. They have sex at a motel. Loren Visser, a private detective, takes photos of the tryst and delivers them to Marty. When a caller informs the couple they are being watched, Abby grabs some belongings, including a pistol Marty gave her. Ray goes to the bar to demand his back pay from Marty, who tells Ray that Abby will betray him as she did Marty, and when confronted will say, "I haven't done anything funny."

After a botched attempt to kidnap Abby, Marty offers Visser $10,000 to kill her and Ray. Visser tells Marty to go fishing and he will call him when the job is done. Visser breaks into Ray's home and steals Abby's gun. He shows Marty photos of the murdered couple, one of which Marty secrets in his safe while retrieving the $10,000. Visser double crosses Marty and shoots him with Abby's gun. He drops the gun and grabs the money but forgets his cigarette lighter as he leaves.

It is revealed that Visser doctored the photos to appear that Abby and Ray had been shot. Ray discovers Marty's body, accidentally discharging Abby's gun when he steps on it. He cleans the crime scene, puts the gun in Marty's pocket and the body in his car. Marty is still alive, albeit barely. Ray begins to bury Marty in a shallow grave when Marty aims the gun and pulls the trigger three times, falling on an empty chamber each time. Marty screams as Ray takes the gun and finishes burying him.

The next morning, Ray tries to explain to Abby that he "cleaned it all up." Abby says, "I haven't done anything funny," which leads to an argument. Visser telephones but does not speak when Abby picks up. She assumes and tells Ray that it was Marty. Ray places her gun on a table as he leaves. Meurice, another bartender, tells Ray about a phone message Marty left regarding money stolen from the safe—Marty's cover for the $10,000 he paid Visser.

While burning the doctored photos, Visser realizes that Marty kept one, and that he left his lighter. His attempt to break into the safe is thwarted by Abby, who thinks Ray damaged the safe and realizes Marty might be dead. She has a nightmare of Marty warning her that Ray will kill her as well. She confronts Ray, who tells her Marty was still alive when he buried him.

Ray opens the safe and discovers the doctored photo. He goes to Abby's apartment to warn her. Visser kills Ray with a rifle shot from a rooftop across the street. Abby smashes her lightbulb and hides in the bathroom.

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