Director
Joel Coen
Leading Actors/Actresses
Jeff Bridges
Supporting Actors/Actresses
John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Genre
Comedy, Crime
Language
English
Awards
Date of Release
1998
Producer
Ethan Coen
Setting and Context
Los Angeles, 1998
Narrator and Point of View
POV is mostly that of the Dude; narrated by The Stranger
Tone and Mood
Comedic, stoner comedy, irreverent, dark
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: The Dude. Antagonists: Jeffrey Lebowski, the nihilists
Major Conflict
The Dude is mistaken for Jeffrey Lebowski, who owes money to a pornography magnate. Meanwhile, the Dude wants Lebowski to pay for his rug that was peed on by the guys that though he was the millionaire, and in the process gets caught up in an unpredictable sequence of events.
Climax
The climax occurs when Walter and Dude fight the nihilists.
Foreshadowing
The severed toe is foreshadowed when Bunny shows the Dude her toes on their first meeting.
Understatement
The Dude often understates his reactions to things, as he has an exceedingly chilled out and go-with-the-flow attitude.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Allusions
Allusions to different political persuasions throughout, allusions to the art world, allusions to the pornography industry.
Paradox
Lebowski never wanted to find Bunny in the first place, but he keeps up the impression that he does.