What You Never Noticed About Light In No Country For Old Men

Said viewer took his No Country for Old Men theories to Reddit a few years back, in one of the more well thought-out posts you'll find on the platform. Those theories focus largely on the characters Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) and Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), and explore the simple, yet effective way in which the Coens utilize light and color to symbolize their place on the spectrum of good and evil.

To clarify, Jones' Bell is the aforementioned Sheriff, and Bardem is indeed the cold-blooded killer. They could not be on more opposite ends of the spectrum, with Bell playing the virtuous lawman to Chigurh's demonic law breaker. But according to the Redditor, you should know which side each man is on, based purely on how the Coens dress them, and what light they're typically shot in.  

"Throughout the film we see Bell shown in light colors, in well lit environments, and generally surrounded by white colors. In the most simple use of symbolism, we're subconsciously being told that Bell is our good guy, and a representation of good. On the opposite side of things, we have Chigurh. Chigurh is the leading cause of death in this film, and he's typically shown in dark rooms, dark environments, and dark clothing. In the most simple of use of symbolism, we're subconsciously being told that Chigurh is our bad guy, and a representation of bad / death."

To piggy-back the concept, it's worth noting that when these characters do appear in alternate lighting, they look like different people altogether, with darkness essentially consuming Bell, and light exposing Chigurh's craggy, devilish facade. And simple as the technique is, it's another example of the Coen duo's unimpeachable cinematic genius.