Ethan Coen On The Coen Brothers Split: “None Of The Decisions Are Definitive.”

One of the topics that dominated the “The Tragedy of Macbeth” press circuit was Ethan Coen‘s absence from the film. With Joel Coen going solo, the decades-long partnership between the Coen Brothers seemed to have reached an inglorious conclusion. Granted, the narrative that emerged was less one of familial tension than industry fatigue. Joel indicated in interviews that his brother would have had no interest in making a Shakespeare adaptation, while long-time collaborator Carter Burwell – who scored “The Tragedy of Macbeth” – went so far as to say that Ethan “just didn’t want to make movies anymore.”

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Until he did. Ethan and editor (and wife) Tricia Cooke surprised the Cannes Film Festival crowd with a late announcement of a new film: “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind,” a documentary about the legendary songwriter. Naturally, the subject of Ethan’s now-temporary departure from the industry have been reignited. In a conversation with the Associated Press, the younger Coen brother spoke pretty candidly about his shifting interests. “Oh, nothing happened, certainly nothing dramatic,” the filmmaker said. “After 30 years, not that it’s no fun, but it’s more of a job than it had been.”

For Ethan, one of the biggest factors was the tough sledding of his most recent features, giving credence to the notion that his departure was more about filmmaking in general than his relationship with Joel in particular. “The last two movies we made, me and Joel together, were really difficult in terms of production,” he added. “I mean, really difficult. So if you don’t have to do it, you go at a certain point: Why am I doing this?”

Thankfully for fans of the Coen Brothers and amicable holiday gatherings, Ethan does not appear to be closing the door on a future Coen Brothers collaboration. In the Associated Press, Ethan commented that the split was never as final as it was mad out to be. “Going our own separate ways sounds like it suggests it might be final. But none of this stuff happened definitively,” he noted. “None of the decisions are definitive. We might make another movie. I don’t know what my next movie is going to be after this. The pandemic happened. I turned into a big baby and got bored and quit, and then the pandemic happened. Then other stuff happens and who knows?”

So in the meantime, what is life in the studio without his older brother? In another interview with Deadline, Ethan ended on a bittersweet anecdote about missing the perspective of a longtime collaborator. “Many times, there are all these problems when you go, oh fuck. You’re stuck,” the director explained. “This doesn’t work. And I’d think, Joel would have an idea what to do here. So, where the fuck is he?”

“Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind” premieres this weekend at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.