Ah, the old days—back when music was good, men were men, and criminals were honorable.
Wait, what?
We get the feeling that Ed Tom Bell, the most nostalgic old sheriff this side of the southern border, just wants to rewind everything about fifty years. He spends a lot of this movie talking about how good things were back in the old days and about as much talking about how bad things are in the present. Well, take off those rose-colored glasses, Sheriff Bell. As his relative Ellis reminds him, cold-blooded killers aren't anything new to the modern world. People are people; they always have been; they always will be.
Questions about Memory and the Past
- Do you think that Sheriff Bell has a good point about things being better in the past? Why or why not?
- Do you think Sheriff Bell will listen to Ellis' advice and stop thinking about himself and his spiritual beliefs so much? Why or why not?
- Why does Sheriff Bell like to hear about the "old-timers" so much? What is it he admires about them so much?
Chew on This
In No Country, we learn that there's no room in this world for old men who just want to reminisce about the good old days. You need to keep looking forward or the view never changes.
No Country shows us that the world truly is getting worse every year.