neo noir, and even some elements of horror. But what it is at it's core is a Western.
Of course, this movie isn't a Western in the traditional sense with cowboys and saloons, but it still embodies many of the genre's tropes. It's the perfect representation of the "modern Western."
A Sheriff
No Western is complete without a sheriff. Sheriffs are typically portrayed as good, noble, and moral, and that is certainly the case within No Country for Old Men. Sheriff Bell is a seasoned veteran and has seemingly seen it all - that is, until he encounters Anton Chigurh's reign of destruction.
Bell is the archetypal sheriff of Westerns, hunting down the bad guy with an immovable sense of justice and a Southern twang in his speech. Of course, this prevents him from fitting in with the modern world, and therein lies the entire point of the story.
Barren Towns
Most Westerns take place in barren and dusty towns that industry and progress have ed by. No Country for Old Men actually takes place in multiple locations across the southern United States, but each are as barren as the last. These towns don't seem to be populated by people.
This is especially evident during the nighttime shootout between Moss and Chigurh, as they are able to have a duel without any sort of intervention (minus the one poor erby in the truck). While these are "modern" towns, they are just as barren as the ones found in old timey Westerns.
Duels
Duels are easily one of the best movie tropes from Westerns. While No Country subverts numerous Western tropes, it still finds time for some duels. The main one involves Moss and Chigurh. It begins in the hotel room, with both standing near each other, their guns primed and ready to strike.
It's just like the beginning of every other Western duel, only in a hotel room instead of a dusty street. Chigurh gets the upper hand and blows the door lock into Moss's chest, and the gun battle continues through the barren streets of the town.
Cowboy Hats
There are cowboy films that any Westerner at heart has to see, and they all contain cowboy hats. It's simply a must for the genre. Luckily, No Country for Old Men upholds that tradition. While the movie takes place in the 1980s, many characters still wear cowboy hats.
Moss is the obvious example, as his hat remains firmly attached to his head. However, numerous other characters throughout the film also don cowboy hats, including Sheriff Bell, Bell's right hand man Wendell, and Woody Harrelson's Carson Wells.
An Obsession With Money
Some Western movies involve treasures, bank robberies, or at least "gold in them mountains." Whatever the case, the story typically revolves around the money. No Country for Old Men is certainly no different.
The entire plot is kicked off when Moss steals the money from the botched drug deal. Moss's obsession with money only gets him into trouble, as Chigurh and numerous other deadly forces hunt him down in an attempt to retrieve it.
Villain Clad In Black
It's not rare to see a Western in which the main villain is clad entirely in black. Black is obviously associated with evil, and in these movies, the villain typically wears a black trench coat and a black cowboy hat. And while Chigurh doesn't wear either, he is nevertheless the man in black.
Inhabiting his role as walking death, Chigurh certainly has a preference when it comes to fashion. He dresses with a very dark color scheme, and his black hair and dark eyes only accentuate the colors. He looks like a man one does not want to mess with.
The Setting
Even the most unique cowboy movies still have that typical Western setting. They are called Westerns for a reason. No Country for Old Men takes place in various locations throughout Texas, including Del Rio, Terrell County, Eagle , and El Paso.
All are quite barren, all are quiet, and some - especially Terrell County - have that signature Western landscape of distant mountains and endless beds of rock and sand. No Country for Old Men is a Western at heart, and it looks like one.
End Of An Era
Many Western movies are about "the end of an era." They typically take place at the turn of the 20th century, and they concern the dying of the cowboys and the end of total lawlessness. In some ways, No Country for Old Men embodies this trope.
Sheriff Bell feels like he is living at the end of an era - an era of prosperity and safety - and that he is now entering a time of violence and hatred. Of course, Ellis is quick to remind him that violence and hatred have always been a part of human nature.
Lone Wolf Protagonist
Another signature trope of the Western is the lone wolf protagonist. Think The Man with No Name in Leone's Dollars Trilogy. Moss is certainly the lone wolf protagonist in No Country for Old Men.
While he is pursued by a desperate Sheriff Bell, he is completely on his own throughout the film. He is stoic and egotistical to a fault, believing himself to be the hardened protagonist of a Western film. Of course, this ego only gets him killed.
Lawlessness
No Western is complete with a state of lawlessness. It's one of the defining features of the Western and that specific period of American history. While Sheriff Bell does what he can throughout the story, it mostly remains in a state of lawlessness.
Very few authority figures are seen throughout the film. Instead, characters kill each other without punishment or interruption, whether it be on the streets or in busy hotels. There is no intervention. There is just anarchy.
