History Film / MillersCrossing

The film is something of a dark horse in the Coen Brothers oeuvre. Despite being a box-office failure at its release and lacking a [[Film/TheBigLebowski massive cult following]] or any [[Film/NoCountryForOldMen Academy]] [[Film/{{Fargo}} Awards]], it remains one of the duo's most critically-acclaimed pieces. It's often referred to as "the ''other'' [[Film/GoodFellas great crime movie of 1990]]."

* OhCrap: The look on Tom's face when he finds out he's expected to kill Bernie.

* CrocodileTears: [[spoiler: Bernie. It's the main reason why Tom has no problem ventilating his skull the second time he tries pulling his "look into your heart" ploy]].

* VillainProtagonist: While none of the cast is particularly "good," Tom is easily worse than most, and his machinations make him responsible for the deaths of every character in the film other than Rug (and possibly Mink?).

** Leo guns down some mooks to a soulful rendition of "Danny Boy" that he's playing on the gramophone.

* PetTheDog: Tom spares Bernie in the woods even though he reaps no benefit from it and it actually places him in great danger, it is purely from moral conviction. He observes to Verna later when she hesitates in shooting him "Not easy, is it?". He also saves "Drop" Johnson from being beaten to death by Caspar, it would actually benefit him to shut Drop up permanently but he spares him purely as a matter of conscience.

* FakingTheDead: Bernie uses Mink's corpse to fake his death.

* IdiotBall: Frankie and Tic-Tac are given orders to make sure Tom kills Bernie. So what do they do? They stand by the car and wait while Tom walks Bernie into the woods [[SoundOnlyDeath alone]], allowing Tom to fake Bernie's death. This is basically required for the rest of the plot to work. Dane beats them both up for being so stupid and goes to check for the body.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: By the near end of the movie, [[spoiler:Tom, when he kills Bernie. At that point, Leo's solidly in power once more, and both Tom and Verna are safe, and Bernie no longer represents any threat to Tom]]. The reason it technically fits here instead of KickTheDog is because [[spoiler:Tom's previously shown not to hold grudges with his bookie's muscle, and kills Bernie without a hint of passion, so it's not revenge. Tom kills Bernie simply because he doesn't like the little weasel. Of course, this backfires for him, unless he'd made peace with the fact he wasn't going to end up with Verna, because it's obvious at the end that she ''knows'']].

* {{Gayngster}}: Bernie, the Dane, and Mink. J.E. Freeman, who plays the Dane, is gay himself. Interestingly, so is Jon Polito, who plays the straight (and ''married'') Johnny Caspar.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Leo.

* MatzoFever: Irish-American gangster Leo is smitten by Jewish FemmeFatale Verna Bernbaum.

** More generally, Carter Burwell's delicate and emotional score contrasts sharply with the dark and cynical tone of the film. It is a variation of "Lament for Limerick", a tune written to commemorate the end of the Williamite/Jacobite wars in Ireland, driving rival factions who supported their kings to war and pitting brother against brother.

* PetTheDog: Tom spares Bernie in the woods even though he reaps no benefit from it and places him in great danger, it is purely from moral conviction. He observes to Verna later when she hesitates in shooting him "Not easy, is it?". He also saves "Drop" Johnson from being beaten to death by Caspar, it would actually benefit him to shut Drop up permanently but he spares him purely as a matter of conscience.

* TheAlcoholic: Tom.

** More generally, Carter Burwell's delicate and emotional score contrasts sharply with the dark and cynical tone of the film.

* VillainProtagonist: While none of the cast is particularly "good," Tom is easily worse than most, and his machinations make him responsible for the deaths of every character in the film other than Rug.