FARGO (1996) A winter wonderland of black humor

Virtually everything about FARGO is cold: the cold, cruel plan concocted by a sleazy, in-debt car salesman (William H. Macy) to have his wife kidnapped for ransom; the cold-hearted treatment by his boss/father-in-law (Harve Prenell); the cold, senseless killings by the two not-too-bright kidnappers (Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare); and of course, the cold, relentless winter of North Dakota where the tale takes place. Only the warmth of the indomitable (and pregnant) policewoman Madge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) and her loving, supportive relationship with husband Norm manage to peek through the cold, ugly gray -- that, and random moments of macabre humor, including the famous wood chipper scene.