Submitted photo Carl Opel of New Ulm loaned his 1961 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon to the Coen brothers for their film, "A Serious Man."

NEW ULM – The New Ulm Film Society Coen Brothers screening series takes a semi-serious turn this week with “A Serious Man.”

The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, at the New Ulm Public Library.

“A Serious Man” is set in Minnesota in 1967 and tells the story of Jewish physics teacher Larry Gopnik (played by Michael Stuhlbarg) whose life falls apart through several sudden incidents, leading him to question his faith.

The film is generally regarded as a dark comedy. The humor comes from all the over-the-top misery that befalls Larry over the course of the movie. He is an extremely put-upon character, forced to deal with many obstacles outside of his control.

This in itself is not an unusual theme for a Coen Brothers film. Many of their films create dark comedy from morbid scenarios and the suffering of characters. The difference between “A Serious Man” and other Coen films is that this is not a crime drama.

Most of the Coen films center on murder, theft, kidnapping, or fleeing the law. The drama arises from whether or not the characters will face justice for their crimes. In “A Serious Man,” the protagonist Larry Gopnik has done nothing wrong but seems to be punished by fate or possibly a higher power.

Many critics have cited this film as a retelling of the Book of Job. In the film, Gopnik’s faith is tested. Will Gopnik continue to maintain his morality when faced with great hardship? However, it is hinted that, unlike Job, Gopnik will not be rewarded for keeping the faith.

“A Serious Man” leans into another theme common to Coen films: nihilism. Nihilism is the rejection of all moral principles and the belief life is meaningless. It is a philosophy that can apply to many Coen Brother films. Their movies will end abruptly on ambiguous notes. It is unclear if the hero won, or if the villain was punished. The Coen’s 1998 film “The Big Lebowski” even featured characters that followed nihilism.

One interpretation of “A Serious Man” is that God is testing Gopnik and everything happens for a reason, but there is a possibility that everything is random and bad times will rain down on the just and unjust alike.

“A Serious Man” was a critical success upon release, but the film has a special cult following in Minnesota due to being set and filmed in the state. Several real-life Twin Cities locations were recreated as they appeared in the 1960s.

The Coen Brothers are natives of St. Louis Park, Minnesota and would have been 13 and 10 years old in 1967. Creating the setting for this movie would be like recreating their childhood. The synagogue used in the film was the Coens’ hometown synagogue in St. Louis Park.

One challenge in the movie was finding period-appropriate vehicles. They had to borrow or buy multiple ’60s-era vehicles for the film and used locals. A scene toward the end of the film features a 1961 Chevrolet Nomad Station Wagon. The vehicle used for this film belongs to Craig Opel, a current resident of New Ulm.

Opel was excited to loan the car to the film crew. His vehicle only appears on screen for 28 seconds of screen time and the scene was filmed through the windshield, but it is a fun claim to fame.

Those interested in seeing Opel’s car and other Minnesota prompts are encouraged to attend the screening.

The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, in the New Ulm Public Library meeting room. The film screening is free to the public. Members of the New Ulm Film Society will be on hand to discuss the film and its cultural impact.