The Big Lebowski/Fridge

• I was reading an interesting analysis of The Big Lebowski the other day, and managed to have one of these because of it. The analysis stated that whenever the Dude pointed out that Walter was living under the thumb of his ex-wife, Walter would direct his anger at something else (After talking about the dog, Walter pulls his gun on the other bowler for going over the line.) The Fridge Brilliance came when I realised that Walter didn't actually get angry at the Dude until the Dude suggested that Walter wasn't genuinely Jewish. There may be more to the angry veteran than we thought...
  • I know what analysis you speak of, but there is a logical reason for Walter blowing up at the Dude. Any other point in the movie, someone else was always around. When the Dude challenged Walter's Judaism they were driving in the car. Notice how Walter doesn't attempt to look too often at the Dude during his rant. It's cause he doesn't want to direct his anger at him, but he can't help his own temper. Moreover, this desire to not explode at his friend is further backed up by Walter becoming distracted rather easily whereas before his temper tantrums weren't even interrupted by the threat of approaching COPS.
• Fridge Brilliance: Many, many little details that most viewers won't notice without repeat viewings, if at all. For instance, the Treehorn thugs swap clothes with each other between appearances, and the Dude cribs phrases and terms from other characters' dialogue.
  • When Walter goes nuts smashing up the Chevy and screaming, technically he is the one fucking a stranger in the ass.
    • I guess Walter was telling the truth then.

"This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass!!"

• • Also, Walter ends up solving the "mystery" in his first scene.
    • It gets better; technically the Dude solved the mystery; Walter just latched on to his suggestion and refused to let it go.
  • Possibly my favority part of the movie is how every idiom The Dude uses someone else said to him earlier in the movie and every piece of the movie that has you scratching your head wondering why it's in there pops up later. The Sadaam working the shoe counter comes back from the news report in the opening scene is a prime example.
• They say that cursing raises your pain tolerance 50%. As we all know, The Dude swears an amazing amount of times in the movie, so his pain tolerance must be through the roof, which explains why he is able to be so relaxed all the time. The Dude Abides indeed.
• Walter goes through the movie exploding at every little slight, real or imagined, and violently losing his temper at the slightest provocation. Except when Jesus Quintana is mocking / threatening him, to which his only response is a nonchalant comment after he's gone reminding everyone around him that Jesus is a pederast ("...Eight-year-olds, Dude."). A sign, perhaps, that Walter holds Quintana in such deep contempt that where he would rise to the jibes of anyone else, with Quintana he feels it's just completely beneath him.
  • The Dude probably shares the same contempt for the guy. His "That's just, like...your opinion...man..." is unquestionably lame. He's capable of far better, but an asshole like The Jesus isn't worth the effort.
• The music that introduces Jesus Quintana is a latin-cover version of "Hotel California by The Eagles. Which band does the Dude fucking hate again?
• Near the very end, the Dude and Donny offer the Nihlists whatever money they have on them, and Donny offers up the 18 dollars he has. In Jewish numerology 18 means chai (life), because the Hebrew word is made of two letters, which are the 8th and 10th letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. And then shortly afterward Donny dies of a heart attack so the giving of 18 dollars was him giving his life! Possibly a coincidence, but as this is the Coen Brothers it could have been intentional.
• Right before Donny dies of a heart attack, he misses his only strike in the movie and looks shocked. When he returns to his seat, he is shaking his hand around. What's one of the symptoms of a heart attack? Numb arm. The Coens are incredible.

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