The "Nameless Man"

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) is a film that takes place in the American south during the time of the Great Depression. A scene that really stuck out to me occurred during the first few minutes of the film. Everett, Pete, and Delmar encounter an African American man riding some sort of transportation device on the railroad tracks while running away. The man works for no one and has no name, but he does have some interesting words to say that really stuck out to me from the moment I heard them.  The “nameless man” tells the three men they have a great fortune to seek, though it will not be the fortune they intend to seek. The man continues by telling them they will seek a cow on a cotton house and that they should continue following the road to salvation. After the conversation is over, the camera begins to back away and form a long shot of a lengthy stretch of railroad tracks. I think this really resembled the long journey the three men had ahead of them.

            This scene did not completely make sense until the movie carried on and the Soggy Bottom Boys found their fortune and were saved by a flood that then lead to the scene of a cow on a roof. In my opinion, this scene really set up the way for the entire film. Although the nameless man only made one appearance-excluding the final scene- he was an essential part to the film.