Talk:Inside Llewyn Davis

Welsh
Is there any reason why the protagonist has such a Welsh name? Davis (along with Jones) is one of the most common Welsh surnames, and Llewyn is 100% Welsh as well. So what gives?94.169.242.206 (talk) 22:47, 18 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Some early reviews suggest that the character has some parallels with Dylan Thomas and giving him a Welsh name is a homage of sorts. Of course it may just be a subtle reference to the other folksinger named Dylan. This is speculation of course and nothing which could go in wikipedia.yorkshiresky (talk) 10:43, 19 May 2013 (UTC)
 * In the film, someone asks the character about his name and he briefly explains that it's Welsh. There's nothing more in the film itself. Constablequackers (talk) 10:11, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

Llewyn is of Welsh descent on his fathers side, and of Italian descent on his mothers side, as he explains to Roland Turner in the car. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.198.243.71 (talk) 18:13, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

The title character is fictional, no?
I suggest that the article's introduction should explicitly state that Llewyn Davis is a fictional character. --anon. 71.183.133.71 (talk) 01:51, 20 July 2013 (UTC)


 * The intro says the film is a drama "loosely based" on a memoir by a person not named Llewlyn Davis. I think that establishes it. Barte (talk) 04:52, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

Soundtrack
There's nothing about the soundtrack in this article? What's up with that?BryenKranstin (talk) 02:28, 13 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Indeed. Fire when ready! Constablequackers (talk) 10:10, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

I've changed the wording of a sentence from "Isaac, Timberlake, Mulligan, Driver and others performed the music live" to "... themselves" and removed the LA Times citation because it doesn't seem to contain any supporting information. The NPR article cited later in the paragraph does mention: "'The Old Triangle,' that was one song, the one song in the movie that was not performed by the people that you see onscreen. Those are actors lip-synching to playback." But to me, saying the music is performed "live" implies more than the simple fact that the actors themselves provided the voices; it implies that what we see on screen is the actors actually performing the sound that we're hearing at the same time. I would suggest that all the actors are probably lip-syncing to playback; it just happens to be playback of their own previously-recorded voices. Certainly all of the performances sound like studio recordings rather than on-location recordings. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 114.172.70.164 (talk) 06:37, 14 May 2014 (UTC) ... And it's been reverted back. Does anyone have an opinion on this? I still feel it's misleading, and the source doesn't seem relevant.


 * I've substituted a Rolling Stone ref that helps clarify this. Point taken about this not being properly referenced earlier. The operative snippet:
 * Inside Llewyn Davis sticks to whole songs, recorded live in complete takes and never designed to enhance what Ethan calls "scene setting" – the songs themselves are the scenes. As Burnett explains, complete takes often sound slightly off on film – the singer's timing has to be exceptionally precise. Yet a dozen years further into a digital era that Burnett is convinced represents an "assault" on all the arts, he was down with the Coens' documentary concept: "I think they wanted the reality of it, just the raw reality of it happening right there because you can never quite get that thing in lip-synching.

Barte (talk) 15:57, 14 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Thanks; that's a much better source; I've since done some research and it does seem that there's plenty of testimonials out there about the performances being live. I'm going to add a second source from Sound & Picture that has a bit more detail about how the performances were recorded (summary:  "Auld Triangle" excepted, the vocals were all live; in some cases the instrument tracks were not).  I still find it hard to understand how they pulled off certain scenes "live," but the filmmakers' word is certainly good enough for me.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 114.172.70.164 (talk) 15:24, 15 May 2014 (UTC)
 * I think this page may also be relevant to the discussion of "Please Mr. Kennedy." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Nesbitt  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.212.91.236 (talk) 18:40, 17 January 2015 (UTC)
 * As far as I can tell, Nesbitt's version is distinct, both in music and theme, from the others and does not appear to be a part of the lineage. Nor do I see any notable secondary sources linking it. Barte (talk) 06:34, 18 January 2015 (UTC)

Table question
In the Accolades section table, what's the difference between "Nominated" and "Pending"? Barte (talk) 17:45, 12 December 2013 (UTC)


 * "Nominated" means nominated but did not win. "Pending" means nominated, and the winner has not been announced yet. In the long run, we would just have "Won" and "Nominated" with no "Pending" status. Erik (talk &#124; contribs) 17:53, 12 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Makes sense. Thank you. Barte (talk) 17:58, 12 December 2013 (UTC)

Poster & release schedule
Is the poster in the Infobox the release poster or another teaser? There's nothing definitive on the official site, but the term "December" makes me wonder. Also on the official site is the phrase "Now playing at select cities." I wonder if on Dec 20, it opened "wide" and on a forthcoming date, it will open even wider. Barte (talk) 19:23, 21 December 2013 (UTC)


 * The poster looks definitive, but I've edited the article re: the wide opening. It's yet to come. Barte (talk) 18:41, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Plot / timeline
Is the scene at the club in the beginning exactly the same as the one at the "end" or does he sing an extra song before going out into the alley the second time? 67.170.38.186 (talk) 18:47, 22 December 2013 (UTC) JCB


 * The scene in the club at the end is very similar but not exactly the same as the scene at the beginning of the film. Yes he does sing an extra song. He also sees (and hears) Bob Dylan performing on stage as he is walking out. Invertzoo (talk) 21:53, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

They refer to the same set of events. It is the same encounter in the alley. The current plot reads as if they are two different events, but they are not. After the first scene, the movie then continues to events preceding that scene, that culminate in that scene (heckling the woman, then going on stage the next day, and encountering the woman's husband). I recommend modifying the plot as it is currently written to reflect this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.188.56.84 (talk) 23:03, 5 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Can we get confirmation on this? I originally thought they were two separate events but it seems that there are quite a few who believe that the beginning and the end are the same (including the IP who changed it two days ago). I don't have the film on me right now but we should try to reach some sort of consensus on this.  TheStickMan  [✆Talk] 00:36, 18 March 2014 (UTC)


 * My impression after seeing the film twice is that the scenes indeed refer to the same set of events, making most what follows, technically, a flashback. (In what would have been the "following morning", for example, Davis's face shows no signs of the beating he would have taken the night before.) The second iteration does feature an additional song, but otherwise, the two scenes unfold pretty much the same. Same stage performance and banter. Same guy waiting outside.  Same beating.  Only, more of what took place is revealed. There's also some clues in interviews the Coens have given. They've said that they started with an image of a singer getting beat up outside the Gaslight. Then worked out what events led to that happening. Barte (talk) 05:27, 18 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I've been going around on the Internet and there seems to be plenty of people here and there saying that the events are the same, and after thinking about I agree with that idea now. It makes more sense that way, too.  TheStickMan  [✆Talk] 16:25, 18 March 2014 (UTC)

Length of plot summary
The plot summary as of yesterday was close to 2000 words. It is not necessary in a plot summary to outline every scene and subplot of a movie. Plot summaries should be less than half the length that this one was. I have cut it down some now, but it needs more trimming. I will work on it more tomorrow or the next day. Invertzoo (talk) 22:02, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

It's currently 924 words; better, but still too long. Invertzoo (talk) 02:12, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Filmed in Riverhead, New York
I just found an old link indicating that part of the movie was filmed in Riverhead, New York (Reference). I assume this can go in the production section, but I'm not sure where. -User:DanTD (talk) 22:24, 31 December 2013 (UTC)


 * "two locations in Riverhead last year" Agreed, it's potentially part of the production section. But without a broader discussion of the film's principal shooting locations (which I haven't seen anywhere), it's just an isolated fact. Which is why it's hard to figure out where to slot it in. Barte (talk) 01:16, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

Irrelevant criticism
Suzanne Vega was 2 years old at the time this film was set, and she has nothing to do with the 1960s folk scene, other than her hipster appropriation of some of that scene with her own music. So why is her opinion cited? You have enough quotes from actual critics and 1960s folk musicians--her opinion has no more relevance than a random person on the street. 2001:558:6026:B:29B0:1CBE:49EE:4042 (talk) 03:53, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * That's going too far. You don't know how much Vega knows about the folk scene of that era. If you read the linked WP bio, you'll see that she does indeed have Greenwich Village roots, albeit after the "golden era" of the folk scene. It's reasonable to assume she was immersed in company that did in fact have first-hand knowledge, and may well have a respectable historical grasp of the subject. I agree that her bona fides aren't established by the simple fact that she's a folk-pop artist, but to assert that her opinion has no more relevance than any random person is unsupported by any facts until it is, and you haven't submitted any. Laodah 20:31, 14 October 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on Inside Llewyn Davis. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20130223054720/http://www.cbsfilms.com/news/cbs_films_acquires_the_coen_brothers_inside_llewyn_davis to http://www.cbsfilms.com/news/cbs_films_acquires_the_coen_brothers_inside_llewyn_davis
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20150225225745/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2013/12/dave_van_ronk_inside_llewyn_davis.php to http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2013/12/dave_van_ronk_inside_llewyn_davis.php

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 06:11, 14 November 2017 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Llewyn Davis (character) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 11:20, 22 June 2022 (UTC)

The dates of writing of The Shoals of Herring and Farewell songs in the movie
Edit reversed - I will add references Davdevalle (talk) 07:06, 14 August 2022 (UTC)

Interpretation in the plot summary
Due to the other discussion on the plot summary being more than 10 years old I decided to make this a new topic.

I don't think that the plot summary having a "definitive" interpretation of the ending and beginning scenes, namely the beginning being a flash-forward, is a good thing. I don't think there is a clear indication that the beginning scene is a flash forward, and I would suggest leaving this out of the plot summary.

The ending and beginning scenes mirroring each other does not necessarily have to be a logical thing, as the reduction of them being the same scenes would imply, in my opinion. I see the movie being structured exactly as a folk song, where the first verse is repeated at the end. 2001:16B8:A09E:6B00:C477:5EC7:8645:9EC1 (talk) 13:58, 31 May 2024 (UTC)