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The background to his denial, which conflicts with all sense, starts with good- time girl Verna (Marcia Gay Harden) and the fact that Bernie is her brother. She'll do anything to look after family and if that includes letting Leo think that they're in love then that's fine. Leo's trusted associate Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) sees right through this set-up for at least one reason, namely that he's sleeping with Verna too. Besides this, he realises that protecting Bernie at the expense of Caspar is unwise, particularly because Leo underestimates the power help by his opponent. Tom has problems of his own though, principally mounting gambling debts, and Leo is in no mood to heed his counsel.
Thus the foundations for a bloody gang war are laid out, all because Leo truly believes that Verna is his alone. She's far harder than he or anyone else suspects, perfectly able to take care of herself without his clumsy tail (who's later found hunched over a .22 bullet with his hairpiece missing). Drawing the obvious conclusion that Caspar is responsible for this outrage, Leo hikes the tension levels a notch higher and briefs his stooges for the coming battle. Tom is party to these preparations and seems powerless to influence the chaos, particularly now that a death is involved. Finally, Tom reaches into the depths of his soul, where his unyielding devotion to Leo resides, and makes the ultimate sacrifice. By revealing certain relationships he fractures their partnership and forces Leo to release him as a free entity, who can gravitate to the side of Caspar if he so wishes.
Miller's Crossing is a triumph for the art of storytelling, with the Coen's confident in their ability to draw viewers into their imagination. This means no explanations and no compromises as the characters launch into their dense dialogue, complaining about unseen figures and moulding their phrases with thick accents. Not unsurprisingly this makes for a tricky to grasp beginning, which is in fact rather off-putting. The miracle is that at a certain point it all snaps into focus and suddenly the atmosphere, characters and mood fit snugly into this artificial gangster world. The stylish sets and excellent cinematography place the protagonists in darkness, obliquely referring to their moral status. The scene is set for an appraisal of complex themes and complex people.
Friendship, trust, loyalty and ethics - these are all themes handled by Miller's Crossing in a mature and natural fashion. While none of the major roles stir up much of a caring response, they each have something more precious. They have the aura of being alive. Byrne is excellent as the smart, troubled deputy, adeptly handling snappy lines and remaining cool under fire. Positioned between Polito and Finney, both fiery and commanding, he is the ultimate arbiter of justice. It's undeniable that Miller's Crossing is a tough beast to harness at first, but with perseverance it reaps great rewards and some marvellous moments of resonance with cinema history.
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