Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1996 film Fargo starts with a disclaimer: “This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed.

Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.” Despite this claim, the Coens crafted a story that, while seeming too bizarre to be true, draws heavily from fiction.

Fargo follows Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), an Oldsmobile dealer facing financial troubles. He hires two criminals, Carl and Gaear (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare), to kidnap his wife, aiming to extort money from his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell).

As expected from a Coen Brothers film, the criminals’ incompetence leads to chaos. The situation escalates when Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), a smart and pregnant police detective, begins investigating.

Fargo is Not Based On a True Story

As the plot unfolds, the criminals clash, with Gaear killing a state trooper and Jerry becoming increasingly desperate. Amidst the chaos, the Coens inject dark humor into the story. Jerry’s plan falls apart, and Carl meets a gruesome fate with a wood-chipper, marking one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

Despite Fargo’s claim of being based on a true story, the Coens clarified that the film’s “true story” label was meant to give it a specific tone. Ethan Coen mentioned in a 2016 interview that they aimed to create a film that felt like a true-crime drama, even if the events were fictional. However, they did incorporate some real-life details into the story.

The infamous wood-chipper scene was inspired by a real murder case in Connecticut. Richard Crafts was convicted of killing his wife and using a woodchipper to dispose of her body.

Additionally, Macy’s character drew inspiration from a General Motors employee who tried to defraud the company by altering serial numbers, similar to Jerry’s hinted scam before turning to kidnapping.