Dude... it is actually one of those movies in which the cussing is actually appropriate (in this amount). It is part of the characters, it builds them, give them depth and is a point in the narrative. If you are attentive, you'll notice how some characters swear while other don't.
There's even the Sam Elliot's character who asks to The Dude if "all the cussing is necessary", only to get the answer "I don't get it, what the fuck are you talking about?" This shows two things: first, The Dude or Walter for instance don't even seem to realize how offensive their way of talking can be for other; and second, it shows how they are from a different background and how their lifestyle fits with this way of speaking.
But the way I see it, is that more importantly, without the cussing it wouldn't be so obvious that they are outcasts of the society, that they don't really fit in their time and place. Walter is a war veteran who clearly went through some trauma and is frustrated against society. The Dude is what we can call a "loser", a guy who clearly doesn't take any responsibility and simply wants everything to come easily to him. They cuss a lot because they don't care about the norms, and society gave up on them a long time ago.
I too tend to find the movies that overuse profanities unnecessarily annoying. It often just sounds like the writers and/or actors simply wanted to be edgy. But there are instances when it works, and The Big Lebowski is one of these cases.
reply
share