but the film plays on his duality as both a real person and as a force that is not quite human. there are many references to whether or not people "see" him ("you saw him and lived" - woody to brolin, "that depends...do you see me" - chigurgh to the accountant, "you never saw me" - chigurgh to the boy at the end of the movie. there is also the discussion between TLJ and the other lawmen, and i think it's TLJ who wonders if he's a ghost, and the other guy assures him that he is not. so while he is real, there is still room for him to be "not real", as an ebodiment of terror, evil, death, etc.