Sound is the not-so-secret weapon employed by director Nicolas Winding Refn. A radio sports commentary competes with a police scanner in one scene of suspense. In another, an explosion of gunfire interrupts silence to jolt you like a driver popping his clutch to jolt a passenger. Combining these sounds with music at a high volume builds a pattern, like the shark theme in Jaws, that draws you in, dials up your pulse, and then either accelerates rapidly or punches you in the gut.
The original score by Cliff Martinez is inspired by ‘80s synth-pop and backed up by European electronic bands. However, the ‘80s style isn’t limited to the music; several sets echo designs seen in the 1980s. Even the plot, title and nameless main character of the film are variations on The Driver, a 1978 movie starring Ryan O’Neil.
When Bryan Cranston (who is a perfect fit for the corrupt mechanic Shannon) was interviewed by George Stroumboulopoulos on the CBC, Cranston mentioned that the script read like a standard crime thriller, and that the power of Drive was created in the editing room by Nicolas Refn. Throughout the film I was struck by how clear this was. Most of the emotional investment into the relationship between the driver and Irene is created in dialogue-free shots where the two characters stare at each other. Wanting to catch every detail of the performances draws you in, and you are forced to feel more intimately attached to the characters. Refn’s repeated use of staring eyes, watching eyes, and unblinking eyes builds this urge to hypnotic effect.
All of these techniques draw you in, mesmerize you, and cause you to become lost in the film, which is then put to the test when a shotgun blast introduces a new element: bloody violence. Do not forget that this film is rated 18A, and it earns that rating. Although the blood never reaches the levels it does in that first attack, the effects are felt long after. Again let me refer to the masterpiece of suspense, Jaws. The music warns you that the shark will soon appear, and it leaves you hanging in suspense and horror, a state of confusion, where you know ‘what’ but you don’t know ‘how’ or ‘when’. Drive uses a similar technique to keep you in a prolonged state of terror/suspense, which is something that Hollywood action films rarely try to do. Usually a buildup of suspense is followed by a cathartic release through comedy or a slower pace. Drive does none of that. The intensity, the violence, the volume, the anger, and the adrenaline are ratcheted up non-stop from the moment the robbery goes wrong.
The film’s violent power is part of the reason it has been so successful at the film festivals, and why it will likely make an appearance in several Oscar categories, but it is also why many people are turned away. Several scenes go well beyond the violence and gore present in the average thriller. In this way Drive reminded me of The Departed. Not an easy film to pin down to any category or rating, Drive is a unique mix of car action, crime violence, art film photography, and horror movie editing. For one reason or another expect Drive to continue to appear in film discussions until well after this awards season concludes.
The Verdict: It is not for everyone. A harsh new type of crime thriller that we will only see more of in the next few years.
