DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn, Film District, 2011)

Every now and then a film appears on the landscape that simply blows me away and fills me with the desire to make something similar. DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn, Film District, 2011) is not only a fantastic film but it's one of those that not only gives me that desire to make great films but instructs me on ways to do it. The film is visually stunning, crafted elegantly and is deeply layered. The film also provides insight into a shadow world that lies beneath us and gives us a reflection of who and what we are, if we were examine ourselves closely. If I had to give a one word description about every aspect of this film it would simply be dichotomous.

Alfred Hitchcock was quoted as saying " to make a great film you need three things - the script, the script and the script. DRIVE takes this to heart. I haven't read the book which the film is based upon (though I did just order it) so I can't comment on the adaptation. The narrative is the first place that the dichotomy shows. At times brutal and jarring at others it is lyrical and poetic. Extreme violence is juxtaposed with an unrequited love story. The Driver (Ryan Gosling) is the perfect example of this. From moment to moment the audience has no idea when violence will erupt from him. This is best displayed in the elevator scene as he kisses Irene (Carey Mulligan) but then viciously and brutally kills a man. The characters in the film are fully developed and deal from a position of total motivation. Not one action does not ring true or unmotivated in the film. Finally, the screenplay does not overuse dialogue as is commonplace today in film. This lack of dialogue enhances the visual aspect of the film and helps to set up the violence.

The films violence is perpetrated mainly by two characters both of which are achieved with two stellar acting performances. Gosling plays The Driver and he alternates between stoicism and a childlike immaturity and then moments of extreme violence rarely seen on the screen. This emotionally crippled character cannot advance his relationship with Irene, relates best with her son yet brutally kills time and again. His dichotomous persona is matched only by Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks). A stunning performance by Brooks, he plays an older version of the Driver. A man hardened and made immune by years of violence, a man resigned to what the world has made him. Watch the scene in which Rose kills Shannon (Bryan Cranston), the levels of emotion that rise and fall in that simple scene are amazing.

This is all achieved by an incredible display of direction and technical prowess by Refn. His style is heavily influenced by the eighties. I instantly thought of Friedkin's under heralded TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. when I watched the film for the first time. I mentioned earlier that the film can best be described as dichotomous and in the production of the film this is seen all over. I attribute this to the direction of Refn. He places his camera in angles and positions which serve to remind us we are watching a film. He uses natural lighting throughout the film and also gives his lighting a flow, like it's a character within the film. Watch the scene in the hotel room after Driver has killed the two attackers. The camera stays quietly on Gosling's face and as he recedes into the background he goes from light to dark and then subtly disappears. I cannot say how impressive this is to me.

Even more impressive is Refn's use of sound design throughout the film. Many times he chooses to go silent (lack of dialogue) and this silence slowly builds tension in the audience. The score gives us that dichotomy between sound and image beautifully. Lyrical and childlike music drifts between images of violence and killing. As the soundtrack plays upbeat and friendly electro synth songs Refn chooses to cut to moments of death and violence. The whole balance that is struck between the two leaves the audience never knowing and takes us on a ride we cannot expect or comprehend.

Finally the film makes commentary on two things that really intrigue me personally. I think the film is excessively stylized particularly in its lighting, cinematography, sound and it's use of violence. I feel this is an accurate reflection of our society and how we are starting to interact with each other. Excessive technological advancements mirror the stylization in our films and our interaction with each other are beginning to reflect both. We are more connected on the world yet further disconnected from each other. And this is my second observation that I feel the film makes, that of urban isolation. Driver is a man alone in the world, unable to connect and make a real relationship in his life. To me this reflects a growing trend in our society as real relationships are declining with a rise in technological ones.

In the end this is one of the best films of 2011. It cements Gosling as a star that can carry a film. It places Refn as a director to watch and gives me a blueprint for how to emulate films and filmmaking.