"Desperate Drive" tells the story of a stunt/escape driver (Ryan Gosling) who struggles with his own driver. Alone and isolated, Erin (Carey Mulligan), and her son from sadistic crime boss Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), go wrong after a robbery goes wrong as he seeks to protect his neighbors and budding love interest. Driving can be considered a city west. The story takes place in a fictional and dangerous wasteland of contemporary East Los Angeles. Like a classic Western, Drive's narrative attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable, the conflict between the desire for individualism and the need for a certain feeling of community. Gosling's unsung character is the western's perfect incarnation of the outlaw hero: a strong, solitary figure who lives outside normal society and follows his own moral code to protect society's "weak" from those who want to. To protect their people hurt hurt them. In a quiet scene, Refn beautifully depicts the driver's lone character sitting alone in a room assembling a carburetor, the sounds of his surroundings making the sounds of nearby parties echoing in his dark and empty apartment.
Gosling's character has no identity other than "driver". The driver begins to pursue a relationship with Erin, and he finds himself longing for her company but unable to shake off his longstanding individualistic mindset. The inner conflict this character experiences throughout the course of the story represents the ongoing need for a sense of belonging in the general struggle between maintaining personal identity and personality. What makes "Desperados" such a great movie is that it depicts a way to resolve this eternal conflict and let the driver save Erin and her son (the movie that stands for "community"), while maintaining their separate stories The end of the family (i.e. keep its own personality).
In addition to successfully combining and tackling this basic western, there are some shocking and unexpected performances in Drive Out. Beyond that, Gosling's story is layered, passionate, yet somewhat nuanced -- his chauffeur, Albert Brooks' Bernie Ross, is one of the biggest surprises in the film. Brooks, perhaps best known as the "Woody Allen of Los Angeles", is a witty actor and comedian who often plays neurotic but endearing characters (like Tom in Taxi Driver and Aaron") on Radio News). In Rose's role, Brooks is completely anti-type. The decision to cast Brooks in the role was a huge risk, and fortunately, it adds to the film's threatening atmosphere rather than diminishes it. Brooke's off-screen baggage persona makes his more sinister moments completely shocking and unforgettable. Audiences were completely unanticipated by Rose's brutal and violent performance, adding an extra layer of suspense and intrigue to an already tense story. The complex and sometimes incongruous nature of both Brooks and Gosling's characters contrasts sharply with the one-dimensional Chinese characters common to contemporary films of this type (such as The Fast and the Furious). Drive is a combination of contemplative character study and extreme violence, which is more in line with the new Hollywood movies of the late 60s and early 70s. It's coming in conjunction with this narrative tradition that will help Drive stay relevant for years to come. The film's mythical narrative and stunning performance are intertwined with stylistic touches to enhance the film's content. For example, Driver's costume reinforces his identity as a desperado hero through traditional Western images (such as cowboy hat, gun and holster) with a white scorpion jacket and burgundy driving gloves. Bernie Rose's sleek gray suit, his final confrontation with the driver, and the intimidating, dignified structure of his business environment reinforce his status as a powerful and wealthy thug. In addition, the dangerous atmosphere of the whole film is also expressed in Newton's Thomas Sigel photography. The movie takes place mostly at night, but even the daytime scenes are shot with low-key lighting, causing dark shadows to fall on all the characters' faces. The darkness of the film's scene contrasts with the jaundice yellow, which portends danger and menace.
In the end, the film's music and scene choices pay homage to the filmmakers and genres of decades before. For example, the driver's car of choice is a 1973 Chevrolet, citing chase scenes from classic movies such as the infamous Gene Hackman car chase in "The French Connection" and Steve Hackman in "Police Net" McQueen chased. The film's music composition is a masterpiece of composer Clive Martinez's perfect combination of electronic dance music rhythms and 80s-inspired pop songs. The music seems to set the film's timing in a fantasy location - far from contemporary Los Angeles - where the film's eerie "fairy tales" could do. Exorcism deftly combines ancient mythology, intertextual film references, and advanced visual effects. Nicolas Winding Refn has crafted a movie that will be kept for years to come, and it's fun and meaningful for audiences.
The driver drives the car for the hired person. He has no other name and no other life. When we first see him, he's the helmsman of a getaway car who not only escapes from a police pursuit using sheer speed and muscle, but by calmly exploiting the street terrain and overtaking his suitors. By day, he's a stunt driver for action movies. The two positions don't conflict for him: he drives. Played by Ryan Gosling, he carries on the legacy of two iconic heroes of the 1960s: Clint Eastwood's "No Name" and Alain Delon's "Samourai." He has no family, no history and seemingly few emotions. Whatever happens to him inspires his personality to be buried deep beneath the surface. He's an existential hero, I think, with behavior defined entirely by himself. That's enough to make him the hero of a rambling action movie full of computer stunts and crashing mayhem. "Driver" is more of an elegant sporty style, its emotions may be hidden but they are far reaching. Sometimes a movie can have a bigger impact without trying too hard. Driver Mystery is surrounded by a cast of actors who make it clear their hopes and fears, who have reached a settlement with the driver, or not. Here's another example of old Hollywood's noir principle. A movie lives not through its heroes, but in its shadow.
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