Review of The Wages of Fear (1953) by Jennifer O — 30 Apr 2004

Posted this in the Horror thread as well. What a terrific movie; finished it at about 3 AM this morning.

In non-movie related news, I'm busy studying for finals and then I can enjoy my...one week off...before summer semester courses...damn.

Re: [b]Wages of Fear[/b].

Very good movie with a very frustrating ending; although not necessarily unbecoming, it feels oddly inexpressive, despite the intense emotion invested into the final shot.

The camera shots and filming technique progressively build towards a crescendo in tension, ultimately culminating in the affirmation of our worrisome expectations. Clouzot's direction feels very Hitchcockian in nature; he plays off the audience's collective fears, using each successive potential catastrophe as a foreshadowing of the impending consequences. Clouzot's film remains faithful to his audience, because the fate leveled upon the protagonists is the only plausible outcome of such an "explosive" scenario. We know what the future will bring for Mario, Luigi, Jo and that other guy before the mission is even undertaken. That the film conforms to our expectations is only natural, however, it is the constant narrow escapes that gradually create doubt in our mind and hope in our hearts. This incessant teasing by Clouzot only makes the climax all the more dramatic and discomforting.

Because the characters' personalities are so distinctly distinct, we come to associate a little of ourselves with each protagonist. Mario is the persistently stubborn young man, looking for adventure and a chance to escape his monotonous existence and willing to use any means necessary to do so. Mario is the man Jo once was, and Jo is Mario's reminder of what it means to be young and courageous. The relationship between the two men becomes the most compelling story line of the film. The complexity of their codependency takes remarkably twists and turns as the story progresses and danger becomes ever more imminent. The two men seem to construct what appears to be a father-son type relationship, with Mario progressively asserting his independence and increasingly expressing hostility towards the "phony big shot" Jo. The final scenes between the two characters have deeply layered psychoanalytic undertones. Does Mario commit his climactic actions out of greed and concern for his own safety, or does he act out of a deep-rooted hostility towards Jo and everything he represents?

Clouzot's question is fairly obvious: What chances would you take to leave your meager life behind? To what extent would you allow your impulses for greed and yearning for escape conflict with your rationality and sensibility? Each man has his own reason for foolishly agreeing to risk life and limb at the price of just two thousand dollars. Each man has the same objective; escaping a world of poverty and degradation as quickly as possible, no matter the risks involved. Perhaps their eagerness to participate in certain suicide is an indication of just how pathetic conditions had become in their lives. When a man has nothing left to lose, and perhaps even the slightest consequential reward to gain, it is quite probable that he will take whatever risks are necessary in order to remove himself from his humiliating state.

[b]HIGHLY RECOMMENDED[/b].