Review of The Wages of Fear (1953) by Noah R — 02 Jul 2009

It is a pleasant surprise to see that the masterful ability to create tension and a thrilling sense of nervousness was not a feat only Hitchcock could do in the 50's. Henri-Georges Clouzot made in "Wages of Fear", one of the most nail-biting, tense cinematic experiences in the story of 4 men who are attempting to carry nitro-glycerine loads on trucks to a fire in a nearby town.

Any single mistake or violent shake of the trucks can ignite the cargo, and every bump and terror the four men feel, the audience feels with them. The fascinating thing about this film is that it also manages to develop four characters who are not incredibly likeable and still make you care for their well-being.

The central protagonist is rude to his significant other on a shocking level (and in fact this act of sexism garnered the film some complaints), another man is a "no fear" shyster who proves to be the biggest coward of them all, and the other two men are shameless opportunists.

And yet the often-terrifying plight still connects you with the characters, as it shows them as real, flawed, frightened men. The script for this film also deserves credit, as it was much more frank, graphic, and honest than many of the scripts of the time, certainly more than the American fare that was out at this time.

I would still rank this as one of the top thrillers that have been released in film, and its potency has not weakened as years go by.