Review of The Wages of Fear (1953) by Matthew B — 25 Jan 2009
Few films rank with Hitchcock's Rear Window in their ability to, proverbially, put an audience on the edge of their seats. This masterwork by Henri-Georges Clouzot accomplishes just that, and the gut-wrenching narrative draws out like a demonic, simpering blade.
Some of the sequences (the treacherous use of the collapsing bridge, the exploding of the bolder, and the magnificently filmed, ominously seething lake of oil) are the finest to be found in cinematic suspense, and the camaraderie and terror displayed by the four protagonists (Charles Vanel - in undoubtedly the finest performance of an inimitable career as Mr.
Jo, Yves Montand, Folco Lulli, and Peter van Eyck) propel the stomach-churning intensity to new heights. A masterwork for the ages by one of the French titans of cinema.
This review of The Wages of Fear (1953) was written by Matthew B on 25 Jan 2009.
The Wages of Fear has generally received very positive reviews.
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