Walter Hill was both writer and director of the 1978 movie named The Driver. But do not let the simple title fool you into thinking, “Oh, it’s just going to be another corny 70’s picture that couldn’t stand the test of time.” The Driver is filled with action packed scenes that probably inspired a whole generation of abstract film making.
Strong, violent violin music sets the tone of the atmosphere, which is joined by the squeal of tires as the sports car swerves around the street corner. The camera then focuses on The Driver (played by Ryan O’ Neal) who is calm and observant as a blue and white cop car chases after them with the sirens blasting. The two robbers in the backseat appear to be nervous and are constantly looking through the back window while O’ Neal is calculating his next move to get rid of each cop car that tries to catch him. It is after The Driver makes seven police cars crash and he disposes of the getaway vehicle in a dump yard that the viewer is convinced that O’ Neal’s character is the best in the business.
Besides the fact there are no actual names in this movie, the abstract aspect shows through more when the detective, played by Bruce Dern, is introduced as the most unpleasant and talkative character in the film. During a police line up, Dern comes off as a dirty cop as he almost threatens The Player while she “could not” properly identify the driver and O’ Neal is free to go. The Detective somehow meets O’ Neal in a dark, secluded bar and tells him that he will catch the “cowboy that has never been caught” before he pours coffee on The Driver’s lap. This is the only time the viewer sees O’ Neal lose his temper and almost punches Dern.
The Detective may seem as though he admires The Driver, but only because if he catches him, the detective’s reputation becomes higher. Dern is obsessed with the “cowboy desperado” and uses an illegal scheme in which he blackmails three captured burglars by giving them a choice of a 10 year sentence or hire The Driver for a set-up bank robbery. Needless to say, O’ Neal falls for the trap and after a few double-crosses, he is involved in the final car chase where he is trying to stop the man who stole his money from the locker. The Driver’s skills are put to the ultimate test as he drives an old, red pick-up truck against a tiger-stripped 70s sports car.
Of course O’ Neal was able to crash the sports car by hiding from it in a warehouse and dodging at the car from the entrance way. Only in the movies can a car flip over and crash at high speeds into a hole and the bad guys walk out. The end surprises me because O’ Neal is about to be arrested, but the suitcase has no money inside. In this modern day world where comic book heroes dominate the theaters, movie goers hardly ever see the “bad guy” get away with their actions. Overall, The Driver is a movie worth watching and Hollywood should take it’s ending as an example.
