Car Movies We Dig: “The Driver”
By David Castro
Big ups to Marvin Young from Bradley Video for pointing me in the direction of Walter Hill’s “The Driver”. I had never heard of it (I don’t think the Blockbuster I worked at carried it) and it is dope, definitely up there with “Vanishing Point” or “Two Lane Blacktop” for Car Movies We Dig.
A short synopsis: Ryan O’Neal is The Driver and known in criminal circles as the best wheelman around. Bruce Dern is The Detective and is hell bent on catching the elusive Driver and throwing him in jail. Ahab had Moby Dick and The Detective had The Driver.
For a fuller synopsis please watch the movie. Personally I bought the DVD but I imagine you can stream it or use more modern technology than me.
O’Neal plays The Driver in a very stoic manner and displays minimal emotion during the numerous car chases. He is both elusive behind the wheel and emotionally.
The Detective on the other hand seems to be a loose cannon cop that doesn’t play by the rules, even if that means illegal entrapment to get The Driver.
Their relationship, The Driver and The Detective, reminds me of Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in “Heat”. Pacino’s Lt. Vincent Hanna of the Los Angeles Police Department is obsessed with taking down DeNiro’s bank robbing Neal McCauley.
One cannot exist without the other and for the most part they are opposite sides of the same coin.
The Driver impresses with some great driver in vehicles that are not performance cars.
1974 Ford Galaxie 500 sedan: The opening scene involves The Driver as the wheelman for a casino robbery. A large, cumbersome 70s American sedan that isn’t built for speed or cornering. Somehow he makes it nimble.
1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 S: His work in a tight parking garage is impressive on many levels with an orange Mercedes. I had no idea that car could move like that, it definitely shows his skills as a wheelman.
1974 Chevrolet C-10 stepside truck: A distinct red truck in the Los Angels night with The Driver in the climax chase.
What is a better movie, “The Driver” or “Baby Driver”?
Both movies have a getaway driver and car chases in major cities. Neither drivers seem to enjoy their station in life but they are involved in a life in crime. Each movie were written and directed by the same person, Walter Hill for “The Driver” and Edgar Wright for “Baby Driver”. There was no interference for their respective visions.
There’s that quote about the Velvet Underground Andy Warhol album — nobody bought it at the time, but the people who did buy it went on to form a band. I feel the same way about The Driver. The people who were watching are directors — we watched that movie and were excited and inspired. And I had to make a movie called Baby Driver just to prove to you that The Driver is influential. – Edgar Wright, writer and director of “Baby Driver”
For me, “The Driver” is the better movie. It’s a concise movie, 91-minute run time, and has a grittier feel. I guess the simplest way I can describe the difference between the two flicks is that “The Driver” is more realistic than “Baby Driver”.
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Also, I think The Driver is a better wheelman than Baby.
The logic is simple: The Driver used behemoth American cars that don’t handle well and could be compared to driving an aircraft carrier. Baby had a Subaru WRX and all the driver aids that go along with it.
Ultimately though opinions are subjective and I highly recommend seeing “The Driver” and make your own choice.