Directed By: Quentin Taranitno
Cast: Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Rose McGowan, Jordan Ladd, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Quentin Tarantino, Marcy Harriell, Eli Roth
There’s a point during the fifth film by Quentin Tarantino, Death Proof, when you will either love this film, or probably hate it. It arrives about ten minutes in and from this point on you’ll either find this film a refreshing blend of genius direction, superb script and great performances, or a long, dull, indulgent fancy from the man who brought us some of the greatest films of the last 15 years.
Quentin Tarantino is a strange breed of film director. After reinventing modern cinema with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, he appeared to be growing up in the mature, more adult Jackie Brown, before regressing with the brilliantly indulgent Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2. So for his next trick Tarantino decided that he would indulge his fancy even further, and to be honest, it’s a surprise he managed to get away with. In fact, it’s hard to imagine any other director working today being able to make such an indulgent film, so it stands as a testament of how great Tarantino is considered. On this side of the Atlantic most people new of the Grindhouse, though not experiencing it, and waited with baited breath for the Grindhouse experience to come to us courtesy of Tarantino and Rodriquez. But it wasn’t to be, a dreadful stateside box office and mixed reviews mean we’ll have to wait for the DVD for the full on Grindhouse experience. And so with 30minutes of cut footage added back into this standalone theatrical cut we received Death Proof first. And it’s a genuine stroke of genius. As I’ve said, the story and concept will either grip and enthral audiences or disgust and appal them. But if the film proves one thing, regardless of how indulgent Tarantino might have become, he has not lost his genius for filmmaking, or an ear for iconic dialogue. Stuntman Mike, played with magnificent relish by Kurt Russell is given some of the best dialogue from his career.
In fact, there isn’t a single shot in this film which doesn’t exude genius. Tarantino draws you into his story with such effortless and iconic imagery that you are overwhelmed and totally submissive to his narrative inactivity. The movie itself being little more than a group of girls hanging out for about an hour, then another completely unrelated group of girls hanging out for a similar period of screen time. This seems like it could cause the film to drag, and you do wonder why he decided to reinsert the 30 additional minutes originally cut from the Grindhouse version, but these characters become like old friends. Both sets of stories revolve around a friend who has come from out of town to see the group and this premise allows Tarantino to let us get to know the dynamic of the friendship and each individual character. In fact this is one of the great aspects of the film. Tarantino has written such great dialogue for men in the past and the occasional female character, but here the women are written in such a naturalistic and believable manner that they themselves draw you in, the women are funny, witty, playful, serious, and argumentative, often from one comment to the next, so the story is always unravelling these complex characters and Tarantino trusts in his own writing ability and the performances of his leads to not feel the need to bombard the audience with action or events, instead allowing you to just spend time with these people, get to know them.
Then Tarantino does what he does best, he twists things, and the story begins to take a sinister atmosphere as Kurt Russell’s Stuntman Mike begins his blood lust for metal and women, thing JG Ballard adaptation only much, much better, and your someway to understanding the sadistic, erotic and brutal elements of Tarantino’s first set piece.
The film then cuts, and we pick up another story, 14 months later, with seemingly no connection between the two, except of course Stuntman Mike. This second half, once agains slow the whole proceedings down, but because Tarantino has already revealed the tone and style, you’re more aware of what to except. The film then slowly draws out the climatic sequence which is what lifts Tarantino’s film into excellence.
The Grindhouse style, of which Tarantino is so clearly a fan is lovingly recreated here, both in terms of the print quality, with cuts, scratches and blips occurring every so often, but also the repeats of dialogue and obvious continuity errors. The film at one point even stutters into black and white before cutting to a new reel and therefore colour stock again. Even the ending feels abrupt, certain subplots are left completely unresolved, and the consequences of the actions are clearly of no concern for Tarantino whose film is only focused giving its audience a great two hours of fun.
Tarantino delivers classic contemporary film harking back to the heyday of Grindhouse cinema and proves once again that he is Hollywood’s most accomplished and distinctive film director. Death Proof may feel a little long, with the extra 30mins added back and subsequently seems to have split audiences but the genius that Tarantino harbours is clear to see and for those film fans out there who revel in indulgence and fun, this probably the best film of the year.
Cast: Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Rose McGowan, Jordan Ladd, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Quentin Tarantino, Marcy Harriell, Eli Roth
There’s a point during the fifth film by Quentin Tarantino, Death Proof, when you will either love this film, or probably hate it. It arrives about ten minutes in and from this point on you’ll either find this film a refreshing blend of genius direction, superb script and great performances, or a long, dull, indulgent fancy from the man who brought us some of the greatest films of the last 15 years.
Quentin Tarantino is a strange breed of film director. After reinventing modern cinema with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, he appeared to be growing up in the mature, more adult Jackie Brown, before regressing with the brilliantly indulgent Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2. So for his next trick Tarantino decided that he would indulge his fancy even further, and to be honest, it’s a surprise he managed to get away with. In fact, it’s hard to imagine any other director working today being able to make such an indulgent film, so it stands as a testament of how great Tarantino is considered. On this side of the Atlantic most people new of the Grindhouse, though not experiencing it, and waited with baited breath for the Grindhouse experience to come to us courtesy of Tarantino and Rodriquez. But it wasn’t to be, a dreadful stateside box office and mixed reviews mean we’ll have to wait for the DVD for the full on Grindhouse experience. And so with 30minutes of cut footage added back into this standalone theatrical cut we received Death Proof first. And it’s a genuine stroke of genius. As I’ve said, the story and concept will either grip and enthral audiences or disgust and appal them. But if the film proves one thing, regardless of how indulgent Tarantino might have become, he has not lost his genius for filmmaking, or an ear for iconic dialogue. Stuntman Mike, played with magnificent relish by Kurt Russell is given some of the best dialogue from his career.
In fact, there isn’t a single shot in this film which doesn’t exude genius. Tarantino draws you into his story with such effortless and iconic imagery that you are overwhelmed and totally submissive to his narrative inactivity. The movie itself being little more than a group of girls hanging out for about an hour, then another completely unrelated group of girls hanging out for a similar period of screen time. This seems like it could cause the film to drag, and you do wonder why he decided to reinsert the 30 additional minutes originally cut from the Grindhouse version, but these characters become like old friends. Both sets of stories revolve around a friend who has come from out of town to see the group and this premise allows Tarantino to let us get to know the dynamic of the friendship and each individual character. In fact this is one of the great aspects of the film. Tarantino has written such great dialogue for men in the past and the occasional female character, but here the women are written in such a naturalistic and believable manner that they themselves draw you in, the women are funny, witty, playful, serious, and argumentative, often from one comment to the next, so the story is always unravelling these complex characters and Tarantino trusts in his own writing ability and the performances of his leads to not feel the need to bombard the audience with action or events, instead allowing you to just spend time with these people, get to know them.
Then Tarantino does what he does best, he twists things, and the story begins to take a sinister atmosphere as Kurt Russell’s Stuntman Mike begins his blood lust for metal and women, thing JG Ballard adaptation only much, much better, and your someway to understanding the sadistic, erotic and brutal elements of Tarantino’s first set piece.
The film then cuts, and we pick up another story, 14 months later, with seemingly no connection between the two, except of course Stuntman Mike. This second half, once agains slow the whole proceedings down, but because Tarantino has already revealed the tone and style, you’re more aware of what to except. The film then slowly draws out the climatic sequence which is what lifts Tarantino’s film into excellence.
The Grindhouse style, of which Tarantino is so clearly a fan is lovingly recreated here, both in terms of the print quality, with cuts, scratches and blips occurring every so often, but also the repeats of dialogue and obvious continuity errors. The film at one point even stutters into black and white before cutting to a new reel and therefore colour stock again. Even the ending feels abrupt, certain subplots are left completely unresolved, and the consequences of the actions are clearly of no concern for Tarantino whose film is only focused giving its audience a great two hours of fun.
Tarantino delivers classic contemporary film harking back to the heyday of Grindhouse cinema and proves once again that he is Hollywood’s most accomplished and distinctive film director. Death Proof may feel a little long, with the extra 30mins added back and subsequently seems to have split audiences but the genius that Tarantino harbours is clear to see and for those film fans out there who revel in indulgence and fun, this probably the best film of the year.
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