Drive

Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 film, Drive, is a neo-noir action film. It is a unique thriller, that blends its violence and romance into something that is rare in the action genre. Though the dialogue is minimal, and honestly somewhat lacking at times, Drive makes up for it in cinematography, style, and music. 

The camera angles found in Drive are quite unique. The shots are purposefully made asymmetrical. yet balanced at the same time. Often, when there is a group of three together in a scene, they are stacked on top of one another on one side. This is found several times throughout the movie.

There is a very surreal quality to Drive, which I haven't seen in many other action movies. Between the bright, faded and washed-out pastel colors, the persistently sunny weather, and the 80's electronic pop soundtrack, the action and the intensity of the situations the characters are in is almost downplayed. The color palette for Drive is either very soft and pastel, or very bright and vibrant. It pretty much juxtaposes much of the action and violence that goes on alongside these color schemes. It uses all the colors that you would imagine being in a commercial for California tourism, showing off the ideally relaxing and vacation-like mood you usually would associate Los Angeles with. It provides a dream-like atmosphere, even in the scenes depicting violence. The addition of its electro-pop soundtrack only adds to this effect, with the use of its synthesizers.

The artistry of Drive is very stylized, and it is very clear that it serves more as an independent film. It is almost unpredictable when something violent is truly about to happen, and that is due to it's relaxed nature. It is something you do not see very often, an action movie that keeps you engaged throughout.

Leading Lines in Drive

Drive, directed Nicolas Winding Refn, is a technically proficient film. Despite suffering from boring story, dialogue, and acting, it utilizes interesting choices in font and music, excellent editing, especially during action scenes, and cinematographic elements such as frequent use of large depth of frame. One other cinematographic element used often but not always well in this film is leading lines. Leading lines are lines which guide your eye through the frame. They help a viewer quickly identify the point of interest of a shot, making them very useful for scenes with fast cuts. One film which uses leading lines very well and very often is The Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird. Since this is an animated film, each shot is scrupulously crafted and almost always contains leading lines. Drive may not utilize leading lines as much or as well as The Incredibles, but it still uses them effectively.

One example of leading lines is when the driver and Irene speak in a restaurant. The previous shot's point of interest was Irene on the right of the frame, so this is where the viewer's eye begins on the reverse shot for the driver. The shot has a very busy background and it would be easy to get lost in its clutter if not for the leading lines of the bridge against the sky. This guides the eyes of the viewer to the eyes of the driver.

The shot where the driver is walking through this hallway ready to smash some hands is another use of leading lines, which are in this case created by the light bulbs on the wall. They point to the back of the driver's head and create a good point of interest.

One last example of good use of leading lines is this shot of Shannon in the car shop. Leading lines are very important in this shot because his face is the darkest part of the frame. The leading lines created by the conduit and change in paint color lead the eye away from the brighter bottom of his shirt and right side of the frame to his eyes.

Not every use of leading lines in this film is a good one. In this shot of Bernie in the car shop, leading lines made by the hanging florescent light fixtures lead the eye to an incorrect point of interest, his neck, when the correct point of interest is his eyes. Whether or not a viewer notices it precisely, being lead to a character's neck rather than their eyes is distracting and is an error in cinematography. This problem could have been easily mitigated by pedestaling the camera the slightest bit higher or changing the blocking so that Bernie is standing a little bit further away from the camera. Drive is a great film, but it is not flawless.

Drive - the easiest and hardest role of all time

In the movie Drive, we meet quite a remarkably calm yet badass character. While we all know he's the most handsome man alive, it still isn't exactly clear to me why he's so praised for his work in this movie. First off, Ryan Gosling doesn't actually DO anything the entire time. He hardly even says anything at that. Since he isn't the one actually driving the cars (I assume he doesn't do his own stunts), i'm not exactly impressed with his skill of keeping a straight face for 2 hours. This was a role that literally anyone could have done - but at the same time - impossible for anyone else to do well. I'd even go as far to call him the male Kristen Stewart for his lack of... anything. Because I know Gosling is actually a  good actor, I consider this a waste of good talent, but good use of a pretty face. Despite how easy it would have been to physically accomplish, I couldn't imagine any other actor fulfilling this role the way it was. As much as I liked this movie, it could have used some more dialogue, or at least facial expression at least when the girl wasn't around. The "sexual tension" was a sensible use of silence, but just because he's Ryan Gosling that doesn't mean everyone deserves that treatment.

Drive

Drive was a great movie, but what clearly made Drive the movie that it is, was one actor. Ryan Gosling. The effort and dedication he put into his character, Driver, was remarkable. Before the film was made, Ryan made sure that he was going to ace this opportunity. He built the gray car that he drives on his own, disassembled it and then built it right back up from the ground. He worked out perfected his characters figure. And of course, his great acting. His character who is very distant and quiet from others, made the movie. He is very calm and collected during the film, while being in complete control of his situation and coming up on top. He kills everyone in his path that set him up and that are threatening Irene and her son. Also seen in Taxi Driver was the theme of doing whatever the character thinks is necessary to protect a woman that he cares about. The similarity in theme, also link together the two characters, Travis from Taxi Driver and Driver from Drive. Both of the characters are very reserved and keep to themselves, but work hard to achieve a greater goal. Travis perfects his physique and obtains the weapons he believes are 'necessary' to save the young woman from the whorehouse. While, Driver, who is already very much in shape, just strategizes to keep himself and Irene alive. All in all, Drive was a stupendous film with a great cast, especially Ryan Gosling, and can be related to Taxi Driver by theme and character personalities.

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The Driver, played by Ryan Gosling, is a “strong silent type” similar to the characters we have seen Clint Eastwood, Robert DeNiro, and Alain Delon play. The Driver gets himself involved in a dangerous situation which he ultimately takes control of through the dogged conviction he displays once he decides to take action due to Irene. The story itself is told with simple efficiency, leaving the character development to take a backseat to the presentation of the film. Drive is treading in the same waters of many action films before it and it is clearly a purposeful choice. As much as Refn has made something evocative from a directorial standpoint, I think that Gosling’s performance is an equally gratifying and important addition. The Driver may belong to an archetype we have seen before, but like in many of his previous appearances in film, Gosling makes his version stand out. His knack for conveying his emotions through silence is not only impressive but is also mesmerizing to behold. Gone is the hard masculinity one expects to find with this type of role.

Drive

After watching drive I can officially say that this is one the movie I enjoyed the most but don't understand why exactly. When I look at everything individually in this movie I tend to view it less enthusiastically then the movie itself in a whole. For example, I didn't find the acting to be that great. I'm not saying it was bad, I just found a lack of emotion in Ryan's performance. This probably portrayed the character really well but I must not have been very difficult to play him. His response to everything seems drawn out a little too long.

Now when I look at the story, I didn't find it to be very unique. It felt like many other action movies and the whole film felt very familiar as if I'd seen it before. I can say that I really enjoyed the music and the action scenes, but those things alone don't make a movie this great. I think all these good and bad qualities combined made this incredible movie. Unlike taxi driver, I never got bored during this film because it never felt slow. 10/10 would watch again.

Drive

This movie was fascinatingly similar to the famous Robert De Niro film we just finished, Taxi Driver. Something that immediately jumped out to me was the mannerisms of Robert Dinero and Ryan Gosling. Both seem very simple and other than there care for an in particular girl, seem relatively emotionless. Ryan Gosling and Robert De Niro are able to keep there emotions in check, which allows them to do unfathomable things such as take out groups of dangerous and armed men. Along with there absence of emotion, both characters naturally work for the good of others. They are very unselfish and seem to only understand the good in life and eliminate the bad. They act without thinking and leave the viewer questioning how or why they did something. As Mr. Bauks brought up in class, someone such as Ryan Gosling, needs a completely clear mind to do something as nerve wracking as driving with all of the danger that surrounds him. The same goes for De Niro. As the cops enter the apartment to find him all bloody with dead bodies everywhere, he is so calm and simply closes his eyes. Some believe they have PTSD or a mental deficiency. Either way, these to characters' similarities are impeccable.

Drive: "There's No Good Sharks?"

Ryan Gosling's character in Drive, the driver, has only one goal; to escape the bad expectations set upon him as a criminal and become a hero. When the driver meets Irene and Benicio, he sees a opportunity to become a good person by helping them. Throughout the film, the driver encounters multiple people and events that bring back the violent criminal side of him. One example would be wear the driver brutally murders the hit man after him when he and Irene are in the elevator. Earlier on the film, Benicio and the driver are watching cartoons. The driver asks Benicio whether or not a shark featured in the cartoon is a "good guy." Benicio responds by saying he isn't, and that there are no good sharks. At first glance, this scene seems pointless, but in actuality is a metaphor for the driver's character struggle in the film. The driver is a "shark", or a bad guy, and is trying his best to become a real human being and a real hero. By asking whether or not the shark is a good guy, it is almost like he is asking Benicio if he thinks of him as a good guy.

Taxi Driver: Vietnam

Although it is not really brought up much in the film, Travis Bickle's experience in the Vietnam war is an essential part of his characteristics and influences a lot of his actions. Travis mentions his military service when he is trying to get a job at the taxi company. It is really never talked about later on. It isn't necessarily confirmed, but Travis' inability to have normal social interactions and his profusely violent behavior can most likely be contributed to a case of PTSD. Also, Travis' knowledge of violence and proficiency with weapons were all learned when he was in the war. Even though Travis does have a lot of anger built up inside him, he would have never been able to do as much physical damage to people if he did not have any of the knowledge he obtained from Nam.

Drive

Camilla Broccolo

Ryan Gosling’s role in Taxi Driver was an interesting role.  As usual he portrayed a good-looking, mysterious guy that a pretty girl in distress falls for. However, the communication between these characters was minimal.  This made the movie confusing, because it made me wonder whose movie it actually was.  It could have been Ryan Gosling’s movie, because he was in the majority of the scenes, but it also could have been Carey Mulligan’s movie because it followed her loss with her husband and her connection with Ryan Gosling.  The lack of dialogue also brought an aspect of mystery to the characters.  The audience was not really let into the lives of the characters because of the lack of dialogue.  Because of this it was hard to read the emotions of the characters unless they were physically showing their emotions.  I think this method, was successful for this movie because of the plot, and the actors playing the characters (ryan gosling is nice to look at)  but I think that in another movie it would have been incredibly unsuccessful.  

Drive: Elevator Scene

I thought that the clear best scene from Nicolas Refn's Drive is the elevator scene.  The camera work is vital to the scene's success. The intensity starts to build when the camera slowly pans down to show that the other guy in the elevator is armed.  The lightening is also really interesting throughout.  Gosling's character begins the scene with the light shining on his dead.  This is symbolic of his good intentions.  He really cares about the girl, and is doing his best to get her out of this mess alive. The next shot is of Gosling pushing her back in to the corner of the elevator, away from the goon.  This motion is also symbolic in that he is putting himself between her and danger.  The lighting echoes this idea as he pushes her into the light, while he is surrounded by darkness.  The darkness represents his having to do evil things, but keeping her in the light maintains her innocence.  He then steps in to the light to kiss her, showing that he is really good at heart and is trying to help her.  This act is done because he knows exactly what is about to happen, and before he engages in brutal combat, he wants to show her that he loves her.  They stand face to face for a prolonged period of time as they silently convey there feeling for each other despite all the circumstances. After Gosling murders the other man, the girl steps out of the elevator.  Gosling turns around, covered in blood and sweating.  The elevator closes, demonstrating that despite there love, there is a clear separation between them.

Drive post

The film Drive directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, uses different proximities and visual pauses as a means of establishing specific relationships. One example of when the visual pause helps portray a certain relationship is when the Driver and Irene are just staring at each other while in her apartment. During this scene, the Driver is leaning against the window, silent. When Irene walks over to him, a clear relationship is established between the two characters through their flirtatious eye contact and steady focus on one another. By incorporating several instances of visual pauses throughout the film, Refn is able to make the audience feel an even deeper connection to the characters and evoke a strong emotion once tragedy strikes. A scene in which the placement of the characters within the frame and their proximities to one another helps show the different relationships. is when Irene and the Driver are hanging out in the hallway during Standard's welcome home party. In this scene, Irene is placed on the right side of the frame as she is talking to the Driver, however during their monologue the frame changes to show him on the left side. The technique used in this scene this helps establish a feeling of intimacy between the two characters, thus representing their flirtatious relationship. When Standard then enters the scene and interrupts their conversation, he is on the opposite side of the frame from the Driver as well, however this shows tension and feeling of distance. Refn's use of both visual pauses and different proximities between the characters, help clarify their specific relationships.

Drive: Opening Scene

The opening scene of "Drive" is one of the more masterfully directed scenes I have ever seen. The movie starts off with a quiet room, and a man talking on the phone. The lighting is dim, and the man's back is turned to the camera. The Los Angeles Clippers game is playing on the television, the man hangs up his phone, and the hotel room scene ends with an interior framed shot of the city of Los Angeles. After receiving a near-stock (with 300 extra horsepower) Chevy Impala from the body shop, the Driver is shown at a low angle shot in the car, driving through LA at night. Throughout the entire opening scene, the Clippers game is on the radio as a background noise, but it forces the viewer to ponder its significance until it's finally revealed at the end of the scene. The camera shots during the police chase are some of the most unique I've seen. As the car drove through the streets of LA, the camera showed a perspective like the grille of the car. While the camera's perspective was inside the car, interior framing was implemented using the blind spots of the car to show certain parts of what was going on outside (as shown below). In this scene, the shot is from the back seat of the car, and uses the frame of the car to block off irrelevant parts of the scene, to show the police car disappearing behind the large truck. Also, countless times during the scene, the camera switches from a view outside the front of the car to a view of the Driver's face (above) as he navigates his way through LA, evading the police. These shots are meant to show the Driver's cool and calm demeanor as he escapes the police, adding to his image as an emotionless mercenary who just gets his job done.