DEATH PROOF
US, 2007, 114 minutes, Colour.
Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Rose Mc Gowan, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Zoe Bell, Michael Parks, Marley Shelton, Quentin Tarantino.
Directed by Quentin Tarantino.
Originally one half of a film combining two genre movies in one (with fake trailers etc): Grindhouse. However, the film did not work at the US box-office. The decision was made to release the two films separately around the world and Quentin Tarantino’s half, Death Proof, was in competition in Cannes, with Robert Rodriguez’s half, Alien Planet, scheduled for Venice.
Tarantino’s intention was to imitate the brief road chase and threat movie, even to the scratched film stock and jump cuts in editing, damage after the film had been shown at drive-ins for some months. This is amusing – but one realises that Tarantino had lots of money to make Death Proof and that it may have made for a better, tighter film to have worked on a smaller Roger Corman type budget. (More than twenty minutes of footage were added to the Grindhouse version for the new release.
Death Proof is a very ugly film. The characters are, humanly speaking, ugly as is their behaviour. They talk in an ugly way (which is a pity because Tarantino had a reputation for smart dialogue, interesting chatter on any subject – this time it just inane and crass).
Basically, two groups of women are pursued in their cars by a deranged stuntman (Kurt Russell). He demolishes one lot (admittedly the less interesting and likeable group) and is demolished by the other (which includes Zoe Bell as herself, the New Zealand stuntwoman who was Uma Thurman’s stand in for the Kill Bill films doing her rather spectacular thing).
There are much better things that Tarantino could have been doing with his time, energy and money.
1.The impact of the film? A Tarantino film? Up to his standard or not? The original pairing of Death Proof with Robert Rodriguez’ film in The Grindhouse film – and the lack of response at the American box office?
2.The work of Quentin Tarantino, his being a film buff, video store manager, interest in genre films? The Pulp Fiction type of film? This film as pulp fiction?
3.The imitating of the styles of the small-budget action films of the 70s, the imitation of the scratches on the film, the jump-cuts? The insertion of black and white material (expanding Death Proof from the version in The Grindhouse?
4.The locations, the open road, the bars, the hotels and shops? Authentic – and adapted for this kind of American action on the open road?
5.Tarantino’s skill in dialogue, witty conversations – the contrast here with the two groups of girls, their girl talk, crass, not having substance? Disappointing Tarantino dialogue?
6.The two halves of the story? The parallels of the two groups of girls? Stuntman Mike and his pursuing both? His defeating the first team? His being defeated by the second group?
7.Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike, in the car, the photos of the girls, in the bar, charm, chat, talking about his work, the references to films and TV shows? His encounter with Pam, offering her a lift? His taking her in the death-proof car, terrifying her, the crash and her death? His being caught? Interrogated? His being on the loose again? The second group of girls? His pursuit, attempting to terrorise them on the road? Their fighting back, chasing him, bumping him off the road? His being defeated and the girls winning? Kurt Russell as a genial actor – but the savage character that he portrayed?
8.The first group of girls, Jungle Julia and the posters for her radio program? The girl talk, incessant, crass, sex? Drinking? At the bar? The card games, their waiting for the drugs? Sex? The lap dance by Arlene? The bartender (Tarantino himself)? Their being pursued, their deaths?
9.The second group, more respectable, Abernathy and the others working on the film on location? With the car? Seeing Stuntman Mike, his approach? Leaving Lee by herself to wait? Zoe and Abernathy and Kim going in the car? Finding the vintage car, persuading the man selling it to let them go for a drive? Stuntman Mike and his pursuit, wrecking the car? Zoe Bell as a real stuntwoman, her getting on top of the car, the exhilaration of her stunt work? The ingenuity of the women, their defeating Stuntman Mike?
10.The interlude with Texas Ranger Earl Mc Graw, his daughter, at the hospital? Coming in from the Kill Bill films?
11.The work of Tarantino – and his intentions in making a genre film? But his producing the lowest common denominator?
