I just had to watch Drive again.
Anytime I see some screenshot or mention of this movie, I’m like Pavlov’s dog…gotta put it on again.
The movie is brilliant right from the opening moments: The introduction of the driver (Ryan Gosling) through the tense, meticulous opening car chase, the quiet moments (and I mean, QUIET) between Carey Mulligan’s character and the driver, the unexpected explosion of violence during a robbery, and the way the film escalates to it’s intense finale.
All while including some incredible car chases.
I can easily enjoy this movie just based on the story, characters and action, but the videos below point out aspects that enhance my enjoyment of the film and make rewatching the film that much more rewarding.
This video from Tony Zhou, from the Every Frame a Painting YouTube account, dissects the way director Nicolas Winding Refn built Drive’s scenes using the quadrant system. I love how this short video highlights the art around how a camera is used. Shots aren’t just built randomly to keep conversations moving. The best directors plan each shot to maximize the effectiveness of the scene.
The overview of the hallway scene that begins around 1:47 is my favorite part of this essay. The video points out how the quadrants are reserved for certain characters, and the director has framed these shots to support both the immediate conversation between the characters, and the slow build as the scene ends with the subtle payoff. .
Patrick (H) Willems YouTube account is a treasure trove of deep studies of films, film techniques and character development. In this essay, he discusses both Drive and Baby Driver, two eminently rewatchable recent films with nearly the same character arcs for their main characters. The interesting thing is the connection these films have with a couple of past movies with similar themes. (Pardon me while I go order an import version of the 1978 film The Driver.)
