"It is better we should both perish than that my enemy should live."

Drive unfolds like a beautiful dream. It's a self-reflexive action film that never beats us over the head with its own reflexivity. It would rather take its time to lull us into its narrative, to subdue us with its trance inducing style, than to insult our intelligence with any cheap tricks. It's as though the entire film takes place in perpetual, rhythmic slow motion, whereas the contemporary use of slow motion seems to be showing things more forcibly. I could see another director taking this plot and interpreting it as a high-octane thrill ride (or any other terribly cliched description), but with Drive, the fuel's been used up, and it's operating on auxiliary. 

The film's protagonist (simply named, the driver) seems like an alien in the reality he inhabits. He is the film's hero, I guess, but I'd be hard-pressed to describe him in that fashion. It's as though the Driver has been displaced from an actual action film, and placed within this one - a world where stomping a man's head in isn't framed as anything heroic. I always wondered how John McClane could stab a man in the eye, yet walk away relatively unaffected - or how spouting one-liners after executing your wife isn't seen as sociopathic (although I would never make an argument against action movie puns). In most movies, it's all fun and games. In Drive, it's pretty fucking crazy. 

Watching this film again (taking these stills constituted my third viewing of it) has really revealed for me its connection between style and narrative. I'll probably be a tad more talkative than usual in this post (but you can always forgo my commentary and view the images in slideshow). 

Is this the same blue and white building as in Punch Drunk Love? I'm really just curious...

It's the first time he sees her. This location will account for the last time as well. Of all the costumes the driver wears in the film, the scorpion jacket is the most telling of his character. He is instinctive, dangerous, professional, and designed to do what his nature entails, despite how he may affect those around him. As stated above, he is simply "the driver" - his title precedes his humanity. This is not to say that the driver is entirely un-human, just that there's something quite off about him.

The driver isn't the only character displaced from Hollywood norms. I feel as though much of our media has homogenized its representation of "the mafia" to a vapid misrepresentation of Scorsese-esque wise guys. Drive chooses to do away with such stereotyped figures, and instead, presents us with group of fortune cookie eating owners of a fast food restaurant, whose only ties to Italy are a poster featuring an institutionalized image of their country.

When he's not looking out a window...

...he's looking at her.

Despite this film being saturated with so much blue and orange, I was still pretty shocked when viewing this iamge. Even Gosling's eyes are blue, contrasting to the orange in his jacket. I'm not about to over-determine any meaning from this, but damn, there's a lot of blue and orange in this film.

Most of this scene is shown either in, or appears to be in slow-motion. The driver analyzes his situation, then uses his highly trained senses to plan the best course of action. It's like Sherlock Holmes in the newer, Guy Ritchie films, but without all the frills (and a hell of a lot gorier).

But after the carnage the adrenaline fades, and the driver is forced to witness the gory aftermath of the scene. He backs into the shadows and meditates on his actions.

Another slow motion sequence. Things are looking hopeful for once, that is, until Gosling's back turns towards the camera, and we're reminded once again of the monstrous persona he may unleash at any moment. It makes their first (and only) kiss a lot less romantic, and a lot more unnerving.

Oh, and so does STOMPING A MAN'S HEAD OFF WITH YOUR SHOES.

CRACK!

For a portion of the movie, the driver literally dons the mask of an action movie character - a fake and hollow persona. We can spruce up our actors with makeup and effects, but if we were to look solely at their actions, any James Bond or John Rambo would seem to be fairly insane.

The Driver asks Bernie: "You know the story about the scorpion and the frog? Your friend Nino didn't make it across the river."

As the story goes: A scorpion comes across a raging river, but is incapable of crossing it himself.

He asks a nearby frog: "Would you be willing to take me across if I show you this place to cross the river?"

The frog responds: "How could I possibly trust you will not sting me on the way across as we have been life long enemies?"

"Why would I sting you?" replied Scorpion. "For if I stung you it would mean you would drown, then both of us would die." The frog thinks it over and goes ahead with the plan. But the scorpion, of course, goes against his word, and poisons the frog midway across the river. Within his final breaths, the frog cries out ""How could you sting me?! Now both of us shall drown!"

The scorpion, never changing his tone, simply responds "I could not help myself..."

"It is my nature."

There are, of course, variations of the fable - one of which substitutes the frog for a fox. The plot is the same, but the tone is more malicious. For when the scorpion utters his final words before succumbing to the rapids, he instead tells the fox:

"It is better we should both perish...

...than that my enemy should live."

So goes the story, which is fitting, because I believe that the driver is living in some sort of dreamworld. But as it really goes... 

...sometimes the girl is not "got"...

...and no day can ever be "saved".