Death Proof (2007)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, Vanessa Ferlito
Primary genre: Slasher
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“Grindhouse” (2007), the double feature of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez had all the star power in the world, an excellent marketing campaign, strong word of mouth, good-to-great reviews, and it was coming hot right after the success of “Kill Bill” (2003-2004) and “Sin City” (2005). Yet, it was a spectacular failure leading to the release of its features as two solo movies with one being QT’s unique take on the slasher genre: “Death Proof”.
“Death Proof” can be easily seen as one of the director’s lesser interesting cinematic outputs due to its over-simplified plot and its over-reliance of his trademark dialogue. While his penned exchanges do not support the plot at any capacity, they retain his primary ability to entertain the audience with endless disputes between a number of gals and their wannabe boyfriends. It is his way to pay homage to the established formula of horny teenagers and naive maidens only for him to reinvent it a few chapters down the road when the s*** hits the fan (more on that later). QT’s 5th film features some of the best and most funny material he has ever written. Cleverly capitalizing on the “Kill Bill” success, the stars of the show are 8 women, each one blessed with distinct characteristics and traits enough to make a memorable splash on the big screen - their little gatherings and chats can easily be equally and pop culturally significant as Mr Brown’s opening monologue in “Reservoir Dogs” (1992).
For the patient audience, the reward though is worth the wait. Showcasing action chops that would make Michael Bay blush, one can only wonder what Tarantino could achieve if he truly wished to delve deeper into the territory of gun fu, vehicular mayhem and aggressive stuntwork. His final car chase (more like a duel) is an exhilarating 16 minute sequence done without an ounce of CGI boasting one of the most spectacularly dangerous stunts ever captured on celluloid. The glorious sound design where engines roar and metal crashes under editor Sally Menke’s magical abilities are enough to keep you at the edge of the seat since you know, in the Tarantino universe, nobody is safe. Just ask Vincent Vega.
“Death Proof” works on several levels and its initial failure as a cinematic experiment, has not been able to diminish its value over time. Quite the opposite in fact. Tarantino’s years of encyclopedic movie knowledge championing the movie underdogs and genres alike provide him this opportunity to take the albeit simplistic approach of the 70s grindhouse concept and imbue it with a new life (i.e., killer performances, more style, superb soundtrack) while simultaneously honoring its technically neglected aspects (e.g., scratches, missing reels, audio/visual asynchronization). To write more would spoil the tremendous amount of fun to have with Tarantino’s most accessible (in terms of story) film.
“You know how people say “You’re okay in my book, or In my book, that’s no good?” Well, I actually HAVE a book.”
For a motion picture called “Death Proof”, you better have a lead supremo and Kurt Russell’s take on Stuntman Mike can only be described as top tier Tarantino: charming, disarming, funny and knowledgeable, his trustable visage masquerades for something brutal. And this is why QT’s choices in his screenplays are those of a genius (e.g., Take the car away and Stuntman Mike poses no threat to anyone). Russell’s performance is an all time high making his antagonist relatable enough (to be human) even as the film races towards its two hour running time. In the role of victims and emerging (?) heroes we have 8 fully grown women minding their own business and oozing confidence around the much more stupid male counterparts (in a nice twist) but how these elements play against each other remains to be seen until the very end.
Indeed time is the best judge of character, movement and art form. In the case of “Death Proof”, the emphasis on 8 women and lengthy chatting did not particular resonate well with the audiences in 2007. Now, if QT would have made the film in 2017 (i.e., post #MeToo), it would have been lauded as a critical masterpiece that places front and center toxic masculinity and coercive control while the polar opposite group would have been tremendously annoyed with the diverse cast, the intelligence of women and the stupidity of men.
“Death Proof” even within its own simplistic conception proves that the distorted thoughts of Tarantino on a serial killer flick deserve commendation for not only having set their own course (which might have contributed to the box office results) but for going places in 2007 that others dare not and the absolutely banger of a soundtrack (e.g., Jack Nitzsche, Willy DeVille, The Coasters, An April March) make scenes standing out even more (e.g., a lap dance in particular, is reinvigorating). While “Death Proof” does not have much of a story development or progression due to the limitations of the grindhouse films that inspired it, it still finds Tarantino at a creative peak with groovy feelings, plot twists, high octane energy and an incredible Kurt Russell.
An extraordinary slasher with a twist
+Incredible dialogue
+Clever take on the slasher genre
+Likeable characters
+Russell is absolutely brilliant
+There is one holy s**t moment that sticks in your mind
+Thrilling and CGI 16 minute car duel
+Superb soundtrack