Yves Montand

Le salaire de la peur [The Wages of Fear] (1953)

Le salaire de la peur [The Wages of Fear] (1953)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(Criterion streaming, August 2019) Despite Le salaire de la peur being on several lists of essential movies, I approached the film with caution—as any modern viewer would in tackling a 1950s black-and-white thriller lasting slightly over two hours and a half. The first hour seemingly gives credence to the caution, as it leisurely introduces a small South American town filled with desperate people. Slowly, we piece together the plot: The town is dominated by an oil company that, for reasons, needs four suicidal men to quickly drive gallons of nitroglycerin over a long dangerous distance. There are a few fake-outs and multilingual subplots on our way to the real movie, but we eventually get there. By the time our four main characters have been identified and take the wheel of two explosive-laden trucks, Le salaire de la peur really begins, and it becomes a true white-knuckle thrill-ride until the end. The road to the destination is a carnival of outlandish obstacles designed to test the ingenuity of the screenwriter: a bumpy dirt road that can either be taken fast or slow (leading to a deliciously original suspense sequence based on physics); a dangerous hairpin turn; obstacles to be cleared explosively; and an oil-filled crater filled with surprises. The latter half of Le salaire de la peur is pure mechanically-driven analog suspense—even modern viewers will smell the engines, taste the dirt and feel the physical elements that drive its action scenes. It’s as good as suspense gets, and it still works magnificently sixty years later. Yves Montand makes for a capable hero, and director Henri-Georges Clouzot manages his production with devilish precision once we’re past the prologue. I can take that dull first half once you throw in that remarkably effective second half. Alas, there’s a false note at the very end, once we think that the sacrifices had led to something. But then again, that may have been the only way to conclude such a story. Modern viewers should flock to Le salaire de la peur, make their way through the dull setup and relish the impact of the rest of the film. It’s that good.

Grand Prix (1966)

Grand Prix (1966)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, March 2019) As I continue my exploration of classic Hollywood cinema, I have a growing fondness for those movies that manage to capture something that existed then and doesn’t now. Movies with a big enough budget to fulfill their goals of immersing us in a world unlike our own. Movies such as Grand Prix, which takes us right in the middle of mid-1960s Formula 1 racing. Hop in the cockpit of a fast car, because we’re going for a ride! Director John Frankenheimer here manages the stunning feat of presenting an entire F1 season through distinct races, augmented by some stunning cinematography designed by none other than Saul Bass. Several sequences have an authentic feeling of speed and danger as we sit next to the driver, fly in helicopters, or witness impressively staged accidents. Even today, the racing sequences impress—and it’s amazing to realize that this was shot for real without CGI trickery—it would be almost impossible to restage Grand Prix with its period feel today (although Rush did come close), making it something that can never be surpassed even with today’s means.   It may not come as a surprise to find out that the narrative connective tissue between the races is far more conventional. There are only so many permutations of classic racing subplots, after all, and Grand Prix only has to put up enough connective tissue to get the next race with a bit of dramatic context. There is some serious acting talent on display here. Yves Montand is quite cool in a leading role, as is a young James Garner. None other than Toshiro Mifune makes a cameo as a Japanese racing team owner. Meanwhile, Jessica Walter is jaw-dropping beautiful as the romantic lead. Movies with intermissions usually have me wishing they were shorter, but not Grand Prix: this one is worth the near-three-hour running time. What an incredible film, even half a century later.

Let’s Make Love (1960)

Let’s Make Love (1960)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(In French, On TV, November 2018) I’m on a quest to watch pretty much everything that George Cukor has directed, and for Let’s Make Love to feature Marilyn Monroe is just extra incentive. Coming at this film with expectations raised too high may be a problem, though: despite a few cameos and occasional flashes of wit, the result is decidedly average and not quite what we’d expect from the cast or the opening moments. The first few minutes of the film do set up a far funnier film than what we get, through narration explaining the family history of the lead character (played by Yves Montand), a Franco-American billionaire who ends up playing himself in a satirical play in order to get close to Monroe’s character. The difficulties in having a businessman attempting to become a stage sensation soon lead him to the film’s most inspired sequences, namely hiring Milton Berle for comedy tips, Gene Kelly for dancing lessons and Bing Crosby to learn how to sing. The three men play themselves, leading to a few cool moments if you’re already a fan of these entertainment legends. Otherwise, though, the film is surprisingly underwhelming. The traditional romantic comedy hijinks aren’t executed particularly well when Montand looks lost (thanks to language difficulties), Monroe is fine but doesn’t have much of a character besides looking pretty (this was at a point in her career when she was gathering a reputation for being unreliable), and the casting definitely seems off. High expectations make this film a disappointment, so do try to keep them under check: it’s not as good as you think it will be from reading the cast list, and the behind-the-scenes drama of making the film (what with an affair between the two leads even as they were married to other high-profile celebrities) is arguably more interesting than what shows up on-screen. [December 2018: My opinion of Let’s Make Love went up a small notch after catching an English-language broadcast of the film: The French version not only has some very awkward transitions between English-language songs and interstitial French dialogue, but has the gall to cut off some of the Berle/Kelly/Crosby material that is the highlight of the film. French dubs are usually much better than this.]