Walter Hill’s 1978 thriller is a tense cat-and-mouse game between unnamed character; Ryan O’Neill is the Driver, Bruce Dern the detective, and their internecine relationship is the focus of The Driver’s taut narrative. O’Neal is excellent in a role written for Steve McQueen, and his lack of dialogue pre-dates Ryan Gosling’s equally taciturn role in Drive 2011. Hill’s realistic approach to the action was out of touch with the high-flying stunt-driven action of the period, but the film has endured due to the labyrinthine plotting and the sweaty, physical intensity of the LA locations.
Agreed.