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CAST
Mario Yves Montand
Jo Charles Vanel
Bimba Peter Van Eyck
Bill O'Brien William Tubbs
Linda Véra Clouzot
Luigi Folco Lulli
CREDITS
Director Henri-Georges Clouzot
Screenplay Henri-Georges Clouzot and Jérôme Géronimi
Based on the novel by Georges Arnaud
Producer Louis Wipf
Cinematography Armand Thirard
Editing Henri Rust and Madeleine Gug
Executive producer Raymond Borderie and Henri-Georges Clouzot
Music Georges Auric
Sound William Robert Sivel
Synopsis
In a dusty, hot South American mining town, foreign immigrants eke out a meagre existence, struggling to find work in an area of high unemployment. A French Corsican, Mario, strikes up a friendship with a new arrival in the town, Jo. Their situation looks hopeless, until, one day, a local oil company announces they are recruiting four truck drivers to carry out a dangerous mission. The drivers have to transport two truckloads of the explosive nitroglycerine to an oilfield, to put out a raging fire. The journey is 300 miles across some treacherous mountain terrain. Mario, Jo, and two other men are selected for the job, lured by the high salary offered. A short while after setting out, they encounter the first in a series of terrible obstacles to overcome. But the greatest obstacle of all is fear....
Film Review
Probably one of the most harrowing two and half hours of cinema, Le salaire de la peur is not a film for the squeamish – or the sentimental. It is director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s undisputed masterpiece and unquestionably one of the great triumphs of French cinema. Yet it is not a comfortable film, and even having such a familiar face as Yves Montand as a lead character does little to distract from the harsh gritty realism of the film.
The main part of the film – the tension-filled truck journey – is preceded by a substantial, unhurried introduction which provides the setting and allows us to get to know the main characters. This is important for what follows, because we need to understand the four truck drivers to fully appreciate their situation – what motivates them to take on such a fool-hardy mission. It also accustoms us to the relentless nihilistic path which the film takes – so that we can sympathise with the central characters – and, possibly, to prepare us for the tragic events which unfold before our eyes.
The direction is faultless and illustrates why Clouzet is one of the greatest directors of all time. His use of a wide range of photographic techniques to build and sustain the tension is magnificent – particularly the use of close-ups on fear-filled eyes to convey fear and anticipation. You feel that disaster lurks around every corner - that something truly terrible is going to happen any second. And, remakably, you are always surprised when something terrible does happen. To create that sense of tension and expectation is one thing – but to sustain it for a full hour is an incredible achievement.
The sense of realism is provided partly by the impressive location filming (in the South of France – not South America!), but mainly by populating the film with dozens of believable, well developed characters of differing nationalities. Even minor characters leave their mark, adding to the impression of hopelessness of the world they inhabit. Of course, it is the four lead actors – playing the volunteer truck drivers – who most shape our view of the film. Each actor brings something special to the part and we feel a profound sense empathy with their characters’ plight.
Yves Montand is surprisingly well cast as the tough guy who mistreats women and harbours a childish fantasy to see the Paris metro again. The popular actor/singer is rarely this rough and cynical, yet his innate charm easily makes him the most sympathetic character.
Opposite Montand is Charles Vanel, a more experienced actor who is absolutely perfect as Jo, the man who can face down someone pointing a gun at him but who cracks all too easily when faced with the prospect of being blown to kingdom come. Having such a strong actor playing this part is a masterstroke and brings home the true terror of what the men are having to go through. Vanel deserves an Oscar if only for the famous scene where he thrashes about helplessly in an oil-filled swamp.
There is also a moving performance from the director’s wife, Véra, who manages to inject a shot of much-needed humanity into the proceedings.
The film was remade in 1977 by William Friedkin as Sorcerer – a film that is really just a shallow echo of Clouzot’s suspense masterpiece.
© James Travers 2000
 
 
 
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Subs, various languages: http://www.opensubtitles.org/it/search/imd...blanguageid-all
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