Wages of Fear [2 Discs] [Criterion Collection]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Together with Diabolique, The Wages of Fear (Le Salaire de la Peur) earned Henri-Georges Clouzot the reputation as a "French Hitchcock." In truth, Clouzot's ability to sustain suspense may have even exceeded Hitchcock's; when originally released, Wages ran 155 tension-filled minutes. Based on the much-imitated novel by Georges Arnaud, the film is set in Central America. The Southern Oil Company, which pretty much rules the roost in the impoverished village of Las Piedras, sends out a call for long-distance truck drivers. Southern Oil's wages of 2,000 dollars per man are, literally, to die for -- the drivers are obliged to transport highly volatile nitroglycerine shipments across some of the most treacherous terrain on earth. Through expository dialogue, tense interactions and flashbacks, we become intimately acquainted with the four drivers who sign up for this death-defying mission: Corsican Yves Montand, Italian Folco Lulli, German Peter Van Eyck, and Frenchman Charles Vanel. The first half of the film slowly, methodically introduces the characters and their motivations. The second half -- the drive itself -- is a relentless, goosebump-inducing assault on the audience's senses. The winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival, The Wages of Fear was remade by William Friedkin as Sorcerer (1977). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 2
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Black and White
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • New, restored high-definition digital transfer
  • New and improved English subtitle translation
  • New video interviews with assistant director Michel Romanoff and Henri-Georges Clouzot biographer Marc Godin
  • Interview with Yves Montand from 1988
  • "Henri-Georges Clouzot: The Enlightened Tyrant," a 2004 documentary on the director's career
  • "Censored," an analysis of cuts made to the film for the 1955 U.S. release
  • 24-page booklet featuring novelist Dennis Lehane and a compilation of interviews with the cast and crew of the film

AWARDS

• Berlin International Film Festival

•     Won Golden Bear - 1953

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Best Film - Any Source - 1954 (Henri-Georges Clouzot)

• Cannes Film Festival

•     Won Grand Prix - 1953

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Yves Montand - Mario
       Charles Vanel - Jo
       Peter Van Eyck - Bimba
       William Tubbs - Bill O'Brien
       Véra Clouzot - Linda

• Director:

  Henri-Georges Clouzot

• Producer:

  Henri-Georges Clouzot, Louis Wipf

• Book Author:

  Georges Arnaud

• Screenwriter:

  Henri-Georges Clouzot, Jerome Geronimi

• Cinematographer:

  Louis Nee, Armand Thirard

• Composer (Music Score):

  Georges Auric

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Georges Auric

• Editor:

  Madeleine Gug, Etiennette Muse, Henri Rust

• Production Designer:

  René Renoux

REVIEW:

• Le Salaire de la Peur is among the most suspenseful films of the 1950s, notable for slowly building character development and atmosphere before its dramatic climax. In its original 148-minute version, the story lags in spots as director Henri-Georges Clouzot indulges some anti-United States propaganda. Not surprisingly, the film was re-edited for release in the U.S., and many critics preferred the faster pacing and more focused narrative. International acclaim came quickly, including the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. Yves Montand gives one of his best performances, though current-day audiences may find his character's chauvinism and condescension toward women unappealing. The female lead is strikingly played by Véra Clouzot, the director's wife. She had only a brief film career but appeared in two classics, this film and Les Diaboliques, which was also directed by her husband. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide

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