Drive - A “Show, don’t Tell” Masterclass
A few weeks ago, I started a series of articles called “Movies that could make you a better writer”. The series continues with a new addition smelling of gasoline and blood: Drive.
I’ve been hearing about this film for years. Strange memes have been happening on my feeds. Friends make references to the film. I pretend to understand so I can laugh with them.
Those who know about the imposture ask me every month “So, have you seen it?” As if it were some kind of obscure rite of passage.
The fascination this film arouses fascinates me. It was time to understand. To unravel the mysteries. I booked an evening. Sitting firmly on my sofa. Right temperature. All my concentration available.
Does Drive deserve these praises?
Is Drive a good movie?
Will my whole personality now change to live as a tortured soul?
Yes, No.
Kinda hard to answer.
Depending on your taste, it will oscillate between a good movie and a masterpiece.
If “Show, don’t tell” were to be a movie. It could be Drive. It takes two or three viewings to grasp all the clues left for us on the screen.
For those who don’t know the movie. Be careful. I’m gonna spoil a decade-year-old movie. From these lines onwards, it’s on you.
Drive is the story of a driver for bank robbers. Stuntman by day, rider by night. We embark on a ride through the bowels of crime. Dark stories where no one escapes unscathed.
The trailer promised good stuff. Well put together, it manages to arouse enough interest and curiosity, without revealing the key elements of the plot. Rare enough to be worth mentioning.
The intro scene is cleverly constructed. It introduces us to … I’ve just realized that this guy doesn’t even have a name. Or am I missing something? I’ll call him the driver.
The driver is a mysterious, enigmatic, kind and cold character. He carries deep contradictions. Tender with those he loves. Ruthless with those who stand in his way.
He loves silence. He is often awkward. His emotions are conveyed through his looks and attitudes. A whirlwind of feelings plays out within him. And yet… He always remains stoic, like a true Greek statue.
I’m beginning to understand the fascination fans have for this film. Timidly, I google “Ryan Gosling Jacket in drive”. I’m re-discovering the beauty of my toothpicks.
Then I think back to those moments when you get in your car and drive. Not knowing where you’re going. You seem to be one with time and space. Nothing matters anymore. You drive.
I must resist the nightcall.
I have a story to end.
What makes this film such a jewel?
Several elements.
Iconic scenes like the elevator one.
This terrifying scene shows us the violent dichotomy at play within our hero. A sweetness sprinkled with an incredible capacity for brutality.
I was expecting a violent film. But Drive’s violence is different. A kind of contemplation of violence. Reinforced by slow motion, like in the motel scene. By a long, relentless assault in the elevator scene.
Reminds me of the violence of Kratos in the famous video game. When he lashes out at his father at the end of the third opus. You feel part of the scene. A reluctant spectator of horror.
The second element will be the soundtrack. The main theme by Kavinsky hits different. After a bit of research, the sound was produced by one of the Daft Punk. Which doesn’t surprise me much. Legend producing a legendary soundtrack.
The third element would be his unique storytelling.
Drive doesn’t take you by the hand. To decipher what the characters are feeling. You have to pay attention to everything. To their interactions. Their smiles. Their silence. Drive makes non-verbal communication its primary storytelling tool. Ryan Gosling will say 891 words in the entire film. He has 116 lines. That’s an average of around 7 words per sentence.
This type of narration is double-edged. If the audience connects with the characters. They’ll experience a story and lots of emotions. If the audience can’t bond with the characters, they’ll find the film slow and boring.
It’s a balancing act where you have to give the audience enough to connect to the characters. For them to feel emotionally involved.
In your quest to improve your storytelling, Drive is a great add to your list. For those who are comfortable with graphic violence. And for those planning to buy a new jacket very soon.
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