Death Proof

The next upcoming Tarantino project is always heralded as a major occurrence by press and fans alike. From the moment Reservoir Dogs tore its way through the festival circuit it was obvious he was a talent to watch. Pulp Fiction sign-posted the way for the next wave of movie studios in Hollywood and proved a low budget crime thriller could earn millions at the box office with the help of a few megastars slumming it in the name of art. Jackie Brown was a brilliant homage to blaxploitation and the Kill Bill films, although viewed by many as self indulgent, were knowing re-inventions of '70s martial arts movies.

Recalling the days of low-budget drive-in movies of the '60s and '70s and intended to be shown as a "Grindhouse"  double bill with Robernt Rodriguez''s Planet Terror, Death Proof is a fun-filled ride with a final twenty minutes that features some of the most extraordinary stunts ever committed to celluloid. This is all thanks to Zoe Bell. Having met Bell when she was Uma Thurman’s stunt double in Kill Bill, Tarantino promised he would write a film with a role for her. This he has done and while she can best be described as an enthusiastic performer, the minute she straps herself to the bonnet of the white Dodge Charger (as seen in the 1971 rev head classic, Vanishing Point), the film changes up a gear or two. The white knuckle adrenaline ride as the stunt women drive for their lives against Stuntman Mike is a breathtaking piece of cinema.

The set-up may be convoluted and the dialogue, normally Tarantino’s forte, doesn’t roll off the cast’s tongues as well as it has done in the past for his actors. They talk about Tarantino’s usual subjects, vintage films, music, pop cultural iconography and so on but it just doesn’t seem as convincing. When the second group of girls start waxing lyrical about Vanishing Point, a major influence on the film, it just seems false. Another problem for the film is the way it is split into two halves. Just as you have really gotten into the first four girls, then Stuntman Mike has done his worst and we start again. This isn’t a major problem but it does cause some pacing issues. The high points, apart from the aforementioned stunt work, are the excellent music choices and a tour-de-force performance from Kurt Russell. Modern day movie goers have not seen Russell in his prime for many a year. The days of Snake Pliskin in Escape From New York and McCready in The Thing are legendary and it's about time that the actor was once again given a role that he can sink his teeth into.

When released on its own, the effect on Planet Terror was minimal but Death Proof suffered and for the DVD release the addition of the missing shared scenes gives the film some added fun. Firstly we get to see the incredibly sensual Vanessa Ferlito strut her stuff when she gives Stuntman Mike a lapdance. This does lose the film one of its best gags when the missing reel card pops up but the scene gives the film a shot of much-needed raunch. Secondly the garage forecourt scene gives the director a chance to name check some of his favourite mags and show us a touch of Stuntman Mike’s foot fetish.

As we know, the Grindhouse project was Tarantino’s first failure but unlike Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, Death Proof was given an Australian cinema release bearing the moniker “Quentin Tarantino’s Fifth Film”. This meant that many expected way more from Death Proof than they should have. You have to view it as an exploitation film and not the next big thing in cinema, and if you do so, you are in for a treat.

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