Car Chase Cult Classic
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the evolution of the car chase in cinema. Chase cinema evolved from films like 'Bullitt' and 'The French Connection', which used car chases to develop tension and continue the drama, to later films, like 'Gone in 60 Seconds' and 'Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry' in which the car chase was the drama and the story was just to get to the action.
Some of the biggest directors of today got their start on just such films. Oscar winner Ron Howard started with 'Grand Theft Auto' while multi-Oscar winner Steven Spielberg first directed 'Duel' (read my earlier article here)
Happy birthday to Steven Spielberg!
Since today is Steven Spielberg’s birthday, I thought it would be fitting to review his first full-length film. A true classic you might have missed! It is amazing how much suspense you can build with almost no dialogue or sets, just a car and a very menacing truck. This is the film that turned Steven Spielberg from a tv director into a wanted filmmaker…
They may be making much more cerebral cinema today, but, as young directors, they loved a great car chase! I find that car chase movies offer film makers the opportunity to discuss the classic individual vs. society storyline. The driver wants to be free to travel as they wish while the police want them to give up their freedom and obey the rules. That is a plot, in one form or another, that goes back as long as stories have been told. Let’s take a look at one of the best. A car chase cult classic that you may have missed!
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