THE WAGES OF FEAR

The pitch for this classic 1953 French film must have been really simple: there's some desperate guys transporting some nitro-glycerine across hundreds of miles of inhospitable terrain in Puerto Rico.  What more do you need to know?

It's a sure-fire recipe for suspense, and the director Henri-Georges Clouzot doesn't fail to deliver.

But my goodness we have to sit through an hour of build-up before the suicide mission sets off.  What little we learn about the four protagonists at this point could have been delivered in half the time. 

There are two lorries (to double the chances of success).  In one we have two Frenchmen, an ageing ex-gangster Jo who likes to act the tough guy, and the younger Mario who looks up to him.  In the other is genial Luigi (Italian in case you hadn't guessed) and dour Bimba (Dutch).

Very soon it's clear that Jo's nerves are not up to the task, and during the journey Mario becomes increasingly contemptuous of him.  Meanwhile Luigi and Bimba form a very good partnership.  But one of the lorries is going to blow to kingdom come at some point, and since Mario is played by the charismatic Yves Montand we know who we are going to be saying goodbye to.

There are three extended suspense sequences, all of which are terrific, starting with the lorries having to negotiate a wooden platform teetering over a precipice.  These sequences and the film as a whole (including the initial hour) benefit greatly from being filmed almost entirely on location.

I forgot to mention the purpose of the mission: not that it matters greatly but the nitro-glycerine is needed to stop a fire at an oil field.

I really need now to see William Friedkin's remake, 'Sorceror' which I am sure will be entertaining as hell.