I’m working my way through my goals and Quentin Tarantino was next on my list. Death Proof was the last Tarantino film I need to watch, and now another director on the list is complete. I wish I could say I saved the best for last, but, as expected, Death Proof wasn’t a film for me. Not to say there isn’t cool moments and good acting, but it’s just not my kind of film. I give Death Proof the Not a Total Waste of Time rating.
Death Proof just wasn’t made for me
Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) stalks to two sets of women at different times. He uses his “death proof” cars to implement his murderous plans. However, one set of women is not like the other.
I don’t think I’ve seen any films that qualify as Grindhouse style before I saw this one. The opening half of the film is very gritty and is full of intentional production problems. The film jumps, dialogue loops, and there is a lot of grainy film. The film goes to black and white then into regular color. I couldn’t really tell the reason for the change. Had the black and white section been a flashback, I would have picked up on the reasoning. There is some interesting cinematography for sure and the car chases are insane. Not to mention the first murder with the car that is shown from a variety of angles. Each is more devastating than the prior.
Kurt Russell is a bit over the top in this film. Of course, the nature of the film makes perfect sense for the bad guy to be over the top. I thought Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Rose McGowan all did well. I have to say I love the way the ladies in the second group manage to surprise Stuntman Mike. The ensuing sequence with Zoe Bell riding on the hood of the car that leads to the final chase is intense.
Ultimately, it’s just not as compelling of a story or a film that I expect from Tarantino. Its definitely my least favorite of his films. Not to say it’s bad, but it’s just not a film that I can get into. It’s probably a great example of the genre studies that Tarantino likes to do, but it missed its mark for me.
Berkreviews.com 