You may be surprised to find out that, while it's not Grade-A material, "The Car" is actually a very well-made and underrated film. The director's biggest achievement is that he has taken a ridiculous premise and somehow crafted a fine thriller out of the material. He uses some sly techniques to get the viewer involved with most of the characters, even the ones who are in the film only to get run over by the villain: a mysterious black sedan that drives out of the desert to randomly run people down.
Sure, sure, it's silly, but within the dry universe of this movie, it comes off as very menacing. Not only is the film well-constructed, but it plays on some very deep psychological reactions that we as human beings share. I think every person is unconsciously wary of being struck by a speeding car, and here is a car that exists solely for that purpose. If a car on the highway cuts you off, you're probably going to think "That guy's an idiot," but the characters don't often refer to the "driver" of the car when talking amongst themselves, they acknowledge it as simply "the car". Notice the subtle moment when one of the little girls in the film says that Lauren "cussed the car out"--not the driver! Additionally, a car horn can immediately conjure a rush of primal fear--how many times have you drivers had a near-accident that was avoided only because of the honk of a horn?--and the weird staccato horn blasts of the car suggest a disproportionately larger vehicle, like an 18-wheeler. Completing the effect is the fact that the car has no driver. This isn't the work of a psycho motorist, it's actually the car itself that is doing it.
The cinematography is outstanding in this film, too. There are many subtle images that make an impression, such as long, wide shots of the desert that are broken by the glimmer of sunlight off of the car's windshield off in the distance. The car itself is intriguing--it has a few identifiable characteristics of a modified Lincoln, but it's very weird. In one of the movie's creepiest scenes, the grille of the car rolls silently out of the blackness and waits for the perfect moment to attack, suddenly roaring to life and taking off like a bat out of hell to go run down its intended victim. There is also a brilliantly freakish moment when we suddenly realize exactly what the car is capable of; it does not even need to stick to the road to carry out its violent intent, and we see it careening toward one of its victims even as she huddles inside her house. The director makes full use of the locations, such as the strange tunnel at the beginning of the film, those wide open desert shots, and the quarry at the climax of the film, when our heroes set a trap for the car.
The weaknesses include certain portions of the soundtrack, campy thriller music that cheapens the overall effect of the film. There is also some awkward acting from a few of the supporting characters. One particularly shocking scene, where the car attacks a children's parade rehearsal, features a few goofy moments of humor (intentional and otherwise) that lessen the overall effect of an otherwise tense scene. The lives of the characters encompass some unpleasant elements such as spousal abuse, alcoholism, and religious crisis, but it gets a little too heavy-handed and the first impulse is to not take these things seriously.
But when "The Car" is all revved up, it's very suspenseful and effective. There are some truly amazing stunts in it, and they're captured well on film. It's got a giddy sort of terror to it...it's both silly and scary. Highly recommended.
Sure, sure, it's silly, but within the dry universe of this movie, it comes off as very menacing. Not only is the film well-constructed, but it plays on some very deep psychological reactions that we as human beings share. I think every person is unconsciously wary of being struck by a speeding car, and here is a car that exists solely for that purpose. If a car on the highway cuts you off, you're probably going to think "That guy's an idiot," but the characters don't often refer to the "driver" of the car when talking amongst themselves, they acknowledge it as simply "the car". Notice the subtle moment when one of the little girls in the film says that Lauren "cussed the car out"--not the driver! Additionally, a car horn can immediately conjure a rush of primal fear--how many times have you drivers had a near-accident that was avoided only because of the honk of a horn?--and the weird staccato horn blasts of the car suggest a disproportionately larger vehicle, like an 18-wheeler. Completing the effect is the fact that the car has no driver. This isn't the work of a psycho motorist, it's actually the car itself that is doing it.
The cinematography is outstanding in this film, too. There are many subtle images that make an impression, such as long, wide shots of the desert that are broken by the glimmer of sunlight off of the car's windshield off in the distance. The car itself is intriguing--it has a few identifiable characteristics of a modified Lincoln, but it's very weird. In one of the movie's creepiest scenes, the grille of the car rolls silently out of the blackness and waits for the perfect moment to attack, suddenly roaring to life and taking off like a bat out of hell to go run down its intended victim. There is also a brilliantly freakish moment when we suddenly realize exactly what the car is capable of; it does not even need to stick to the road to carry out its violent intent, and we see it careening toward one of its victims even as she huddles inside her house. The director makes full use of the locations, such as the strange tunnel at the beginning of the film, those wide open desert shots, and the quarry at the climax of the film, when our heroes set a trap for the car.
The weaknesses include certain portions of the soundtrack, campy thriller music that cheapens the overall effect of the film. There is also some awkward acting from a few of the supporting characters. One particularly shocking scene, where the car attacks a children's parade rehearsal, features a few goofy moments of humor (intentional and otherwise) that lessen the overall effect of an otherwise tense scene. The lives of the characters encompass some unpleasant elements such as spousal abuse, alcoholism, and religious crisis, but it gets a little too heavy-handed and the first impulse is to not take these things seriously.
But when "The Car" is all revved up, it's very suspenseful and effective. There are some truly amazing stunts in it, and they're captured well on film. It's got a giddy sort of terror to it...it's both silly and scary. Highly recommended.