Playing now till Sunday Jan 8th, WAGES OF FEAR at the Brattle!

(1953) director Henri-Georges Clouzot w/Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Peter van Eyck, Folco Lulli [148 min]

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s masterpiece THE WAGES OF FEAR contains some of the most unbelievably tense moments ever committed to celluloid. As four drivers try to safely transport trucks filled with super-volatile nitroglycerine across a dangerous wilderness road, the question is not if there will be a tragic accident, but when and how many. The rest of the film is no less incendiary as it condemns European imperialism and American commercialism in equal measure. But, make no mistake, this is no Godardian political diatribe, Clouzot handily instills his anger into the European ex-patriots and poor South Americans who inhabit the rundown town where the action takes place. Yves Montand is ferocious as a down-at-the-heels Frenchman who tries to be honorable but finds his virtue squeezed out in the face of desperation. Simply put, one of the finest thrillers ever made and a must-see on the big screen!

Text taken from the Brattle Theatre Website

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWY77rqoBoI&feature=player_embedded