Unlike most movies out there, Drive movie 2011 is a narrative based more on sensorial experiences than dialogues from the characters. Throughout the movie, we can find many scenes of non-verbal communication, in a sense that communication takes place not so much in words but in images, sounds, and songs as expressions that its director Nicholas Winding Refn splendidly presents to portray a certain mood or the feelings the main character transmits even when he’s barely talking.
This is by no means a mere whim from the director. On the contrary, the director magnifies all the non-verbal elements as a form of building a bridge to connect the spectator with the plot in a more intimate way. The challenge for spectators is to surpass that awkwardness similar to just staring into someone else’s eyes in silence because this movie asks us to look directly into the eyes of a strange driver (Ryan Gosling) who will barely say a word to us. Once we surpass that awkwardness we can begin a genuine dialogue with the plot and, hopefully, understand what drives the driver to do what he does.
With that in mind, this Drive movie analysis 2011 will be an attempt to look straight into the eyes of its characters and closing that gap between our notions of what it means to be a real human being and a real hero with those incarnated into the character of the Driver.
As a way to cross the bridge built by Nicholas Winding Refn and translating the images of Drive into words, we will analyze the recurring metaphors portrayed across the movie.
The Explicit Metaphor Behind Driver: The Scorpion and The Frog
Do you know the story about the scorpion and the frog?
A scorpion asks a frog to carry him over a river. The frog says “No, because you will sting me”, but the scorpion argues that if it did so, both would sink and then he would drown too. The frog then agrees, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog. While drowning the frog asks “why?” the scorpion answered, “because it is in my nature”.
– Fable of the Scorpion and the Frog
This Russian fable serves as the explicit metaphor presented to us along with the image of the Driver’s jacket. The symbol of the scorpion on its back makes you wonder if he’s the frog or the scorpion. One might argue that the fact he drives for criminals in their wrongdoings is a sign of him being a frog that carries scorpions on his back. Nonetheless, as we watch the way he acts further in the movie, his capability for violence when required and ultimately showing that killing others is also in his nature is proof that he is the scorpion. But then again, we also see how he metaphorically drowns with the scorpion incarnated as Bernie (Albert Brooks) in an attempt to help Irene (Carey Mulligan) to get safe to the other part of the river.
Then, do you think he’s a scorpion or a frog? As life is not black or white, we cannot say the Driver is one or another either. The truth is that he is both a frog and a scorpion because we humans have both a good side and a bad side encoded in our nature.
Since no one can claim to be completely good nor wholesomely bad, we have no other choice than to try to understand the reasons behind others’ actions as much as we can to truly comprehend their meaning.
The Implicit Metaphor Behind Driver: A Real Human Being and a Real Hero in Drive Movie 2011
The implicit metaphor can be found in a song that’s the main theme of the movie: “A Real Hero” by College ft. Electric Youth. This song is a representation of the inner qualities of a hero as the outer actions that a real human being undertakes in order to save others and become a real hero.
Along the movie we can ask ourselves if this character is a personification of a real human being and a real hero as it is depicted in the song. By looking at his development, first we have a rather cold and distant character with skill and nerves that put him as someone who is in control even when the odds are against him.
“You look like a zombie, kid”
Nonetheless, a simple remark by his companion Shannon (Bryan Cranston) gives us a clue of how he might not be acting like a real human being. He continually shows himself indifferent towards risky situations, like performing a stunt that might be fatal, as for getting much money out of it, because he lives in a rather simple way. He’s acting more like a zombie that’s devoid of life.
He’s a complex character whose pursuits are not evident. But we get a clue when he’s staring from his window at Irene and Benicio (Kaden Leos). The remoteness of this image is like if he was longing to experience something that he lacks and it seems out of his reach: Love. Even if he’s having it in front of him, he knows it is not his to take. But as we cannot avoid the deepest desires of our souls, the involvement of the Driver with Irene is inevitable.
Even though love might be considered a simplistic pursuit, to love and to be loved is one of the most fundamental desires a real human being pursuits and experiencing it, even for a brief moment, is more than enough for people to find meaning in whatever they are doing. The character of the driver portrays something like this in that single scene where we can see an expression of pure bliss as we heard for the first time the main theme of “A real hero”, like a signal that a moment like this one is what it looks like to be a real human being.
“I have to go somewhere now. I don’t think I can come back. Just getting to be around you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
When tragedy befalls the true test to prove who the real heroes are, begins.
The momentary happiness of the driver was no more than a fairytale that ended when Benicio’s father returned. Nonetheless, those brief moments of joy were enough for the driver to protect Irene and Benicio’s life from the dangers that came with Standard’s return.
To protect them meant to become into a being capable of violence equal or greater than those that wanted to hurt them. He had to show his scorpion nature to Irene and shatter any hope he might have of being able to be around her. He knew he passed a point of no return and whatever they had was no more.
Hence Proved – A Real Human Being and a Real Hero in Drive 2011 Movie
In the end, the Driver lost everything he had, gained nothing, and sacrificed himself for the wellbeing of someone he barely knew.
At least that’s what it might look like from the outside. But the impression that the scene of him after being stabbed and having stabbed the scorpion menacing Irene’s life shouldn’t be taken as lightly as just a sad ending. No, it is much more than that, because right at this moment we again heard the song “A Real Hero”, and an expression of realization is portrayed. He removed almost every treat to the happiness he knew and just remained one last treat: Himself. By driving away from Irene’s life he finally became a real hero that proved to be a real human being capable of feeling joy, fear of losing someone he loved, and the courage to do the right thing even in the worse circumstances.
As we can see, these metaphors serve as sources of meaning for every action we see during the whole movie. The scorpion and the frog metaphor give the basis behind all the violence and conflictive elements present in the development of the driver. Meanwhile, an element as subtle as a song is so masterly combined with the image and the plot that’s more than enough to transmit not only a message but also a feeling of what it means to be a real human being and a real hero.
Without any doubt, this movie is one of those wonders that no matter how many times you watch it, you will always be amazed.
