The Wages of Fear (1953)

The tension is unbearable in this nail-biting adventure of trucks carrying nitroglycerin over rough terrain; it is also a cynical study of human nature and a suspenseful condemnation of capitalism.

The critic lauds the film’s taut tension, pure-cinema set pieces, and existential nihilism, noting its focus on fragile group dynamics and anti-capitalist satire. He singles out the psychological depth in character breakdowns and the bleak ending as particularly powerful.

This is a high-concept masterpiece and peerless European thriller built on a simple propulsive premise of trucks carrying nitroglycerine. The character work is rich and Clouzot’s directorial touches are ingenious; it is unmissable.

The critic describes it as a superbly structured thriller that shows Clouzot as a master of audience manipulation like Hitchcock with a strong political conscience. They single out the famous hazardous truck journey across treacherous terrain and the character-driven opening for praise.

Smith calls Clouzot's accomplishment remarkable, turning a simple bumpy truck ride into an existential adventure with mundane obstacles that test ingenuity and courage. He praises the film's division into character development and thrilling action, expert editing, and revelatory cinematography.

Ebert praises the restored complete version's extended suspense sequences as among cinema's greatest, focusing on the perilous nitro truck journey over hazardous roads and the characters' desperation. He highlights Clouzot's technical mastery in key sequences and the film's ironic, non-Hollywood ending that underscores human frailty.

The critic praises the film as a riveting anti-action classic that derives terror from ordinary men transporting unstable nitroglycerin. He highlights Clouzot’s masterful use of suspense through character awareness of danger and detailed performances of fear and tension.

The film is every bit the equal of Les Diaboliques and has not aged since its Cannes win. It is the original white-knuckle ride and a very adult, sour study of humanity pushed to extremes, with a brilliantly edited journey through hell on earth.

The critic calls the film an audacious masterpiece with a perfectly constructed setup that is taught in film schools. They highlight the bleak, cynical world of desperate characters and the thrilling final 90 minutes of the nitroglycerine truck journey as standout elements.

Canby lauds the full version of the 1953 classic for its intoxicating suspense and gut-level thrills that mix pain and pleasure masterfully. He notes it is more than a roller-coaster ride, exploring courage, perseverance, existential themes, and 1950s attitudes toward America and authority.

Clouzot's film confirms itself as one of the finest of its era and genre in a superb BFI remaster. It is principally a study in masculinity and the relationships men have when they have nothing else, with unbearable tension.

Clouzot outdoes Hitchcock with expert suspense in this tale of desperate men transporting nitroglycerine; the film combines calibrated action with earthy, nihilistic performances that make it ground zero for appreciating his work.

McCarten finds the film highly effective at scaring viewers once the trucks start their journey, building intolerable emotional steam through painstakingly worked suspense devices. He praises the strong acting, especially Yves Montand and Charles Vanel's performances, while noting some early raggedness from cuts.

The review describes a harrowing odyssey of four derelicts driving nitro-laden trucks, placing it in the strong meat category with a downbeat fear theme. It commends Clouzot's rhythm and pacing, his capture of the tropic town's atmosphere and men's crisis attitudes, and solid performances by Montand and Vanel.

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s unbearably tense thriller is a brutal but entirely appropriate response to the death and destruction of the 20th century. The stress and fear drive the bulk of the film, which includes probably the longest, most sustained escalation of tension in cinematic history.