Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Driver Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 25, 2023

Walter Hill's "The Driver" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with Bruce Dern; exclusive new program with Rudy Ramos; exclusive new program with editor Robert K. Lambert; recent program with Walter Hill; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The Driver (Ryan O'Neal, Love Story) pulls in front of a busy casino. A few minutes later, two masked men jump in his car and they disappear into the night. The cops quickly track down The Driver and begin chasing him. He drives like a maniac but does not utter a single word.

The Detective (Bruce Dern, After Dark, My Sweet) is obsessed with The Driver. He admires his professionalism and wants to be the man that puts The Driver behind bars. It does not matter how as long as he is the one that does it.

After the chase, The Detective attempts to frame The Driver, but The Player (Isabelle Adjani, Queen Margot), who has been hired to be a 'witness' during the casino robbery, can’t identify him. The Detective goes berserk. Eventually, he comes up with a clever plan that should get him his man.

Meanwhile, The Driver is informed by The Connection (Ronee Blakley, TV's Vega$) that some serious men want to hire him. The men are planning a big job and need the best driver in the business. The Driver trusts The Connection and agrees to meet them. The men annoy The Driver, but he agrees to do the job. Then things go terribly wrong.

Walter Hill’s The Driver has the look of an edgy action film and the style of a modern noir picture. It knows exactly where it wants to go and it is confident that it can get there without disappointing. The end result is something very special, a classy macho film that looks even better now than it did in the late '70s.

In his review for The New York Times the late Vincent Canby argued that The Driver is "singularly unexciting and uninvolving", but he simply did not get the film. The Driver is not about avoiding cliches, it is about driving straight through them and unapologetically having fun with them. This, I assure you, the film does exceptionally well.

The cast is first-class. O’Neal's loner is every bit as charismatic as Steve McQueen’s Frank Bullitt. One reason why is that he rarely talks, another is because he looks great in a worn-out suit. Dern’s detective is appropriately aggressive and obnoxious, very much the type of guy a law-breaker would want to kick in the teeth. Adjani is fantastic as the mysterious beauty that is ready to take all sorts of different risks if she is paid well. Blakley, who had impressed in Robert Altman’s Nashville, also does not disappoint as The Driver’s business partner.

Director Hill and cinematographer Philip H. Lathrop (The Cincinnati Kid) shot The Driver on location in Los Angeles, but in the film the city is never identified. The chase sequences are some of the very best shot for a film of this caliber.

The excellent soundtrack was composed by Michael Small (Klute, The Parallax View). The music blends elements of psychedelia and jazz and very effectively enhances the film’s neo-noir qualities.

Note: Imprint Films' Blu-ray release of The Driver presents the film’s uncut version, which is approximately two minutes longer than the U.S. version.

The Driver Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Driver arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

What you get with this release is a 1080p presentation of StudioCanal's recent 4K restoration of The Driver. However, while the 4K Blu-ray is essentially a repackaged copy of StudioCanal's British 4K Blu-ray release, the Blu-ray release is not a repackaged copy of StudioCanal's British Blu-ray release.

Earlier today, I spent quite a bit of time comparing this release and the British release. I think that this release could have benefitted from plenty of specific encoding optimizations because there are quite a few areas where the grain exposure becomes too loose. Because the overwhelming majority of the film is either dark or very dark, most of the fluctuations are rather easy to ignore or miss. However, I suspect that the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to spot some of them. The rest looks fine, as it should, given the strength of the 4K makeover. So, for the best technical presentation of the 4K makeover of The Driver, you will have to view the 4K Blu-ray release. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Driver Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not notice any issues to report in our review. I have a couple of different home video releases of The Driver, including three DVD releases, and I think that the lossless track that was prepared for the new 4K restoration is the all-around healthiest one. However, I also have StudioCanal's original Blu-ray release and think that the lossless track on it is very solid as well.

The Driver Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Cut to the Chase: Bruce Dern on The Driver" - in this exclusive new program, Bruce Dern explains why his parents did not think that the showbusiness was "fair" and insisted that he becomes a lawyer, why his generation was lucky when it entered Hollywood (there were proven legends there, real talent), and why Walter Hill was a "throwback director" immediately after he graduated. Dern also recalls that The Driver was shot in forty nights and he hated the work (the late/early hours) and discusses Ryan O'Neal's iconic transformation. There is a very interesting segment in which Dern highlights an Italian journalist's question about his performance in Nebraska and links it to his performance in The Driver as well. His quote is an instant classic. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• "Teeth Bared: Rudy Ramos on The Driver" - in this exclusive new program, Rudy Ramos discusses his friendship with Ryan O'Neal, the stuntwork that another actor did for him in The Driver, Walter Hill's work ethic, and the initial mixed reception and cult status of The Driver. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• "Simplicity in Motion: Editing The Driver" - in this exclusive new program, editor Robert K. Lambert recalls how and why he entered the film business, how he was approached with an offer to do The Driver, his initial impression of Walter Hill, and how the film "talked" to him and he put it together. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Masterclass with Walter Hill - in this recent program, Walter Hill discusses the early stages of his career and specifically his work as a screenwriter as well as the craft of filmmaking. Mr. Hill also has some very interesting observations about the type of music he favors in his films and its significance in shaping their mood, tone, and drama, as well as the tremendous impact Seven Samurai had on him and his love for westerns. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Interview with Walter Hill - in this recent program, Walter Hill explains how the original idea for The Driver materialized and what it was like to work on the screenplay for it and its eventual production. There are some particularly interesting comments about the generic names the main characters received and how they were used by the critics to declare that The Driver was a deeply flawed film, as well as the casting of Isabelle Adjani. (Tuesday Weld was initially considered for the same part). Mr. Hill even shares a good story about his 'difficult' relationship with Charles Bronson after the completion of Hard Times. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Alternate Opening - in English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Trailer - original trailer for The Driver. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Teasers - thirteen original teasers for The Driver. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Matthew Asprey Gear.

The Driver Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have to give the folks at Imprint Films a lot of credit for producing the exclusive bonus features that are found on their Blu-ray release of The Driver. When StudioCanal revealed the 4K restoration of the film and then the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases of it, I expected to see more bonus features. I always wanted to hear Bruce Dern's thoughts on The Driver. As far as bonus features are concerned, this Blu-ray release is an all-around winner, and I could not be happier to have it in my collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.