Favorite Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino- Death Proof

Death Proof (2007)

Starring: Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino


Plot Summary: At a local bar in Austin, Texas, an aging Hollywood stuntman named Stuntman Mike catches the attention of a group of girls named Julia, Shanna, and Arlene. After parting ways with the girls, Mike offers a ride to a girl named Pam. He shows her his car, a stunt car rigged with a roll cage over the metal passenger's seat. Mike's attitude changes immediately, as he abducts Pam and begins to drive dangerously, telling her that the car is 100% death proof, but in order to get that benefit, you need to be sitting in the driver's seat. After creating a full on collision with the other girls' car, Stuntman Mike walks away with no life-threatening injuries. 14 months later, Mike resurfaces in Lebanon, Tennessee, looking for another group of girls to terrorize. He picks a group of women that are from a movie shoot and have been given a few days off. But Mike is not prepared for what happens next, because after giving these women the fright of their lives, they decide they aren't going to take that abuse so lightly and fight back against Mike and his car.

In 2007, Quentin Tarantino and his buddy Robert Rodriguez partnered together to bring Grindhouse, a double feature horror film that paid tribute to the grindhouse type theaters that would show B movies. Tarantino's contribution to the film was Death Proof, a film that pays homage to muscle cars of the '70s and exploitation films. With Kurt Russell starring in the lead role and going against an onslaught of strong and powerful women, it's easy to imagine the film would be a success. However, this is usually the Tarantino film people talk about the least, and even consider to be his least favorable film. Personally, I believe choosing the worst Tarantino movie is like picking which child you love the least, most wouldn't even make that decision and if they do, they'd probably be hurting inside afterwards. Anyways, let's see if Death Proof is worth the shunning it has received over the years.

Kurt Russell plays the lead character, Stuntman Mike. Russell gives Mike a lot of charisma and intrigue that as a viewer, you just want to know more about him. Why does he like doing what he does to these women? What films has he been in? What is it about his charm that just sorta works? The worst part of it is that even when he's doing these terrible things, he's still charming about it. There's a period of time when Mike is out of film, and it honestly drags a tad. Not by much, but just a hair to where you're left wondering where Mike is. And when he shows up, you know some bad things are gonna happen. I just love when a character can put that feeling in the viewer.

There are a lot of standout female characters in this film so let's just go through them rapidfire. And for time's sake, I'll just go ahead and say that any I mention have plenty of attitude. Anyways, the first one to talk about is Pam, played by Rose McGowan, who is the only girl Mike messes with in the film who isn't part of a group. She actually hates the first group of girls because of a childhood feud she had with Jungle Julia, played by Sydney Poitier (no...not him. It's his daughter, actually). Julia is a feisty talker (would have to be if you're a radio DJ) who knows exactly how to get what she wants. Her friend Arlene, played by Vanessa Ferlito, has a memorable scene involving a lap dance with Mike. Really, that's about it for her, but it certainly catches the attention of the viewer.

The second group of girls is definitely highlighted by the show-stealing performance by Zoe Bell as herself. This amazing stuntwoman from New Zealand just has so many quirks about her that works and adds plenty of humor to go along with her moments of absolute toughness. Abernathy, played by Rosario Dawson, is a character that really stands out in her ability to talk and come up with a plan. Abernathy uses her smarts and wits in order to get her friends a test drive with a 1970 Dodge Challenger, with using one of their friends for collateral. Very impressive. Rounding out the fun characters is Kim, played by Tracie Thoms, whom I can only describe as a female version of Samuel L. Jackson. No further explanation needed.

With a Chevrolet Nova, a Ford Mustang, a Dodge Challenger, and a Dodge Charger on display, it's inevitable that the film will have tons of memorable scenes involving the cars. The cars are just great to look at, for starters, but when they are put into action, they always elicit a response. The scenes with the car can range from exhilarating to horrific. There's one scene in particular that stands out the most, when Mike interrupts Kim, Abernathy, and Zoe playing a game of Ship's Mast. It transitions form horror, to action, to even a little comedy all by the time the scene is over. It's an absolutely breathtaking scene, and one of the best sequences Tarantino has ever put on film.

One thing I absolutely loved about Death Proof was the way the film was shot. Thanks to its grainy film texture, moments of black and white, and the occasional skipping to represent a film reel, the film has a very classic tone to it. It feels like a film that is not stuck in its time, but rather timeless instead. In fact, I could've sworn the film could have taken place in the '70s if Jungle Julia hadn't whipped out a cell phone to send someone a text. Even if it's set in modern times, it definitely knows how to pay respects to a previous time of fast cars and tough women. That statement seems like a perfect metaphor to summarize Tarantino's style of filmmaking nowadays. The man makes a film that is usually set in modern times (technically that streak ended with Death Proof, but still), but pays enough tribute with cameos and hidden references to show the appreciation to the genres that have influenced and aspired him to become a filmmaker. So, even if you don't enjoy this film, you can at least see that the filmmaker had a vision and purpose for making it, and you have to at least give him some credit for that.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

With a unique look, a tremendous female cast, fast muscle cars, and a fantastic performance from Kurt Russell, Death Proof is a gem of Tarantino's that should not be overlooked. Fans of multiple genres and decades of film should appreciate this one as a weekend rental, and Tarantino fans should definitely consider adding this to their collection.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Death Proof and movie images are copyrighted by Dimension Films