TimeandTide

So do those of you who think "the Driver" is "autistic" or "retarded", also feel that way about Leon, The Man With No Name, Rambo, or any other anti-social/loner-type character? Because if you didn't like Drive because you didn't care for Gosling's anti-social tendencies, you're also disregarding some great films that also feature anti-heroes.



That also describes Leon: The Professional.

Rival11

I guess it may have been a shitty cop-out type thing I did......so, in short it's more of less me just picturing how he says things like that...I can't stand him sometimes (as much as I like him) and I just picture him saying that in his usual shit-eating grin type way.

But yeah....I'm prob. making too much of it. Oh and I think it's safe to say that drive is better than some of QT's work or if you prefer....just as good.

Still think Albert Brooks shines in this one as well.

SuckaMC

Ha. Of course not. Rambo, Leon, etc, when they did interact with others, acted normal, despite just wanting to be left alone. Rambo's speech to Trautman at the end shows he's just a troubled vet who was pushed too far. Leon interacted with Portman's character fine. And above all, the interactions seemed normal.

The Driver, on the other hand, outside of driving a car and giving his instruction on the getaway, seems pretty socially inept. Towards everyone. It's like he had to think for 3 minutes before responding to anyone.

I like Gosling, so it had to be the Refn's direction.

Tom Creo

Most memorable line in Leon: " This.....is for....Matilda."

Most memorable line in Drive: "Hey.......you want a toothpick?"

DonnachaOne

One can easily cherry-pick lines to serve either side of this argument, which makes this point of debate inherently flawed, but I counter that your examples are empirically incorrect. The most memorable line in Leon is "EVERYONE!", and in Drive, it's "now this, that is one motherfuckin' fine ass pussy mobile, motherfucker!".

Hokeyboy

Tom Creo

Funny, I thought of Drexel Spivey when I heard that line. White boy trying tooooo hard to sound down.

DonnachaOne

Nino IS trying too hard, that's what makes him funny (and, when he sees he's not taken seriously, so anxious). And Drexl Spivey doesn't have to try.

kefrank

I watched Drive last week for the first time and I agree with the sentiment some have expressed that it's a pretty decent movie, but didn't live up to the "best movie of the year" comments that have inundated this forum and others.

Character comparisons to Leon are sorely misplaced. Leon demonstrates deep levels of humanity, his reasons for being withdrawn and reclusive are made clear, the conflicting emotions that drive his behavior throughout the film's story are well-developed, and while his job as a hitman is morally questionable, the "code" that he follows carries a certain level of righteous respectability.

On every one of those levels, the character of Driver is far more ambiguous. I don't mean that as a criticism at all - it's clearly a conscious choice by the filmmakers, but it's one that puts the tone of the respective main characters in Leon: The Professional and Drive many, many miles apart.

ETA: Ultimately, the paths of the two characters go in virtually opposite directions. Leon starts out a withdrawn contract killer and human affections turn him into a redeemed hero. Driver starts out a withdrawn petty criminal and human affections turn him into the violent monster that's been seething under the surface.

BuddhaWake

this is where I was leaning while watching the movie. Either autistic or highly functional retardation.

Dragon Tattoo

Thanks for proving that none of you three geniuses have ever even met someone who was actually mentally challenged or autistic.

Hokeyboy

Tom Creo

Well, I surely wouldn't dress him in a suit and take him to Vegas but there definately is something missing with The Driver.

Tarantino

Finisher

Leon let a crime boss "hold" his money for him. For that alone, he was an idiot.

I viewed The Driver as a loner who didn't care to socialize with people. Very deliberate in speech and action. Travis Bickle-esque.

inri222

From what I quoted earlier about Alain Delon in Le Samourai also applies to "Driver"

A man governed by method, the meticulous execution of his work being the core facet of his character.
A man for whom life is but a series of tasks to be carried out with purposeful efficiency,
his every mechanical movement and blank-eyed stare conveying the fact that an adherence to ritual, to technique, is what defines him.
His is an existential existence in which the rigorously defined rules that guide his behavior simply prevent him from drifting off into a lethal void of purposelessness.

SuckaMC

Maybe autistic isn't right. Lets go with idiot savant. He barely functions socially, but damn is he good at driving that automobile.

RagingBull80

I think this is right on point. The comments about him being autistic seem unwarranted.

Solid Snake

This.

Troy Stiffler

The Driver is an introvert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrave...d_introversion

Introversion is "the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one's own mental life".[5] Some popular writers have characterized introverts as people whose energy tends to expand through reflection and dwindle during interaction.[6] This is similar to Jung's view, although he focused on psychic energy rather than physical energy. Few modern conceptions make this distinction.

The common modern perception is that introverts tend to be more reserved and less outspoken in groups. They often take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, using computers, hiking and fishing. The archetypal artist, writer, sculptor, engineer, composer, and inventor are all highly introverted. An introvert is likely to enjoy time spent alone and find less reward in time spent with large groups of people, though he or she may enjoy interactions with close friends. Trust is usually an issue of significance: a virtue of utmost importance to an introvert choosing a worthy companion. They prefer to concentrate on a single activity at a time and like to observe situations before they participate, especially observed in developing children and adolescents.[7] Introverts are easily overwhelmed by too much stimulation from social gatherings and engagement. They are more analytical before speaking.[8]

Introversion is not seen as being identical to shy or to being a social outcast. Introverts prefer solitary activities over social ones, whereas shy people (who may be extraverts at heart) avoid social encounters out of fear,[9] and the social outcast has little choice in the matter of his or her solitude.

james2025a

No. The most memorable line in Leon for me was "No women, no kids." or "I like these calm little moments before the storm. They remind me of Beethoven."

Drive has a few like "RG:My hands are dirty. AB: So are mine." and the whole talk he gives before taking a job.

riotinmyskull

let's not forget...

Driver: You shut your mouth or I'll kick your teeth down your throat and shut it for you.

not that this type of thing hasn't been said before in films but up until that point we hadn't seen that side of Driver so it had a specific impact

RichC2

He just seems like a quiet loner / social outcast.

anomynous

After reading this thread, I suppose that I must be autistic or retarded.




Cool.

JumpCutz

The Driver comes across as a wildly extroverted party animal.