Hell Drivers Reviews

Honestly, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this flick and I above all wanted to watch it because Sean Connery had a small part in it. As a matter of fact, there was actually a rather amazing cast composed of many Britisch upcoming actors (Patrick McGoohan, William Hartnell, David McCallum, Sidney James and of course Sean Connery). Maybe most of them doesn’t sound really familiar but they eventually all became well known in the 1960s for their roles in film and television. The movie itself was not bad with some nice and suspenseful scenes and there was a decent gritty mood. Still, to be honest, the whole thing was far from being really remarkable and, eventually, I was rather underwhelmed by the whole plot. I mean, if you want to see a really amazing vintage classic dealing with truck drivers, you should watch instead ‘Le Salaire de La Peur’. Still, I thought it was pretty neat to see a very young Sean Connery (it was only his 3rd movie) and 5 years later, he would eventually breakthrough playing his most iconic part in ‘Dr. No’. To conclude, it is a rather obscure flick but I still think it is definitely worth a look, if only for its interesting cast.

Magnificent. First off, we have the top British cast of Stanley Baker, Sean Connery, Sid James, Gordon Jackson and David McCallum, (all who happen to be some of my favourite actors), as well as support from such legends as Peggy Cummings, William Hartnell, Herbot Lom, Jill Ireland and Wilfrid Lawson. But none compare to Patrick McGoohan (an upcoming favourite of mine) and his brilliant portrayl of the Irishman, 'Red', who is the driver to beat in a reckless race to see which of the haulage drivers can get the most runs in a day. Accepting the challenge of trying to beat Red, is the ex-con, Stanley Baker, who gives a very heroic and identifiable performance. It's an exciting, tense and brutal film, topped off with emotional scenes, such as the one's with Baker's brother, McCallum, whom Baker feels resposible for an accident involving an armed robbery. The black and white photography is atmospheric, with a great use of British icons, the post box and such.
It's a film which epitomises my love for British filmaking.
Sheer brilliance.

5/5