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Novels Into Film: Adaptations & Interpretations, Volume 2

Drive

by Emily E. Turner

The Novel

Author: James Sallis (b. 1944)

First published: 2005

The Film

Year released: 2011

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn (b. 1970)

Screenplay by: Hossein Amini

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman

Context

Drive is a short novel written by American crime writer James Sallis. Dark, gritty, and existential, it follows the journey of an unnamed man who spends his days as a stunt driver and his nights driving for the criminals of Los Angeles. The first book in the two-part series, it reflects Sallis’s myriad literary influences. Sallis began his career as a short story science fiction writer in the 1960s. He would go on to write the well-received Lew Griffin series about an alcoholic amateur detective as well as the John Turner series about an ex-con who becomes a deputy sheriff. Like these previous series, Drive focuses on a complex antihero whose good intentions are often muddied by his morally questionable behavior. In many ways, the book is reminiscent of the early twentieth century pulp and noir movements in its celebration of lurid crimes, overt violence, double crossing, and revenge. Although stylistically more experimental, tonally Drive can be compared to the works of crime writers like Dennis Lehane, Elmore Leonard, and Richard Price.

Drive received positive reviews upon its publication in 2005. Shortly after, its film rights were optioned by producers Marc Platt and Adam Siegel. When actor Ryan Gosling signed on to play the lead, he was given the power to choose a director and subsequently tapped Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn. At that time, Refn was best known for making dark, violent films like Pusher (1996), Valhalla Rising (2009), and Bronson (2008). Although Drive was Refn’s first American film, it proved to be a thematic continuation of his previous work by focusing on violence, crime, and masculinity. Drive was highly anomalistic for its time. Where most action films of the early 2010s focused on outlandish stunts, Drive focused primarily on its protagonist’s experience. In this way, it is a neo-noir reminiscent of a previous cinematic era and is most comparable to films like Point Blank (1967), The Driver (1978), Thief (1981), and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Furthermore, the car chases in Drive differed from those in the early 2000s. Instead of emulating the style made popular by The Fast and the Furious (2001) film series, its car chase sequences are more comparable to those in Philip D’Antoni’s Bullitt (1968), The French Connection (1971), and The Seven-Ups (1973).

Film Analysis

There are many similarities between the novel Drive and its film adaptation. Both versions are dark, gritty crime stories that follow the journey of an unnamed protagonist known simply as “Driver” as he faces down a gang of criminals to protect the woman he loves. The film stays true to most of Sallis’s original plot. When it begins, Driver (Gosling) is a stuntman by day and a getaway driver by night. Although this means he regularly works with criminals, he does not get involved in their actual crimes—he just drives for them. His life remains simple and lonely until one day he befriends his next-door neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her four-year-old son Benicio (Kaden Leos). Everything changes, however, when Irene’s husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison and must rob a pawn store to pay off the debt he owes the men who protected him while he served time. Determined to keep Irene and Benicio safe, Driver offers his getaway services to Standard who ends up getting killed. Driver is then forced to track down the men behind Standard’s murder, and in turn puts his own life in danger.

While the film reprises the main plot points of Sallis’s novel, it also differs in some significant ways. Screenwriter Hossein Amini condensed, simplified, and reorganized the source material. Where the novel jumps back and forth in time, the film has a linear narrative. Additionally, Amini omits and combines some of the original characters. The film’s Shannon (Bryan Cranston), for example, is an amalgam of characters from the novel, including a stunt driver named Shannon, Driver’s screenwriter friend Manny, and a crooked physician called Doc. In the novel, these three men function as pseudo father figures to Driver. In the film, Shannon fulfills a similar role by giving Driver jobs and generally looking out for his well-being. Another difference between the two iterations of the story is the character of Irene. Originally, she is written as a tough Mexican American woman named Irina who has no interest in reviving her relationship with Standard when he gets out of jail. The film’s Irene is Caucasian, cherubic, and seemingly willing to pick up with Standard where they left off before he was arrested. These changes to the Irene character add another layer of drama to the film as she comes across as more naive and vulnerable. In turn, Driver’s decision to protect her feels more compelling.

Arguably the biggest difference between the film and the novel is how Driver is depicted. In the book, Driver comes across as guarded and reticent to the outside world, but can also be quite affable to the few people he calls friends. Meanwhile, the film’s version of this character barely speaks at all and appears to have no one in his life. There is no real insight into his backstory, and it is unclear both why he is so quiet and where his violent tendencies, which he tries to suppress, come from. This paring down or minimalism helps the film seem more like an existential parable or fable than the short novel. Within the first act of the film, the director Refn reveals that the one thing that motivates Driver is his desire to protect the innocent. Irene and especially Benicio are presented as the embodiment of innocence. So, when their lives are threatened by hitmen, something snaps inside of Driver and he becomes violently protective. In some ways, it appears that Driver’s determination to save Benicio is an attempt to save his own inner child.

Drive may pay tribute to Sallis’s novel, but at the end of the day the film is distinctly Refn’s vision. Highly stylized, it borrows heavily from the 1980s in both its aesthetic as well as its soundtrack. Another unique quality of the film is the gratuitous way that Refn depicts violence. In the scene after the pawn shop robbery goes awry, for example, Driver and Blanche (Christina Hendricks) wait in a motel for further instructions. Two armed men break into their room, shooting Blanche in the head. Refn chooses to show this image in slow motion rather than cut away, illustrating the bodily effects of the bullet in detail. Similarly, in a later scene, Driver begins fighting with a hitman and brutally kicks his head in. The violence here is comparable to that of director David Cronenberg, who is known for his depiction of body horror. While violence is not uncommon in neo-noir films, what makes Drive different is the way that it depicts it in such disturbingly heightened, detailed, and almost cartoonish ways.

Most of the characters in Drive are trying to get to a new, better place in their lives. The ubiquitous presence of cars speaks to this theme. In most scenes, the characters are shown either in cars, next to them, or are speaking about them. What makes the film unique in this regard is the fact that most of these cars are not fancy or exciting, but average everyday vehicles. For example, the first scene begins with Driver getting into a Chevy Impala. Even though it is a common sedan, Driver uses it to escape the police. To ensure that the film’s chase sequences are exciting, Refn shoots them primarily from the interior of the car from low angles. This provides audiences with Driver’s perspective and essentially makes them feel as though they are along for the ride.

Significance

Drive proved to be a commercial success. Filmed on a modest budget of $15 million, it earned $76.9 million at the box office worldwide. In addition to being popular with audiences, Drive also resonated with most critics, earning a positive 92 percent aggregate rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website. Furthermore, it was dubbed the best film of the year by Rolling Stone magazine. Common among most of the critics’ favorable reviews was commendation for Refn and his highly stylized, neo-noir aesthetic. Writing for Time Out, Tom Huddleston states, “Drive never drags: this is an entirely welcome riff on old material, a pulse-pounding electronically enhanced cover version of a beloved standard. Sure, it’s shallow, but it’s also slickly compelling, beautifully crafted and so damn shiny.” Another central point of praise among critics was for the actors’ performances. Many remarked that a large part of the film’s appeal was how Gosling and Mulligan played stereotypical roles in fresh, unconventional ways. A. O. Scott commented on this in his review for The New York Times where he wrote, “The softness of Mr. Gosling’s face and his curiously high-pitched, nasal voice make him an unusually sweet-seeming avenger, even when he is stomping bad guys into a bloody pulp. And Ms. Mulligan’s whispery diction and kewpie-doll features have a similarly disarming effect.”

The few critics who disliked Drive noted its excessive violence and familiar plot. These individuals argued that the film relied too much on style and failed to deliver real substance. Despite their detraction, however, Drive made a quiet but noticeable cultural impact. In the months that followed, pieces of the film’s 1980s male fashion enjoyed a brief revival. Additionally, Drive influenced several films in the years that followed. This was first evident in Nightcrawler (2014), a dark film that also followed a male antihero who trolled the city’s streets at night alone in his car. Nightcrawler differs from Drive in that it is not as stylized. Still, its depiction of Los Angeles as well as the young, disturbed anti-hero at its helm is highly reminiscent of Refn’s film. Another film that was clearly shaped by Drive was Edgar Wright’s film Baby Driver. Like Drive, Baby Driver follows a loner who works as a getaway driver for criminals. In addition to many shared plot points, the films both portray cars and driving in a comparable way. Where they differ greatly, however, is in tone. Drive has a nihilistic worldview, where Baby Driver is more optimistic and comedic.

Further Reading

1 

Barone, Matt. “Interview: Drive Director Nicolas Winding Refn Talks Ryan Gosling’s Clout and Artistic Violence.” Complex Magazine, 14 Sept. 2011, www.complex.com/pop-culture/2011/09/interview-drive-director-nicolas-winding-refn. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.

2 

Gilchrist, Todd. “Nicolas Winding Refn Says Drive Was about the Purity of Love with His Wife; Says Driver Was a Werewolf.” IndieWire, 1 Feb. 2012, www.indiewire.com/2012/02/nicolas-winding-refn-says-drive-was-about-the-purity-of-love-with-his-wife-says-driver-was-a-werewolf-253963/. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.

Bibliography

3 

Heath Jr, Glenn. “Interview: Nicolas Winding Refn Talks Drive, Ryan Gosling, and More.” Slant Magazine, 12 Sept. 2011, www.slantmagazine.com/film/interview-nicolas-winding-refn/. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.

4 

Huddleston, Tom. “Drive.” Time Out, 20 Sept. 2011, www.timeout.com/london/film/drive. Accessed 5 Mar. 2020.

5 

McGillicuddy, Louisa. “An Interview with Nicolas Winding Refn, the Director of Drive.” Vice, 23 Sept. 2011, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/ex77we/nicolas-winding-refn-movie-drive-ryan-gosling-cars. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.

6 

Scott, A. O. “Fasten Your Seat Belts, the Chevy Is Taking Off.” The New York Times, 15 Sept. 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/09/16/movies/drive-with-ryan-gosling-review.html. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.

7 

Outlaw, Kofi. “Drive Ending Explained.” Screen Rant, 16 Sept. 2011, screenrant.com/drive-movie-ending/. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.

Citation Types

MLA 9th
Turner, Emily E. "Drive." Novels Into Film: Adaptations & Interpretations, Volume 2, edited by D. Alan Dean, Salem Press, 2021. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=Novels2_0037.
APA 7th
Turner, E. E. (2021). Drive. In D. A. Dean (Ed.), Novels Into Film: Adaptations & Interpretations, Volume 2. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Turner, Emily E. "Drive." Edited by D. Alan Dean. Novels Into Film: Adaptations & Interpretations, Volume 2. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2021. Accessed April 05, 2026. online.salempress.com.