It’s hard to imagine movies without dialogue. Otherwise, we’d get quotes like “Why so serious?” and “Go ahead, make my day!” The more the talking, the higher the chances of a wonderful remark popping up. However, a few suspenseful thrillers managed to fascinate with minimal dialogue. How is this possible? Well, with such kinds of films, every other aspect of filmmaking was enhanced, making the scarcity of conversations almost unnoticeable.
Modern audiences might find it strange whenever characters are economical with words, but in the early 1900s, dialogue-free cinema was considered a high art form. So revered were silent films that when “talkies” (movies with sound) were introduced, many European and Asian filmmakers rebelled, fearing that a focus on audible conversations would stain the unique aesthetic virtues of cinema. Perhaps they were right. The following thrillers prove that the less talk can lead to a better movie. Is it time to engage the reverse gear?
10
‘The Driver’ (1978)
Director Walter Hill doesn’t tell us anyone’s name in The Driver. Everyone’s identified by their profession or defining characteristic. Our antihero (Ryan O’Neal) goes by The Driver. He is a getaway driver who lives by strict professional codes. Thanks to his meticulousness, he has never been caught. Soon, The Detective (Bruce Dern) starts hunting him down, and even though the officer’s presence impinges on The Driver’s secret life, he vows not to quit. Where will it all end for him?
As Slippery as Criminals Get
Uncompromising in its bleak depiction of criminal conduct, this searing, mostly wordless thriller shows how the life of chasing criminals can be just as corrosive as a life of committing crimes. Given its tense, gritty nature, The Driver is not a picturesque film, but the story feels entirely credible and packs a substantial wallop. Most importantly, Bruce Dern is brilliant. In a chat with Empire, Hill says he cast Dern over the studio’s first choice actor, Robert Mitchum, because he needed an actor who had enough charm to compensate for the scarcity of words. Mission achieved.
9
‘The American’ (2010)
To the residents of Castel del Monte, Italy, Jack (George Clooney) is a normal American man. Unknown to them, he is an assassin, privately in the grip of a relentless preoccupation with violence. He is here because he is hiding, but you bet he won’t keep up the ruse for long, especially after befriending a local priest and beginning a relationship with an escort. Will he be forced to flee again? The American will surprise you.
Quiet and Visually Stunning
Castel del Monte, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Sulmona, Östersund, Calascio, and Campo Imperatore are some of the most beautiful places in the world and when you shoot a movie there, you’ll want audiences to mostly soak in the environment rather than listen to people talk. That’s the approach Dutch director Anton Corbijn goes for in this nuanced, perceptive film. Clooney is astonishing in the extremely demanding role, and it’s a shame he wasn’t nominated for a slew of awards. Assuming you’re not put off by an amoral version of Clooney, it’d be a shame to miss it.
8
‘A Man Escaped’ (1956)
Loosely based on the autobiography of André Devigny — a French Resistance fighter who was held by the Germans in Montluc prison during World War II — A Man Escaped follows prisoner Fontaine (François Leterrier) as he plots his escape after being captured by Nazis. For most of the film, we watch him as he crafts tools from ordinary objects and masters the prison’s daily routines.
Patience Pays
One of the finest prison films ever made, Robert Bresson’s A Man Escaped (alternatively known as The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth) benefits from an intelligent, lean script that’s by turns heartbreaking, pulse-pounding, and shocking. Crisp monochrome cinematography by Léonce-Henri Burel also boosts the motion picture’s quality greatly. Extra credit goes to the director for coaxing superb performances from the entire cast.
7
‘Under the Skin’ (2013)
To the naïve Scottish gentlemen in Under the Skin, Scarlett Johansson’s unnamed character is the most beautiful woman they’ve ever seen. Unknown to them, she is a predatory extraterrestrial in a human body, who feeds on her suitors by pulling them into a surreal void. As time goes on, she begins developing a conscience. Will she change her ways?
Black Widow Before Black Widow
We love to hear Scarlett Johansson talk, but Under the Skin proves that she is more menacing when silent. Rather than dialogue, the movie makes great use of sound effects and surreal imagery, leaving audiences chilled and intrigued at the same time. In a world where all aliens tend to be given an ugly appearance, it’s great to see one that’s this stunning. Events unfold slowly, but you are unlikely to feel bored. Instead, you’ll grow worried as more and more men fall into the alien’s trap without thinking twice.
6
‘Duel’ (1971)
All seems well in the opening minutes of Duel. A middle-aged electronics salesman, David Mann (Dennis Weaver), is happily driving a Plymouth Valiant through the Mojave Desert on a business trip. Moments later, a rusty Peterbilt 281 tanker truck starts terrorizing him. What’s up with the driver? His motives aren’t clear, and he never stops, resulting in endless, tense road tussles.
An Unseen Villain Who’ll Freak You Out
Sugarland Express comes close, but Duel, which premiered on television as part of the ABC Movie of the Week series, is undoubtedly Steven Spielberg’s simplest movie. But the straightforward plot doesn’t make it less entertaining. Today, it stands tall as a riveting road thriller, dealing with the disturbing, timeless phenomenon of bullying. The main character has less than 20 lines, and the limited dialogue gives the film an edgy, unnerving effect throughout its running time.
5
‘Mute Witness’ (1995)
Mute Witness introduces us to Billy Hughes (Marina Sudina), a mute American special effects makeup artist working on the set of a low-budget horror film in Moscow. One night, she returns to the studio to fetch a piece of equipment only to witness the filming of a snuff movie where the actress ends up getting stabbed to death. Aware of what she has seen, the filmmakers start hunting her down.
Marina Sudina in Peak Form
With minimal dialogue, Marina Sudina’s blank, occasionally lined face gives us an idea of what she feels as the movie addresses the annoying feeling of being at the right place at the wrong time. The villains’ peculiar arrogance and excitement will anger anyone with a conscience, but the bigger concern remains how Billy will get out of this messy situation and ensure the victim gets justice. The great Alec Guinness also has a cameo, and he, interestingly, accepted no payment for his work.
4
‘All Is Lost’ (2013)
All Is Lost stars Robert Redford as a lone sailor who wakes up to find his boat taking in water after it collides with a shipping container. With his radio and navigation equipment no longer working, he tries to be as innovative as possible to ensure he survives. But all that will be difficult, especially when a storm keeps unleashing all its fury.
Soaking in the Harsh Sound of the Seas
Despite having a 105-minute running time, All Is Lost only has 51 spoken English words. Most of these involve the protagonist murmuring and cursing. The film would be nothing without Redford’s incredible performance, as well as the score and sound editing. Each of these departments received nominations at the Oscars and Golden Globes. And kudos to director J. C. Chandor for keeping audiences guessing. So cleverly structured is the movie that it’s almost impossible to bet on whether our sailor will survive or fall into the raging waters.
3
‘Le Samouraï’ (1967)
In Le Samouraï, hitman Jef Costello (Alain Delon) gets spotted by a few people after completing an assignment. Though he manages to evade arrest, the people who hired him betray him, fearing the heat. Angry, he goes after them, while also doing his best to stay away from law enforcement’s radar.
A High Point in French Cinema
The indomitable Alain Delon, one of the greatest French actors to grace the screen, has some great lines in this fleet-footed crime thriller, including the immortal “I never lose…. Never really,” but he is mostly a man of actions, not words. François Périer is also effortlessly charming, playing a cop. But, Nathalie Del scores higher points, surrounded by lust-filled faces and terrific bit characters, swishes through the screen like the flirty-flashy dame she was.
2
‘Drive’ (2011)
Drive stars Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stuntman and mechanic who doggedly perseveres through all of life’s obstacles and moonlights as a getaway driver. He begins to lose grip on his strict code of conduct when he falls for his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and grows fond of her son. When Irene’s cash-strapped husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), teams up with the driver in a heist whose outcome will have huge implications for everyone.
One of Ryan Gosling’s Best Performances
We know how these kinds of tales normally turn out, so, wisely, the Nicolas Winding Refn film focuses on the humanity aspect of it all, acknowledging the crucial nature of fate and timing for those who’ve surrendered themselves to a life of crime. Piece by piece, we see how the long-overdue meeting between husband and lover evolves, and how cracks form, all with little talking. Gosling and Mulligan share solid chemistry (the former hardly ever speaks more than three words at a time), and Oscar Isaac shines as always.
1
‘Point Blank’ (1967)
Point Blank was the first movie to be filmed at Alcatraz, but it’s no prison story. Based on Donald Westlake’s 1963 crime noir pulp book The Hunter, the crime thriller covers the fallout between two crooks shortly after they rob a courier on the grounds of the now-defunct, infamous prison. One shoots the other, leaving him for dead, but he survives. Angry, he goes after his former partner.
A Visual and Thematic Masterpiece
Lee Marvin is ideally cast as the cool, steely thief who gets betrayed, and John Vermon also registers as the betrayer. Angie Dickinson is also wonderful as the protagonist’s sister-in-law. The dialogue is mostly fragmented and cryptic, forcing audiences to think harder and become more invested. Beyond that, the choice to film many scenes monochromatically helps amplify the melancholic mood. Scorsese named it one of his favorite crime thrillers.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
