BY TODD GARBARINI
In
Jonathan Mostow’s Breakdown (1997), Jeffrey and Amy Taylor (Kurt Russell
and Kathleen Quinlan) seem like a normal and nice middle-aged couple moving
from New England to San Diego to hopefully start a new life from a past we are
not privy to, though it’s one fraught with financial issues. On the way, Jeffrey
nearly sideswipes a dirty brown Ford F150 while reaching for his thermos and
suffers invective from the driver (M.C. Gainey). A minor confrontation ensues
later when both men refuel at the same gas station. Words are exchanged. Upon
leaving, the Taylor’s new Grand Cherokee soon malfunctions, and they are
temporarily stranded as the F150 blows past them. Fortunately, an 18-wheeler soon
stops to help. The truck’s driver, Red Barr (the fine character actor J.T.
Walsh in his penultimate screen performance), gives Amy a ride to Belle’s
Diner to
call for help – except that she never makes it.
If
you recall Steven Spielberg’s 1971 television film Duel, Dennis Weaver
portrayed David Mann, an Everyman traveling to a sales account when his life
suddenly changes after passing a huge oil truck. Incensed by this perceived
breach of road etiquette, the truck driver chases and taunts Mann throughout
the rest of the film. Duel is arguably the granddaddy of road rage
movies, making riveting cinema out of a cat-and-mouse game that holds the
audience’s attention the entire time. Likewise, Breakdown holds the
equivalent mantle as it pertains to missing persons thrillers. As a horror film
fan of forty years, there is little that I have seen that gets under my skin,
George Sluizer’s icy 1988 Dutch/French character study Spoorloos, known
in the States as The Vanishing, being a notable exception. Mr.
Russell and Mr. Walsh have shared the screen multiples times together,
specifically in Robert Towne’s Tequila Sunrise (1989), Ron Howard’s Backdraft
(1991), and Stuart Baird’s Executive Decision (1994). Here they pair up
again in a frightening game that begins when, following unsuccessful attempts to glean info from the
patrons and owner of Belle’s Diner (a terrific turn by character actor Jack
McGee), Jeffrey catches sight of Red’s truck and pulls him over to the side of
the road. Jeffrey’s interrogation of Red regarding his wife’s whereabouts is
met by a perplexing display of gaslighting when Red claims he doesn’t even know
what Jeff is talking about. For a moment, we feel that perhaps this is even
Red’s twin and that there has been a complete mix-up. Following a search
of Red’s vehicle aided by a passing sheriff (Rex Linn), Jeffrey is, like Cary
Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) as described by
Cliff Robertson in the 1973 documentary on Mr. Hitchcock, “a man alone –
innocent, defenseless…†He realizes that it’s up to him to find Amy – and he
has no idea who to trust or even where to begin. What follows is the most intense
nail-biting thriller I’ve ever seen. I don’t want to oversell the film, but I
will anyway. Jeffrey moves mountains to locate his wife and when he does, the
tension and anxiety could not be more powerful. One thing I noticed: Red has
white wings in his hair like the Paulie Walnuts character on The Sopranos.
The
ending of Breakdown has been shrugged off by some critics as being unworthy
of what comes before, and even “ludicrousâ€. I must respectfully disagree. By
the end of the film, what we are looking for is a massive payoff, and I believe
that we get it in spades. The “ludicrous†ending is, instead, tension-filled
and satisfying. Detractors never seem to offer an alternative. I am personally
thankful to Dino DeLaurentiis for making a go of it and letting Jonathan Mostow
direct this film. Everyone has to start somewhere, and this directorial debut
is remarkable.
In
the days of VHS and laserdisc prior to large-screen televisions, Breakdown
is a film that I owned on the latter format in a letterboxed edition. In 1998,
the film suffered the indignity of a rather lackluster transfer on DVD when it
was window-boxed and lacked 16 x 9 anamorphic enhancement, rendering the DVD
nearly unwatchable. The new Blu-ray from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment
is part of “Paramount Presents†which is described as a line of Blu-ray
releases for collectors and fans showcasing movies that have generally not made
it to Blu-ray before. Breakdown is number 26 in the list of
titles of
films showcased on Blu-ray in these new special editions. The new transfer is a
revelation.
In
addition to the new transfer, the Blu-ray contains the following extras:
A
feature-length audio commentary with the director and Kurt Russell. If you have
ever heard any of the previous commentaries that Mr. Russell has been involved
with, specifically with director John Carpenter on Escape from New York
(1981) and The Thing (1982), you know that he is one of the most
entertaining people to listen to. He also has a phenomenal laugh and chuckles
through most of the film, even making fun of Jeffrey! Hilarious. They speak
about Dino DeLaurentiis; having gotten cinematographer Doug Milsom who worked on
four films with Stanley Kubrick; Mr. Russell imitating Dennis Weaver in Duel
(“You can’t catch me on the grade!â€); the director discussing how he wrote a
role for Morgan Freeman as a character whose wife was kidnapped and teams up
with Jeffrey, the idea later wisely written out of the script; Roger Ebert
criticized the bank scene, but the commentary states that they were rushed to
get it done on the location but I think it works just fine. Overall, a truly
fun and entertaining listen and easily the best extra.
Newly
commissioned alternative artwork.
The
musical score is isolated on one of the audio tracks, a great feature that I
wish more companies would provide.
Filmmaker
Focus - Jonathan Mostow
(10:45) – This piece is a spotlight on the director that highlights much of
what was said during the commentary.
Victory
is Hers: Kathleen Quinlan on Breakdown
(4:22) – I was so happy to see Kathleen Quinlan included in this edition and
she discusses some of her experiences making the film.
A
Brilliant Partnership: Martha De Laurentiis on Breakdown (8:18) – This is a piece dedicated to
one of the producers of the film. Mrs. De Laurentiis worked with her late
husband, Dino, on the film and this is a look at their partnership.
Alternate
Opening with optional Jonathan Mostow commentary (11:00) – Along with the film’s commentary,
this is a very cool piece to see, as its inclusion changes the whole mood of
the film. The credits run slowly over the opening and the sequence establishes
Jeffrey as all-thumbs – lightyears removed from the Snake Plissken Mr. Russell
played fifteen years earlier. It was the correct decision to remove this
footage, though I feel badly for the other actors in the scene to have been
excised from such a terrific film!
Rounding
out the extras are trailers for Breakdown, Kiss the Girls, and Hard
Rain.
There
are two Blu-rays of this film available, one from the Australian company Via
Vision’s Imprint line and the Paramount Presents disc. Both Blu-rays are worth
owning for die-hard fans of the film as they each contain completely different
extras, but if you have to choose just one, I recommend the Paramount disc as
it contains the director/actor commentary and the excised alternate opening.
Click here to order from Amazon
Click
here to order the Via Vision Imprint disc
from Amazon.com