Writer/director Walter Hill's 1978 classic
The Driver stars Ryan O'Neal as a taciturn getaway
driver who becomes involved with a mysterious French gambler (Isabelle Adjani) while evading the detective (Bruce Dern) determined to bring him
to justice.
"It is a tale of confrontation between two men of iron will," Hill says of
his film. "The characters play as three classical elements: the sympathetic
criminal, the obsessed representative of the law, and the phantom lady
that appears and also acts as a chorus to the piece. Each is the best at
what they do; each is committed to a life-style that thrives on
competition. It is a study of games and games-players."
The 35mm Original Color Negative of The Driver was scanned
at 4K resolution at Colorworks, who completed the 4K restoration including
theatrical grade under Hill’s supervision. Studiocanal worked on the UHD
mastering, partnering with Roundabout LA to produce a brand new UHD HDR
and SDR master.
The 4K restoration will play in select UK cinemas from November 11th,
followed by a release on blu-ray, DVD, UHD, Steelbook and Digital on
December 5th.
Bonus features include an exclusive masterclass with Hill recorded at Reims Festival 2022; a new
interview with Hill; an alternate opening sequence; trailer and
teasers.
Check out Studiocanal's new trailer and poster below.
The official synopsis reads:
The film stars Ryan O’Neal (Love Story), Bruce Dern (Nebraska) and Isabelle Adjani (Possession). O’Neal plays a getaway driver whose exceptional talent has prevented him being caught, Dern plays the relentless detective who sets out to trap him and Adjani plays the mysterious gambler who goes along for the thrill of the game.
The neo-noir action thriller takes place in the dark streets of a deserted downtown LA and features a number of breath-taking car chase sequences, celebrated as some of the greatest in movie history, including The Driver hot-wiring a Ford to make good an escape from a casino heist, before being pursued by a succession of police cars; a thrilling set piece where The Driver demonstrates his abilities during the infamous destruction of a Mercedes in an underground car park; and the end chase which is an exhilarating, superbly shot sequence from the freeway to an abandoned warehouse for a tense final showdown.
