La Salaire De La Peur (The Wages Of Fear)

Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1953 movie, that proved hugely popular and it seen as one of the totems of a fine career. We weren't completely sold, but would be hesitant to criticis it too much; a total criticism is difficult, considering how different the two halves of the film are (in content, perhaps more than thematically).
The opening uses some nice tracking and camera movements, giving us long shots that really convey a sense of passing time. Space is not (generally) cut up, and this bleeds into the general atmosphere. That is of a kind of dry sweat, a dusty heat, and parching, with white to yellow heavily exposed areas (contrasted with the low-key lighting of the interiors). The finest performance in this is the at once petulant, but with a sharp radiance, of the female lead, Vera Clouzot. One of the problems we had of this film is how she effectively dissappers.
Our problem with the second half is that it all becomes a little standard, a little hoary. Except for a not particularly built up masculinity, it is difficult to find too much of a reason to care. It is too easy to sink in and frankly forget what went before. It seems to turn into just various set pieces, and, oddly considering how incredibly Clouzot built up tension in 'Les Diaboliques', suspense didn't seem to feature too heavily here.
Perhaps something was missed, perhaps we will engage more on examination of greater detail, emphasising and identifying with thw characters more, to be brought into the second half. For now, we were rather underwhelmed.