“Mos-Isley Spaceport” in Star Wars is a good example. Do these places REALLY exist? The only “lawless border town” I’ve ever been to was Tijuana, Mexico and all I grasped was that you could buy liquor and silver for cheap (I was probably 10).

In “Wages of Fear” we spend our first 45 minutes in a town just as I described and we meet the members of our story. These are all men (and one very hot woman) who are stuck in this border town (I don’t even remember if it has a name or even if it’s on a border). There’s one legal business in the town and that’s the Southland Oil Company and if you don’t work for them…you don’t work for no-body. So, yes, everyone is stuck. Young/old, fat/skinny, American or French or Italian or Latino they’re all here hanging out at a local watering hole flirting with the barmaid or razzing the bitter bartender.

But wait! 300 miles inland there’s been an accident. People have been killed, fire is burning out of control and the SOC needs a team of four guys who can drive a couple hundred gallons of nitro-glycerin (yes, you heard right) to the location to help them (I presume) put out the fire.

Well, of course, a number of the slackers leap at the chance to drive and after a few rough patches – four are chosen. Luigi (the fat comical character), Jo (the old guy – who wasn’t chosen but, uh, found a way to join), Mario (I think that’s his name: Our Hero), and some other guy. And BOOM! They’re on the road.

QUICK NOTE ON JO: He’s the only character who actually FLIES into this location and bribes the customs (?) agent with an out-of-date visa or something. He also has some history with the local SOC manager – so that adds to the backstory.

First, though, our beautiful bar-maid throws herself at our hero begging him not to go and another guy who didn’t get chosen hangs himself. That’s where the morale is in this town. Don’t get the suicide mission? Well, then, commit suicide. All for $2,000 – which in this town buys you a house or freedom or a future or something.

Then we’re on the road. The story turns into a suspenseful road picture at this point as the four, in two separate trucks, makes their delicate way down the road to the encampment.

We learn pretty quickly that “old-guy” Jo doesn’t have the balls to be doing this trip. But he’s stuck with Mario who won’t let him quit – even though he begins to whine to the point where you want to smack him (which Mario does).

“Fat-guy” Luigi and other guy whose name I can’t remember seem to get along fine – so we don’t spend much time with them.

As the story progresses, they both have truck trouble, they both have issues with roads and bridges and other such obstacles and then a rock is in the way and they decide to blow the M-F’er up with some nitro and then on the road again.

These moments are hilarious, suspenseful, frustrating and fun. When, finally, out of the blue, Luigi and the other guy “blown up real good” and then it’s just Jo and Mario.

When they come across where the other truck was, they realize how close they are. The explosion blew up an oil pipeline and the hole in the ground is filling with oil. They need to get through it NOW and they’ve got to keep the truck moving. Jo decides to guide Mario and it’s a slow slog and then Jo gets stuck and Mario ends up running over his leg – crushing it.

BUT THEY’RE ALMOST THERE!

Suffering under the pain, Jo whines some more as Mario dutifully keeps driving. In a heart-breaking moment Jo dies just as they arrive at their destination and Mario breaks down. The journey has been a success. He can smell the 2 G’s but his friend, his old whiny friend Jo, has passed in his arms.

Cut to morning. (we don’t see them take the nitro off the truck, we don’t see them stop the fire, we skip all that falderal) Mario is a new man after a good night’s sleep and a check for $4,000 (I think he gets Jo’s pay).

On the way back to the small town Mario is so happy he dances with the truck (while his girlfriend/hooker/barmaid is dancing with the denizens of “Cheers”) and drives off the side of a cliff and dies (while girlfriend/hooker/barmaid mysteriously passes out or dies or something).

WHAT EXPLODED:

I love these “lawless border towns” – they’re so cool! I want to visit! I want to hang out! I want to drink straight shots of whiskey, whine about the new regime in power, and flirt with sexy non-bra-wearing barmaids.

The actors were all very good.

The photography (except for the “straight-on driving shots with the dorky screen in the back”) was excellent and really gave you the feeling that this was, indeed, a long dangerous journey.

I enjoyed the fact that there was a mix of languages as you would find in a location such as this. English, French, Italian – it all flowed and gave the story a stronger feeling of place.

The film had very good moments of suspense that did keep you on the edge of your seat.

Though the ending is depressing, it totally fits the story.

WHAT FIZZLED OUT:

As good as the actors were – we were basically left with clichés: The strong hero, the old guy, the fat happy one, the mysterious one.

The begging by the barmaid to Mario got real old real fast. He didn’t seem to have a lot going for him, though he’s good looking, that she would be as upset as she was that he was leaving.

The film is 156 minutes long and the opening first act which runs 45 minutes or so, could easily have been shortened down (Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide warns of shorter versions out there – so some people probably feel the same way as me).

Also note: I saw the American remake “Sorcerer” starring Roy Scheider – which I also thought was good – but I don’t remember a lot of it.

IS IT DYNAMITE?

This was a fun film. A good popcorn movie. Never boring. An enjoyable 300 mile drive.