 What defines us are past actions, our future intentions, or something that we have no control over? These are the questions that define Drive, Nicholas Winding Reven's 2011 genre-bending crime thriller, a film that although may have action scenes simply uses these to explore the morality of our protagonist, the unnamed driver. Likewise in this video, I want to explore his character's journey. Follow it from the start through the finish to see how it both conforms to and rejects a traditional hero's journey. And then take a step back and look at what these changes can tell us about the driver. The story in many ways follows the archetypal monomyth, which Joseph Campbell lays out in his masterpiece, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The journey begins in an ordinary world following a call to adventure. From there, the hero journeys into the unknown, facing conflict and eventually, coming out on the other side, back in the ordinary world, having been changed with a better appreciation of the world and a better understanding of self. With that as a jumping-off point, let's take a look at Drive. When we first meet the driver, he is a blank slate, emotionless and characterless. He is good at driving and seemingly nothing else. A large part of why he remains unnamed throughout the movie is that, at least right now, he doesn't have a purpose in life. It's as though he is less than human. I don't think that it's a coincidence that one of his careers is pretending to be someone else. He has no real ambition. Everything he does is in service to Shannon, someone who admits that he is taking advantage of him. And I have been exploiting him ever since. He has no problem becoming involved with the mob, even when that means risking his own life, because his own life means very little to him. His ordinary world is one of violence and crime. However, it's something that he looks down upon, but has no problem being a part of. It's a paradox and its paradox is like this that make us question our protagonist's heroics. He is someone who does do bad, but I don't think it's fair to call him a bad person. Let's take a look at the opening scene. Refinan cinematographer Newton Thomas Segal do a lot to separate the driver from the other criminals in the back seat. The most obvious example of this is how we never see them in the same frame. He may be doing the same thing as them, but he isn't like them. His call to adventure is his meeting of Irene and Venicio and seeing how helpless they are. A great visual metaphor is that their car is broken down. They're in need of something that he can provide them with. On that note, one of my favorite shots of the movie is when he walks over to give Irene help after her car broke down. The embodiment of him entering their life. Although this isn't explicitly stated, it is clear that Irene and Venicio aren't in a very strong position. Financially, they are clearly struggling. Venicio is being raised without a father figure and their futures don't hold much promise. Despite that, the driver sees the good in them. Just like he is, their lives seem to be stalled, not going anywhere. However, unlike the driver, the two are still happy. They're making do with what little they have because of a love they have for one another. After spending time with them and seeing the good in them, he builds up a similar love for Irene and Venicio. A love he quickly realizes can never become a reality once he finds out that Irene is married to standard and that he will soon re-enter their lives. From the start of the relationship, the driver knows that he can never have a dreamlike life with them. Despite that, he still does everything in his power to help and support them. Everything from driving them around to looking after Venicio to agreeing to help standard with the pawn shop hold up. It's at this stage in the hero's journey where most character development occurs, where characters leave their old beliefs behind and start living a new life. That never happens in Drive. The driver we meet at the end of the movie inherently believes the same things as the one we met at the beginning of the film. His actions never change. Instead, his moral compass changes. During this scene while watching TV with Venicio, the two discuss morality. The driver is, in essence, saying that just because someone does bad things, it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person. According to the film, what determines the idea of good and bad has more to do with why than with what. And for the rest of the movie, we watch the driver do bad things for a noble cause. In the beginning, when he drove criminals around, it was for a personal gain. At the end, when assisting in the robbery, it is to help others. When he begins to go after the mob, his deeds are objectively evil. Yet, these actions are entirely for the benefit of Irene and Venicio. He's trying to save two innocent lives. A perfect example of this dichotomy between good and evil is the elevator scene. After passionately kissing Irene, the driver is forced to bring out his violent side, killing the assassin in the most brutal way possible. After he shows Irene his true self, his violent self, he thinks that she wants nothing to do with him anymore. He ties up the loose ends, kills Bernie, the lost person who knows about Irene and Venicio, and then drives off into the sunset. But he was wrong. Irene still cared for him. She saw his violent self, but also saw his passionate loving human self. She chose to see the good in him and overlook the bad, which is why she chooses to return to his apartment to see if she can become a part of his life. Drive ultimately boils down to a study of morality. A look into what is right and what is wrong, and the consequences of doing both. I don't think that it would be a stretch to say that the film's title refers to his drive to do what is right in the face of adversity. Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed. Drive was far and away the most requested movie for me to cover, and I'm glad I could finally discuss it here. Hopefully this video is just the start of the discussion, so be sure to drop a comment and get your thoughts out there. If you want more, be sure to hit that subscribe button and to check out my last video on American Psycho. Thanks for watching, and I will see you next week. Really excited to bring you guys that one.