IMDb RATING
8.1/10
69K
YOUR RATING
In a decrepit South American village, four men are hired to transport an urgent nitroglycerine shipment without the equipment that would make it safe.In a decrepit South American village, four men are hired to transport an urgent nitroglycerine shipment without the equipment that would make it safe.In a decrepit South American village, four men are hired to transport an urgent nitroglycerine shipment without the equipment that would make it safe.
- Won 1 BAFTA Award
- 6 wins & 1 nomination total
Peter van Eyck
- Bimba
- (as Peter Van Eyck)
Véra Clouzot
- Linda
- (as Vera Clouzot)
Darío Moreno
- Pepito Hernandez
- (as Dario Moreno)
Antonio Centa
- Camp Chief
- (as Centa)
Charles Fawcett
- Bradley
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaYves Montand and Charles Vanel both suffered from conjunctivitis after filming in a pool of crude oil and being exposed to gas fumes.
- GoofsWhen Bimba is shaving in the cab of the truck, he has the right side of his face covered in shaving cream, but when he turns to talk to Luigi the right side of his face is clear of shaving cream.
- Alternate versionsThe film was cut for U.S. distribution in 1954, in part due to scenes that denounced crooked U.S. business interests in Latin America. The Criterion Collection laserdisc restored the film to its uncut version with 21 minutes of footage removed from other versions of the film.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Montand à la rencontre de Pagnol (1986)
- SoundtracksThe Blue Danube
Composed by Johann Strauss
Featured review
Clouzot rarely gets the attention he deserves. He made not one, but two of the greatest thrillers of all time, 'Les Diaboliques' and 'The Wages Of Fear', both perfect examples of how to make genuinely suspenseful movies that build up an amazing amount of tension. Most so-called thrillers made in Hollywood these days are thrillers in name only and could learn a lesson or two from these movie classics. 'The Wages Of Fear' could even be described as an action movie, but it is a CHARACTER DRIVEN action movie, and that's what makes it so special. Modern audiences with MTV attention spans might find the plot a little slow, but I think the first half of the movie, which deals with the motley collection of exiles in a poor Latin American town, is not only fascinating in itself, but really makes a massive impact on the second half. By taking his time introducing the characters and exploring their relationships and possible motivations, Clouzet adds depth and meaning to the rest of the exciting story, something very rarely achieved in this type of movie since. The cast, every single one of them, are flawless. The four leads, Mario, the fairly decent guy played by yves Montand, his new best friend the shifty M. Jo (Charles Vanel), his old pal the kind hearted Luigi (Folco Lulli), and the enigmatic Bimba (Peter van Eyck), are all brilliant. Great performances, taut and imaginative direction, crisp and impressive cinematography, and a handful of the most riveting sequences ever committed to film make 'Wages Of Fear' a truly unforgettable experience. Suspense movies don't come much better than this! Simply a masterpiece.
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Plačilo za strah
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $13,161
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,633
- Dec 1, 2024
- Gross worldwide
- $14,259
- Runtime2 hours 36 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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