Death Race 2000 and B-Movies.

Director: Paul Bartel

Writers: Robert Thom and Charles B. Griffith

Based on a story by Ib Melchior.

"Winning is the only standard of excellence left"




So cheesy that the cars are actually filmed uncranked to make them look like they're going faster, bordering on soft-core porn, black leather suits and campy custom cards, this is 70s drive in cinema at it's best. David Carradine's first movie role after Kung Fu, and one of Sylvester Stallone's first roles ever. Death race takes place in an authoritarian American future ruled by an ominous "President" who's palace is in a secret location outside of the United States (actually Japan). The annual trans-continental race is the highlight of this new society. Racers must not only try to get to New La first, but have to rake up points along the way first. So, the winner of the race is the car that makes it to the finish line with the most points. How do you get points you ask? Well, by killing people with your car of course! 40 points for adults, 70 points of babies, and 100 points for the elderly. Now it gets interesting. Frankenstein is the champ, and he is getting a new navigator whom he's never met before. Turns out she's part of the anti-race rebels hoping to overthrow the president. What's funny about the plot is the original script was actually quite serious and bitter. The dark parts where later adapted to be part of a dark comedy, which is in my opinion a much better fit. And damn, is it ever funny. America is portrayed as narcissistic, violent, sociopathic cesspool of advertisement, sex and paranoia. The film actually is pretty radical save the campy style. As long as you keep your expectations low, and remember that you are watching a B-Movie, I think that most people will actually enjoy this film.

Fact is, there is nothing really extraordinary about the film that makes it really awesome. The only really cool thing is it's wacky story and even funnier sets and costumes. Carradine's role was offered to Peter Fonda, and he reportedly said that the film was too ridiculous for words. That alone makes the film ten times better in my books. The major themes explored here are violence in American Society, and the role of the media in it. The last scene really pushes this point. SPOILER. Carradine, after killing the President, somehow then becomes the president. When asked about what he is going to do as president, he informs America that the death race is to be abolished. The reporter then retorts "But Mr. President, isn't your popularity as a racer based entirely on violence?" the President then avoids the question, and runs over the reporter with his really fast car. I think this touches on an interesting dualism in American culture: the idea of a peaceful society and a fanatical obsession with violence. America was founded on violence, and it's most violent men then became presidents. It then proceeded to attack both it's neighboring countries, colonized several nations and began a war against it's own people. The hypocrisy of the US when it denounces the violence of any other nation is monumental, and this irony is hinted at in the film.

This just goes to show that one should never write off B movies. Yes, it's totally ridiculous, and yes it does a lot of gratuitous nudity clearly included just to arose an audience comprised manly of adolescent males. But there is some interesting themes in this film, beneath all of it's absurdity. Remember, Star Wars was a B movie when it was being made, yet it grew to be one of the most famous franchises in cinematic history. B movies are often just films with a sub-par budget, it doesn't necessarily mean that the actual content of the film is lackluster. As for the campy ascetic, hey what can I say? It was the 70s, it was cool back then.