When I first heard they were playing Death Race at the cinematheque, I was excited. Growing up, I always watched Death Race starring Jason Statham; however, I completely forgot that the cinematheque only shows movies from 1975. That’s when I realized we would be viewing a completely different movie, but I still remained hopeful about seeing similarities between the one released in 2008 and the one from 1975.
When the movie first started, I was initially attracted to the general aesthetic and underlying theme. The play on a somewhat futuristic society focused on the horrific mutilation of civilians for the satisfaction of corporate giants and the wealthy is a theme that can be seen throughout various films in recent years. Its placement in the year 2000 shows the rather exaggerated expectations of what the future holds for society and the harsh displacement of current generations.
The film uses the plot of race-car drivers equipped with weaponized vehicles rushing from the East Coast all the way to the West, gaining points from killing seemingly innocent individuals they encounter on the road. The car that crosses the finish line with the most points ultimately wins. In comparison to the 2008 depiction, the main character, named Frankenstein, is incarcerated on a murder charge and is facing life in prison. However, he is given a chance at freedom if he races against other criminals through a deadly track, also with weaponized vehicles, and whoever survives to the finish is set free. While all of this is playing out, the building of their cars, the prisoners’ contemplation, there remains the spectatorship of the wealthy, who gain a sense of fulfillment from such horrible destruction.
The two storylines offer an entertaining experience of gore and thrill but still maintain the narrative of the wealthy’s disconnection from society and their over reliance on spectating dehumanizing events to gain satisfaction. This narrative can be seen through movies and TV shows like Squid Game, Get Out, Blink Twice, etc.
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