Cannes 2015: 10 Past Palme d'Or Winning Movies You Have To See

8. The Wages Of Fear

It's tempting to assume that most, if not all, films which win awards such as the Palme d'Or are serious, sometimes overly pretentious projects which are intellectually rewarding experiences but not particularly entertaining ones. While there is some truth to that (although it depends on your definition of entertainment - for some, thinking can be fun) there are exceptions. One such exception is Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Wages Of Fear, a film in which narrative scope and thematic subtext is stripped to its essence in favour of ratcheting up the tension. The premise couldn't be simpler: four down on their luck drivers are hired to transport nitrogycerine to an oil well to drop into the well to stop the flames. This is edge-of-your-seat cinema at its finest; lean, exciting and capable of building up suspense to the point where the audience is biting its collective nails. The 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is well deserved.