Why 'Baby Driver' Is A Cinematic Masterpiece
I love ‘Baby Driver’. I’ve probably said it so many times, but every single time I watch this quite modern piece of cinema, I can’t help but think that the film is a cinematic masterpiece. Edgar Wright, the director and screenwriter of the film, is one of the most influential and fantastic directors of our time.
From ‘The Cornetto Trilogy’ to ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’, Wright is one of the most diverse and yet compact directors in British culture, and while all his films seem to be quite varied in scope - they all take inspiration from one another, and the culmination of decades of experience is what formed ‘Baby Driver,’ which is Wright’s best work to date.
Throughout his older filmography, elements of ‘Baby Driver’ appear almost blindsidedly. For example, in ‘Shaun of the Dead’, one of the most notable scenes is Shaun and the gang fighting the dead inside The Winchester pub as “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen is playing in the background.
This scene explicitly was analysed for its use of synchronised choreography in time with the song, and the film arguably re-ignited the nostalgia for Queen entirely. Obviously, this scene spoke wonders for the true intentions that Wright had when directing and writing ‘Shaun of the Dead’ with Simon Pegg - he clearly has a soft spot for music.
‘Baby Driver’ - Directed by Edgar Wright, Cinematography by Bill Pope
Music is arguably of the best things about a piece of cinema, and its choice and usage are impeccably important in regards to something being a masterpiece or not. Wright’s first experience in directing a film adaptation was that of ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ - a movie based on the ‘Scott Pilgrim’ graphic novel which follows a musician who must defeat his girlfriend’s evil exes to date her.
Wright specifically loves music, and the use of it in cinema. Throughout films like the ones aforementioned, as well as his work on music videos, we know that he is a sucker for soundtracks. That’s where ‘Baby Driver’ comes in - an action film written and directed entirely by Edgar Wright. I like to think that this film is Wright’s ‘Baby’ - while he thrives in writing original films, this is the first movie he completely has utter control of and you can see how much care he put into making this cinematic masterpiece.
Let’s get into why ‘Baby Driver’ is one of the greatest films of all time.
The film’s use of music in pretty much every single scene isn’t exactly subtle, in fact the tagline for the movie’s marketing campaign was “all you need is a killer track.” We are introduced to this concept from the very first frame of the film as a slight buzz plays - indicating the start of the music but also a nod to Baby’s tinnitus. The entire opening sequence of ‘Baby Driver’ is perfectly executed, with every single sound accustomed to the tune of “Bellbottoms” by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
After the fantastic police car chase, the film goes straight into a one-shot sequence of Baby collecting coffee for the heist crew. We follow him down the street as he walks to the coffee shop, with his entire journey being synchronised with “Harlem Shuffle” by Bob & Earl. As he walks past each landmark on the street, subtly placed and carefully designed messages appear in the foreground and background showcasing the lyrics to the song in real-time.
Each footstep, each sound made in the scene is all choreographed perfectly in time with the song - from motorcycle revs in the background, to the bell on the coffee shop door, every thing is perfect. This one-shot sequence also gives off nods to Wright’s love for following someone down a street.
In ‘Shaun of the Dead’, this exact form of one-take can be seen twice - once before the apocalypse, and once after.
‘Shaun of the Dead’ - Directed by Edgar Wright, Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
I really would love to sit here and dissect every single part of ‘Baby Driver’, but I don’t have the time nor the resources because every scene in the film has hidden messages. Wright loves foreshadowing in his movies, especially in ‘Baby Driver’ with the use of repeated lines and hidden messages in scenes.
Right off the bat, we hear Darling tell Buddy in the elevator that their date is located at the “finest winin’ and dinin’ of all the wines and dines in town.” This exact location and exact same phrase is used when Baby and Deborah go on a date later.
In another scene where Baby flicks through the channels on television, we see multiple things that all are seen later in the movie. ‘You are so beautiful’ is a line used by Baby when he meets Deborah, ‘They grow up so freaking fast, don’t they?’ is also repeated by Baby when he talks to the bank employee. We hear ‘How’s that working out for you?’ when Baby questions J.D. on his “HAT” neck tattoo. And we also see two channels that specifically foreshadow the climax of ‘Baby Driver’, with one being Monsters Inc that Doc specifically tells Baby to stop quoting after being told ‘You and I are a team.’
We see a bull fight on television, with all the commentary being parallel with the climatic fight between Baby and Buddy at the end of the film, in which Baby is notably driving a Dodge Charger - an even more subtle hint to the bull fight.
You only start to notice a lot of ‘Baby Driver’s’ incredibly subtle details when watching it over and over again, and even then there are still things you could have never spotted with your own eyes even after watching it so many times. The symbolism in the graffiti in scenes such as Baby calling Doc from a payphone where tentacles imply they are not ‘free from the grip of crime’, and a black heart turning red when Deborah walks by.
This isn’t new for Wright - who literally revealed the entire plot of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ in a motivational speech by Ed at the beginning of the film. He loves to make films that are extremely rewatchable and continuously enjoyable.
‘Baby Driver’ - being the culmination of every single one of Wright’s amazing signature pieces - is a cinematic masterpiece. From the use of colour, dialogue and music, combined with phenomenal acting and writing - it is something that will be enjoyed for decades to come.
I cannot wait for the sequel.
