September 16, 2011. That’s the date one of the greatest movies was released. Starring Ryan Gosling in the lead role, the film is currently celebrating its 15th anniversary. In fact, it is one of the most memable movies of all time. Drive, starring Gosling in the lead role, was released 15 years today on this exact date, and the quotes still hit hard as ever.
With Ryan Gosling being the getaway driver for his clients, the actor had a total of 116 lines throughout the 100-minute runtime of the movie (we counted). In those 116 lines, the best quote in Drive still remains the coldest delivery in cinema.
There’s a hundred thousand streets in this city. You don’t need to know the route. You give me a time and a place, I give you a five-minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes, and I’m yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that, and you’re on your own. Do you understand?
The quote being said during the opening scenes of Drive makes it all the more effective. Although the 2011 movie found worldwide fame and acclaim, there was a time when Ryan Gosling almost gave up on making the movie when he met director Nicolas Winding Refn.
Ryan Gosling Almost Gave Up on Drive Before Fame
Ryan Gosling in a still from Drive | Credits: Bold Films
For a movie titled Drive, it came as quite a surprise that the director Nicolas Winding Refn didn’t have a driver’s license while making the film. In fact, according to Fortress of Solitude, the director reportedly failed his driving test not once but eight times, and even had no interest in cars, unlike Ryan Gosling!
Naturally, when Ryan Gosling and Refn met to discuss Drive, the director arrived late and heavily medicated after catching the flu. Nicolas Winding Refn allegedly looked sluggish and showed a complete lack of enthusiasm.
It wasn’t until Gosling reluctantly agreed to drive Refn back to the hotel in Santa Monica that Refn started singing REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling (via The New York Times). Following some discussions, Ryan Gosling and Refn found themselves on the sets of Drive, and the rest… remains history.
Why Ryan Gosling’s Drive Remains a Cinematic Masterpiece
Ryan Gosling in a still from Drive | Credits: Bold Films
Despite 15 years passing, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive remains a cinematic masterpiece not just for the director’s style, but thanks to Ryan Gosling as well. Ryan Gosling’s performance as the unnamed Driver is a masterclass in minimalism. Speaking only when necessary, Refn trusted Gosling and the storyline to carry entire scenes without dialogue.
Not to mention the brilliant score provided by Cliff Martinez. Being a synth-driven score paired with tracks like Kavinsky’s Nightcall and College’s A Real Hero, the soundtrack of the film helped ignite an entire synthwave revival.
Even the violence in Drive was spontaneous and ruptured rather than spectacular. The film spends long stretches in quiet, tender territory before erupting into sudden and brutal set pieces. Alongside Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, and Bryan Cranston ground the film’s heightened style in real emotional stakes. Naturally, Drive is where the quiet thrill of a getaway driver meets the adrenaline of high stakes.
Drive is available to stream on Hoopla.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
