In the California desert, the adventures of a telepathic killer-tire, mysteriously attracted by a very pretty girl, as witnessed by incredulous onlookers.
Rubber wears its ridiculous premise thin with questionably pretentious direction. This should’ve been bonkers. This should’ve been bizarre entertainment. This should’ve been the epitome of b-movie homages with plenty of schlocky gore and hilarious acting. Alas, it wasn’t. I face the long narrow road, wandering the dusty concrete alone, as I venture to my destination. Disappointment. To say Rubber’s potential for refreshing originality is endless, would be an understatement. Yet Dupieux offers an ostentatious philosophy that seemingly burns the rubber off of this sentient tyre. Speaking of conscious wheels, we and a group of spectators follow a living tyre (named Robert apparently...) who seemingly crushes everything until he discovers psychokinetic powers that bestow explosive results.
The film commenced with an intermission, a police officer talking directly to us about a philosophy that has plagued many famous moments in cinema. “No reason”. Why are various characters the way they are? Why do so many insignificant yet infamous scenes play out the way they do? “No reason”. Dupieux outwardly attempting to find purpose for his outrageously absurd concept, bordering on the path of surrealism. In order to illustrate this blazing ethos, Dupieux uses indexicality. The bewildering group of spectators watching a “film” which inadvertently happens to be Rubber. All paying homage to the “no reason” artistic integrity, with various characters blending in and out of the fictional narrative.
A commentary on dreadful habits at the cinema, particularly with piracy and distractions? An insight into mass consumerism? Or, perhaps an unnecessary distraction for the real feature in motion? Yes, unfortunately Dupieux’s overpowering artistic perspective diminishes the entire justification for Rubber. A comedy horror surrounding a tyre that makes human heads explode after some serious vibrational movements. That, right there, should’ve been schlock gold. Yet Dupieux pushes the cerebral approach too far. Intentionally producing a spoof of the film itself, which I believe to be counter-intuitive.
The feature works when we’re watching Robert discover his powers. Rolling around in the sandy Californian deserts with some noticeable wires pulling him across. Dupieux showcasing his impeccable cinematography that almost made watching a tyre the most entrancing experience to ever exist. Even more so than watching paint dry to the accompaniment of pounding techno music. And, when the first few heads do explode, it’s surprisingly entertaining. Yet Dupieux never pushes this half of the “film”. It’s a one-note, one-joke and one-dimensional satire that solely demonstrates his “no reason” philosophy for the sake of it.
Fine, if he didn’t want to embrace the schlock-fest that, in my opinion, it should’ve been, it could’ve atleast been a thematic contemporary journey into the destructive behaviour of transportation. How it damages people and the environment. But the countless fourth wall breaks and other questionable storytelling techniques, just because, hampered the experience and possibilities.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen anything quite like this. And for that, I have to applaud Dupieux for embracing originality. The end result however doesn’t work. A meta experiment that coincidentally mimics the properties of rubber. Elongated, hard (to watch...) and abrasion resistant.
