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Drama thriller

The Wages of Fear (1953) (2011): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

The Wages of Fear (1953) movie poster

The Wages of Fear (1953) is a 2011 drama thriller directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Yves Montand, Charles Vanel and Peter van Eyck. It runs 2 hours 27 minutes and earned $358,786 worldwide. Critics gave it 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rotten Tomatoes
100%
worldwide gross
$358.8K
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The Wages of Fear (1953) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 27m (147 min)
Genres
Drama , Thriller
Original language
French
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Wages of Fear (1953) About?

The premise of The Wages of Fear (1953) without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Desperate men are offered a dangerous job in the South American jungle: transporting nitroglycerine across treacherous terrain to a remote oil drilling site. Four strangers, each with their own reasons for accepting the perilous assignment, embark on the journey in two aging trucks. The route is fraught with danger, testing their skills and nerves as they face deadly obstacles and a growing sense of desperation. The reward is significant, but the risk of catastrophic failure and death looms large with every mile.

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Cast & crew

The Wages of Fear (1953) Cast

Yves Montand leads the cast, with Charles Vanel and Peter van Eyck. Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.

From the director

More from Henri-Georges Clouzot

One more film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot: Quai des Orfèvres [re-release].

Full filmography
Ratings

The Wages of Fear (1953) Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Wages of Fear (1953) 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Plot

The Wages of Fear (1953) Plot Summary

What happens in The Wages of Fear (1953) from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Frenchmen Mario and Jo, alongside Bimba from Germany and Luigi from Italy, find themselves trapped in the desolate town of Las Piedras. This isolated place is encircled by harsh desert, and its only connection to the outside world is a dilapidated airstrip, far too expensive for the men to utilize. With minimal job opportunities, they have become reliant on the tyrannical Southern Oil Company (SOC), which dominates the town and exploits the local workforce while ensuring its control with little regard for the law.

Full summary

The whole story of The Wages of Fear (1953), scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Wages of Fear (1953) Box Office

The Wages of Fear (1953) grossed $358,786 worldwide.

2011 box office

Worldwide gross

$358.8K

International
$358.8K
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Wages of Fear (1953)?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What catastrophic event prompts the desperate mission in the film?

Seen The Wages of Fear (1953)?

FAQ

The Wages of Fear (1953) FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of The Wages of Fear (1953), each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Wages of Fear (1953)?

The Wages of Fear (1953) runs 2 hours 27 minutes (147 minutes).

When was The Wages of Fear (1953) released?

The Wages of Fear (1953) was released on December 9, 2011.

Who directed The Wages of Fear (1953)?

The Wages of Fear (1953) was directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.

More films by Henri-Georges Clouzot

Who is in the cast of The Wages of Fear (1953)?

The Wages of Fear (1953) stars Yves Montand, Charles Vanel and Peter van Eyck.

How much did The Wages of Fear (1953) make at the box office?

The Wages of Fear (1953) grossed $358,786 worldwide.

How is The Wages of Fear (1953) rated?

The Wages of Fear (1953) has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.5/5 on Movie Insider.

Does The Wages of Fear (1953) have a post-credit scene?

No. The Wages of Fear (1953) has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Wages of Fear (1953) in?

The original language of The Wages of Fear (1953) is French.

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