Part of the appeal of the New Hollywood movement was the tendency to push boundaries in a way that didn’t exist previously. If you look at the body of work produced during this time from a distance, you can see two broad categories of the films that were most successful – there were those that depended on high-concept storytelling, venturing into the unknown in terms of both narrative and aesthetic prowess, and then there were the films that were far more simple, but found a lot of value in extremely direct, straightforward subject matter. Jack Hill is not a filmmaker we talk about very often, since he didn’t quite represent what the mainstream wanted when it came to choosing directors from this crop of newcomers that started in independent film. His films were often very dark and unsettling (and quite frankly quite ugly in a number of ways, but intentionally so), and his rough edges were clearly far too difficult to smooth, leading him to spend most of his career doing low-budget fare. Ultimately, this was an excellent development, since the films he made during this period are some of the most influential in the history of the medium. One such example is the subject of the present discussion, his racing drama Pit Stop, which is one of the more daring examples of revolutionary independent cinema in practice. At a cursory glance, this doesn’t seem like much – the story follows a promising young amateur driver who is courted by a vaguely sinister but very wealthy businessman to join his team, who participate in violent, dangerous races in which injuries are not only likely, they are almost a guarantee. However, we should know that taking such a film at face value is not wise, because if there is something we have learned from decades of the industry trying to recapture the spark incited by this era, it is that genre filmmaking is extremely influential, and even the most simple concepts can be the foundation for a minor masterpiece.

The main attraction in Pit Stop is undeniably the filmmaking – the brilliance of these low-budget, cheaply-produced independent genre films is that they often served to facilitate radical new voices in terms of both writing and directing, and Hill was certainly creative enough in both to make a name for himself, essentially becoming one of the formative figures in a movement primarily dedicated to seeing how far someone can take a single concept before it starts to fall apart, which never quite happens due to the fact that Hill (and many of his peers) were capable of telling remarkable stories that feel like they’re not only pushing boundaries, but establishing entirely new methods of storytelling as a whole. The filmmaking here is impeccable – it is true that the majority of the film consists of racing, and therefore could be seen as unappealing to those who aren’t fond of seeing people compete to determine who has the fastest car and best set of skills in using it. However, this is only one way of looking at this film, and it serves to be a mostly thrilling, captivating and most importantly provocative film that uses a very simple concept as the breeding ground for more complex ideas, which manifest in very creative and interesting ways as the film progresses. There is a fluidity to how Hill directs this film, creating a series of moments in which we marvel at the stunts being performed in front of us, and considering the era in which this film was made, it was all accomplished through practical means, requiring many stuntmen to put their lives at risk to bring these striking images to life. It creates an atmosphere of fearfulness, since we are witnessing people quite literally putting their lives in danger. Yet, this is all part of the experience, and Pit Stop is quite remarkable in its ability to be an unconventionally alluring immersion into this world, a film that doesn’t only not play by the rules, but places us in a position where we are extremely invested in seeing these characters succeed, while still acknowledging how the odds seem to be stacked against them.

Beyond the very impressive filmmaking, there is a complexity beneath the surface of Pit Stop that is quite remarkable, especially since this is a film in which we are asked to surrender to the story, and just go along with it on the proverbial ride. In the process, we find that there is a level of nuance to how Hill approaches this material. This is not only a film about racing, and he is well aware of the fact that if anyone wanted to see 90 minutes of cars speeding around a track, there were venues at which we would be able to get our fix. Instead, the appeal comes in the underlying concepts, which are not all that prominent at the start, but begin to develop as the film progresses and we see how its very distinct approach to the material. Pit Stop is as much about racing as it is about capitalism, and the commodification of the human body as an entity that can be used for commercial gain. The most chilling moment in the film comes when Brian Donlevy looks at the protagonist and coldly says “I am a businessman – so long as a California Custom car wins this race, I really don’t care very much about what the name of the driver is” – some have seen this as the character giving the protagonist permission to win the race by any means necessary, while it can also be read as simply viewing these people as pawns in a continuous game of trying to earn money through putting daring people in increasingly dangerous situations. The true marvel is seeing how Hill inserts these sinister moments in between the more notable sequences in which we are distracted by the rapid-fire filmmaking – but as the film goes on, we start to see the more foreboding dangers lurking beneath, reflecting the fact that there is a much more complex social message to this film, one that isn’t delivered directly to us, but is nonetheless provocative enough to put us in a state of unease, which is precisely the position the direction required us to be in to establish this meaning.

While this is a film that exists in a genre that isn’t well-known for its performances, Hill nonetheless puts together a terrific ensemble, who work together to bring this film to life in a way that is honest and earnest, focusing on those intimate details that would otherwise be overlooked in other films. Pit Stop is an action film that plays like a complex melodrama – there are well-defined characters that may essentially be archetypes, but they are so extraordinarily compelling, it is difficult to begrudge the fact that they may be quite conventional in their conception, and the actors certainly do well to elevate them and bring them to the screen in a way that is meaningful and compelling, which is quite an achievement. The film is led by Richard Davalos, who was not known for being a particularly diverse actor, but who nonetheless plays a convincing protagonist of this story, especially in the moments where he is asked to exist at the perfect intersection between hero and villain, the conflict between the two being the foundation of the story. The more skilful performances come on behalf of Sid Haig and Brian Donlevy, veterans of the industry (the latter in his final film role), and the more reliable members of the cast, playing supporting roles that enrich every moment they are on screen, and being a pair of the most intriguing characters from this era in cinema, the same kind of layered semi-villains that keep the film interesting. Pit Stop also features a performance from a very young Ellen Burstyn, who is credited as Ellen McRae, and thus it is a surprise when she appears on the screen. As a whole, the cast of this film is exceptional – there wasn’t any need for such strong performances, since Pit Stop would have been remarkable even without a good set of actors, but the earnest complexity with which the actors bring these characters to the screen is one of the many reasons this film is such a remarkable success.

It is easy to dismiss Pit Stop, especially if you are not particularly fond of this kind of action-packed exploitation film. The reluctance that comes with this film is understandable – there have been far too many examples of films that tend to feature an abundance of action, and not enough substance, and while this can be entertaining in small doses, it can grow to be overwhelming, which is every something that a film should aspire to be, especially not one that was made during a period of remarkable cultural exchange. Pit Stop exists right at the start of the New Hollywood movement, and its influences are clear – it is the perfect convergence of style and substance, a fascinating account of tradition standing in opposition to modernity and creating something absolutely remarkable, without being too insistent on certain details that are unnecessary. Hill was a fantastic filmmaker, and while his greatest achievement will always be the exceptional Spider Baby, it isn’t difficult to understand why there is such a firm contingent of supporters for Pit Stop, a film that represents absolutely everything that made this era of cinema so revolutionary – biting wit, a dark sense of social awareness and memorable characters all converge into this deeply captivating, undeniably poignant examination of one man’s journey from obscurity to fame, focusing on the aspects that took him to the top, as well as those which are going to be responsible for his downfall. Thrilling, exciting and undeniably original, this film is a great embodiment of everything that makes cinema so exciting, especially when it comes from more unpredictable sources.