The ending is purposely left up in the air... With such a deep wound, though, causing continued internal bleeding, how could he survive - unless no vital organs were severed and he gets help immediately? Those who thinks he pulls through - possibly for a sequel - I'd be interested in knowing why and how many think he drives off to die in some secluded spot?
shareThe novel that inspired the film had a sequel hence why there is talk of a follow up film.
Its that man again!!
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This thread is probably not gonna take off in the way you had hoped..
" Super Bowl XLVIII will be most evenly-matched Super Bowl in 32 years"- AH_Fan
You're right. I, obviously, didn't know about a sequel to the original book. However. I think the Driver was stabbed awfully hard and seemingly too deep to realistically have survived, for long. Internal and/or external bleeding, along with organ damage, should have done him in under normal circumstances. What do you think?
shareIt is actually quite difficult to stab someone to death, it usually takes multiple stabs unless the person has knowledge on major arteries/veins. His worst case scenario would be his intestines getting punctured and a main artery getting cut in the process, this could cause blood poisoning, and be very much detrimental to his health.
The character who stabbed him, apparently knew -exactly- how and where to stab someone, judging by how he killed his other two victims. I believe that just the internal and outer bleeding, caused by severed flesh and organs, should have done him in fairly quickly if he didn't get immediate assistance, by a competent doctor, even with no vital organ(s) having been affected. Also, your point about the wound becoming septic, from bacteria off the knife, would substantially lessen this chances of survival. All in all, if we're expected to accept that he pulled through such a vicious attack is stretching reality.
shareIt's really not that much of a stretch at all. I wasn't implying the wound would become septic from bacteria off the knife, I was talking about bacteria from his intestines getting into his bloodstream. That is a very real and major danger to anyone being stabbed in the lower stomach.
Honestly the attack could of been much worse, as he only got one stab in before the driver killed him. Whilst it looks like he is bleeding, it certainly doesn't look like he hit a major artery, else there would be endless blood everywhere.
It really wouldn't be a stretch to survive a stab wound like that, not at all. As I said before, being stabbed to death will often take repeated stabbings unless the attacker is knowledgeable or lucky. Whilst he killed off the mechanic 'cleanly' it certainly doesn't mean he knows any other 'clean' ways to kill someone with a blade, quite the contrary when looking at how he dealt with the Russian(?). You can read stories of stabbings in prison and how difficult it is for people to die from just that, and what they do to overcome this.
I'd say the biggest problem for the driver is finding a doctor who won't call the police, as I believe that is the law when dealing with assaults.
I guess we're supposed to assume that he knew how to get a hold of the doctor who took the bullet out of his arm, earlier...???
shareWell my assumption is that Driver is a loner-by-nature. So I think it's Shannon who had the connections to people such as the doctor. Now on the topic of the book and film comparison, he does survive in the book but the "Driver" of the book is different from the "Driver" in the movie. Not to mention the film is somewhat different to the source material. So, with that in mind I think we can all have different opinion on whether he lived or not. I think he drives off into the night bleeding to death thinking of Irene. It is the most proper conclusion to his life and to the film's ambiguous ending.
shareI assumed the same ending you did, picazop7, until I was informed that there was a sequel book and hence, probably, another movie - in the works - too. Additionally, never having read the first book, I was unaware of that ending, until you just told me. So, now, I'm still wondering how -anyone- could survive such an apparently deep gut wound, without it severing some vital organ, turning septic or them bleeding to death, unless immediate and exceptional medical intervention were employed. I don't believe it's as difficult to be stabbed to death as the previous poster claims. It simply seems fairly far fetched, or miraculous, that the Driver road off into the sunset, like Shane, with his wounded arm after the gunfight, for instance. We all expect Shane to recover, right? Or do we? These types of ambiguous endings drive me nuts. Ha, ha, ha!
shareI don't require you to believe me, I'm merely stating facts. I assume you wouldn't believe me when I tell you that being shot is also very much survivable. Honestly people look up knife and gun crime, you'd be very much surprised at the survival rates in 1st world countries.
I forgot about the doctor from when he got shot. I assume the driver went to him in order to get patched up, although that wound would require something more extensive than tweezers and stitches. Regardless though, that kind of wound can be survivable.
I don't think we differ that much in our opinions, Odilwerk. I can concede that with expert medical attention certain gut wounds can be survived. However, as previously mentioned, only if they're attended to -immediately- to prevent excess blood loss and they haven't severely, or irreparably, damaged any vital organs. So, unless the Driver drove straight to a hospital facility, or competent doctor equipped to handle the situation, it's just very unlikely that his chances of survival would have been good.
shareYeah that's fair enough. I would have to assume then, from my perspective of the film, that he did go straight to the shady doctors.
shareYou'd better believe it.
Here's a lady, stabbed 40 times, including one in the heart, and she survived:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-city-woman-survives-despite-being-stabbed-40-times-report-says/
I read about a prison guard, who survived 61. I can't give a link to that, though.
Was there a doctor? I thought it just showed shannon patching him up in the garage
shareYes, veteran actor/dancer Russ Tamblyn of "West Side Story" fame played the doctor. He's listed in the credits, as: Doc.
shareWell, there you have it folks. He could have just gotten patched up by the shady doctor and hit the road again.
I always assumed that he lives, anyway. After they faked the audience out with him sitting dead still in the car, covered in blood only to have him 'come alive' and ride off, I think that's a clear cinematic message he's survived the movie.
The director also says that he lives at the end:
http://screenrant.com/drive-movie-ending-kofi-132077/
People can read into it what they want, but no ambiguity was intended.
Ah ha! Well, then, it's sure official, if the director says he was meant to live. So, case closed, over and out... Btw, I know it's an entirely different subject but, how many of you have seen the classic western, "Shane?" To my mind many of the basic elements of "Drive" can be seen in that movie, except the robbery aspect of the plot, of course. Shane was a loner who takes a fancy to a woman and her son, protecting and saving them from harm and then ultimately riding away into the sunset, after having been wounded in the process.
shareI know, late reply.
I honestly believed the movie pulled a Taxi Driver on us, him driving off into the night being only his last, dying thoughts.
But I guess you don't make a movie with a similar theme, a similar title and with the same ending...
Well, what do you know, the thread is one of the top 10 of nearly 90 posts! Hahaha! Who'd a thunk it, flowerythethird?
shareYou don't die from a lower abdomen stabbing very quickly or very easily My guess is he simply decided to drive far away to a hospital which wouldn't have knowledge of the stabbings or possibility of any description of himself floating around, theres hundreds of ways you could possibly stab yourself accidentally, so that's what I like to assume.
As for if his stab wound was a "carefully placed" assassin style from an expert "knife man", I doubt it, these guys are small time friend of a friend "goodfellas" not hitmen, and mind you well past their prime ones at that, while I'm sure they have experience I doubt his plan went any further than stab him quick and throw him in the trunk, because if he wasn't a small time no brain-mafioso, he wouldn't of decided to stab him to death in a parking lot, and instead did as he discussed in the Chinese shop which was, "We'll get you sooner or later".
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If you're saying the scene afterwards of him driving off is his afterlife, I don't buy it.
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If he had died, bleeding would of been profuse, his hand over the stab wound showed little blood to give us an indication that he had bled out.
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Both of you make valid points. The directors leaves it up in the air whether he lives or not. The stab wound was a bad one BUT he could survive as long as he gets medical attention. I dont think it matters if he lives. I think the point was he finally became a hero that he wanted to be just like the song that plays a few times in the film
shareInternal bleeding would make sense if it wasn't for the stab wound, the blood had an exit to leave from, internal bleeding is associated with other causes.
share[deleted]
Yes, puncture wounds that will leave small entry wounds that can be closed, stab wound from a decent size knife leaves a rather large channel for blood to flow out of which won't be closed due to coagulation of blood.
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The director said he lives. I'm afraid your interpretation of the end is simply werong and no ambiguity was intended.
http://screenrant.com/drive-movie-ending-kofi-132077/
For me at least it always seemed obvious that he lived, simply because of the 'fake out' ending and then clear passage of time (day when stabbed, late at night when driving away). Why do the "oh no he's dead......sike!" ending if he was just going to die anyway.
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Gone too soon:
Firefly|New Amsterdam|Journeyman|Life|terriers|SGU|Prime Suspect
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So your opinion outweighs that of the creators? There certainly is that to chew on.....
If I paint a picture and in the distance is a shadowed man, you can insist that in your opinion it must be a bird all you want, that doesn't make it so.
This is a discussion on whether the lead character died at the end of the movie, ultimately the only interpretation that matters is that which was intended by the director. You're free to have your own opinion but accept it is contrary to what was intended. I feel he did a good job of making it clear he survives at the end, seemed obvious. You think otherwise.
Also pointing out a typo in that way doesn't strengthen your point (a disadvantage of posting via phone) but instead makes you look like a pedantic douche.
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Gone too soon:
Firefly|New Amsterdam|Journeyman|Life|terriers|SGU|Prime Suspect
Of course he lives; he has to continue to suffer the loss of the love of his life and live a lonely dangerous existence.
share[deleted]
I think he lives. He goes on to live the rest of his life peacefully though always running and hiding. The tragedy is that he'll never get to see Benicio and his mother though.
shareAmazing Film! Just watched twice and not sure why DRIVE never interested me back in 2011 to watch. I don't want their to be a sequel. Perfect film with Perfect ending. Leave a good film alone...
He loved driving and I believe is wanted to die driving. He knew he was not going to live which is why he called to let his girl know before. He could of just killed the other guy right away if he wanted to live happily ever after.
I feel bad for the boy. He had two Father figures die in the same day
I can't believe nobody's called you on putting a major spoiler in your subject line. Grow a brain *beep* wit!
shareI guess they figure, correctly, that anyone who visits the message boards has already seen the film and is interested in giving their opinion(s), on whatever the subject of the post is about. I'm going to take the high road and not call you anything insulting. However, common sense is definitely not your strong suit, it would seem....
shareSince it is not conformed whether he dies or not, you don't need to put *spoiler alert.
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