Rubber (2010 film)

The film opens with a character named Chad, who addresses the audience directly, explaining that the film is an homage to the 'no reason' genre, where events occur without logical explanation. The narrative follows Robert, a tire that awakens in the desert and discovers its telekinetic ability to make objects explode. After killing a man and a crow, Robert becomes obsessed with a beautiful woman, Sheila, who is staying at a motel. The film intercuts scenes of the tire's rampage with a live audience watching the events from a desert vantage point, and a police investigation led by Lieutenant Chad. The meta-narrative culminates in the audience's involvement, as they influence the story's outcome, and the film ends with Robert destroying the audience and the film crew, breaking the fourth wall completely.

Dupieux wrote the screenplay in a single night, inspired by a dream he had about a tire that could blow things up. The film was shot in the Mojave Desert in California over a period of about 25 days, with a budget of approximately $3 million. Dupieux deliberately employed a low-fi aesthetic, using practical effects and minimal CGI to maintain a sense of realism. The film's soundtrack, composed by Dupieux under his Mr. Oizo alias, features electronic and ambient tracks that complement the absurdist tone. The film's style is often compared to the works of David Lynch and Luis Buñuel, particularly for its surrealism and self-referentiality.

Rubber explores themes of violence, spectatorship, and the nature of cinema. The film's 'no reason' philosophy is a critique of narrative causality, and the audience-within-the-film serves as a metaphor for the viewer's own complicity in on-screen violence. Critical reception was polarized: some praised its originality and humor, while others found it gimmicky. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 50% approval rating, with an average score of 5.6/10. It was nominated for the Midnight Madness award at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. The film has since gained a cult following, particularly among fans of absurdist and experimental cinema.

One of the film's most notable behind-the-scenes facts is that the tire was operated by a team of puppeteers, who were hidden in a specially designed rig that allowed the tire to move realistically. The film's opening monologue, delivered by Chad, was improvised by actor Stephen Spinella, who is better known for his stage work in Tony Kushner's Angels in America. Dupieux has stated that the film was partly inspired by the 1971 film Duel, which also features a menacing vehicle. Additionally, the film's title is a reference to the French word 'caoutchouc,' which means rubber, and also alludes to the 'rubber' effect in filmmaking, where a scene is shot multiple times. The film's budget was partially funded by the French film company Realitism Films, which was co-founded by Dupieux.

Absurdist fiction

A genre of literature and film that emphasizes the irrational and meaningless aspects of existence, often through surreal or illogical events.

Meta-narrative

A narrative that self-consciously addresses the devices of storytelling, often breaking the fourth wall.

Psychokinesis

The purported ability to move or manipulate objects with the mind.