In Henri-Georges Clouzot’s *The Wages of Fear* (1953), the relationship between **Mario** (Yves Montand) and **Jo** (Charles Vanel) is the psychological core of the film. It evolves from hero-worship to mutual contempt, and finally to a grim, tragic codependency.
The following is an event-by-event breakdown of how their dynamic shifts:
### 1. The Introduction: Hero-Worship
When Jo, an aging ex-gangster, first arrives in the squalid town of Las Piedras, Mario is immediately captivated. Jo is well-dressed and projects an aura of "tough guy" experience that Mario—a restless, sarcastic playboy—deeply admires.
* **The Connection:** They bond over their shared past in Paris. To Mario, Jo represents a sophisticated world he longs to return to.
* **The Power Dynamic:** Mario becomes Jo’s protégé. He treats Jo with a level of respect and submissiveness he shows no one else, including his devoted lover Linda or his kind-hearted roommate Luigi.
### 2. The Betrayal of Luigi
The first sign of the relationship’s toxicity appears when Mario abandons his longtime friend Luigi to spend all his time with Jo.
* **The Event:** Jo openly insults Luigi, calling him a "jerk." Mario, wanting to impress Jo, joins in the mockery.
* **The Evolution:** Mario chooses Jo over his own established social circle, essentially clearing his life of anyone who doesn't fit into the "macho" image Jo project.
### 3. Securing the Job: Complicity in Foul Play
When the Southern Oil Company (SOC) looks for drivers for the suicide mission, Mario is selected, but Jo is not.
* **The Event:** A fourth driver named Smerloff is initially hired. On the morning of departure, Smerloff mysteriously disappears, and Jo is "conveniently" there to take his place. It is heavily implied that Jo intimidated or murdered Smerloff to get the slot.
* **The Evolution:** Mario doesn't question this; he is thrilled to have his "hero" by his side. At this stage, Mario still believes Jo is the bravest man he knows.
### 4. The First Crack: The "Washboard" Road
As the journey begins, the physical reality of the nitroglycerin takes its toll. The trucks must drive over a "washboard" road (rippled dirt) either very slowly or at high speed to avoid detonation.
* **The Event:** Jo, who previously boasted of his "nerves of steel," begins to show physical signs of terror. He becomes nauseous and hesitates.
* **The Evolution:** Mario is confused by Jo's hesitation. The roles begin to shift as Mario takes a firmer hand in the driving, while Jo’s "tough guy" persona begins to crack.
### 5. The Turning Point: The Precarious Platform
The most critical shift in their relationship occurs at a construction barricade where the trucks must back onto a rotting wooden platform suspended over a ravine.
* **The Event:** As Mario is performing the dangerous maneuver, Jo is supposed to guide him from the ground. Instead, overcome by fear, Jo abandons his post and tries to hide in the bushes to escape. Mario realizes Jo has deserted him in a moment of life or death.
* **The Evolution:** Mario’s hero-worship turns into pure, vitriolic contempt. He confronts Jo, calling him a "low-down rat" and a coward. He forces Jo to run alongside the truck as punishment, physically and verbally degrading the man he once idolized.
### 6. The Boulder Scene: Disdain and Utility
When a massive boulder blocks the path, the drivers must blow it up with some of the nitro.
* **The Event:** While Bimba and Mario perform the delicate, life-threatening work, Jo is essentially useless, paralyzed by fear.
* **The Evolution:** Mario no longer looks to Jo for leadership. Jo has been reduced to a burden, and Mario’s interactions with him are now characterized by cold, functional command.
### 7. The Climax: The Oil Pit
After the other truck explodes, Mario and Jo encounter a crater filled with crude oil from a ruptured pipe.
* **The Event:** Jo gets out to guide Mario through the sludge. The truck begins to sink, and Mario realizes that if he stops, the truck (and the mission) is lost. In a brutal display of survivalism, Mario drives over Jo, crushing his leg in the muck to gain traction.
* **The Evolution:** This is the ultimate degradation of their bond. Mario prioritizes the $2,000 and the escape over Jo’s life. However, once the truck is clear, a strange, paternalistic guilt takes over. Mario rescues the oil-soaked Jo and places him in the cab.
### 8. The End: Grief and Recklessness
In the final leg of the journey, Jo is dying from his injuries.
* **The Event:** Jo hallucinates about Paris (a fence in his childhood backyard) and dies in the truck just as they reach the oil field.
* **The Evolution:** Upon Jo's death, Mario is devastated. Despite the contempt he felt, Jo was the only thing connecting him to his dream of Paris. Without Jo, Mario is untethered.
* **The Final Result:** This loss leads to Mario’s own downfall. On the return drive, now wealthy and "free," Mario drives with a reckless, suicidal joy. Without the "anchor" of the fear Jo represented, Mario swerves off a mountain road to his death, completing the cycle of their mutual destruction.