Grand Prix

Dir: John Frankenheimer

1966

****

John Frankenheimer's formula 1 epic is as spectacular to watch now as it was back in 1966. There are many things to enjoy about the movie but it is the amazing race footage that really makes it stand out.  Grand Prix was one of the first films to develop cutting edge vehicle-mounted camera technology and most of the race footage comes from real race cars (formula 3 cars made to look like formula 1), driven by world class drivers including Graham Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jack Brabham and Phil Hill. Each shot is stunning, brilliantly composed and exciting. Add the interplay of the great Saul Bass' montages and split-screen shots and Grand Prix is incredibly striking. The camera is never slowed or sped up, the break-neck speed of the cars is real and for the first time, the viewers were put into the seat of a racing car and almost experienced what it was like for the driver. The film's intended suspense, thrill and anticipation are heightened because of it and I can't think of any other film that has the same effect, other than C'était un rendez-vous which came a decade later. The editing is sublime, especially considering the action switches from intense to slow at regular succession. This really captures the highs and lows of being an international driver, which is of course the point of the story. There are four main characters to the film; the American driver (James Garner) hoping to be as great as he once was amid a poor reputation, A British driver (Brian Bedford) battling against himself following a return to racing after a near-death crash, a French driver (Yves Montand) coming close to retirement and a young Italian driver (Antonio Sabato), an arrogant rookie living in the shadow of his racing partner. You could say these are all stereotypes but when you look at the history of racing they are quite accurate representations, not just of the people but of the obsession, the risk-taking and the depression that comes when they're not racing. The film also features the brilliant Eva Marie Saint, Jessica Walter and Toshiro Mifune, in a rare appearance in a western film. The story mirrored what was happening in the real world of racing, with many drivers either driving the cars or appearing as characters in the film. At the time driving was far more dangerous than it is now, so tragedy was very much a big and important side of the story. Drivers Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Joakim Bonnier, Bruce McLaren and Jo Siffert all featured in the film and all of them would die in racing accidents within five years of the film's release, making the film even more poignant and relevant. My only criticism is that I believe it is too long. While I think it is has some of the best editing in a film ever, I also believe that certain scenes (generally the non-racing footage) are overlong and don't bring any further value to the film. It's still probably the best racing film of all time though.