Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Rating NR Formats Blu-Ray, DVD Genre drama Starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Toshiro Mifune, Brian Bedford, Jessica Walter, Antonio Sabato, Francoise Hardy Directed by John Frankenheimer Publisher Warner Bros External Links Warner Bros Website

John Frankenheimer's Grand Prix opens on a freeze frame of a formula one racecar banking on a high turn: the tire in the foreground, the green of trees streaking on each side of the track, "Overture" superimposed on the screen. The orchestration starts up and French horns whiz by like cars on the track.

Staring at that freeze frame for the five minutes that comprises the overture to Grand Prix, you get a real sense for speed. Letting the beginning of this otherwise kinetic film be still, you gain reverence for the speed to come.

The other thing that becomes clear during this time is that movies aren't made like this anymore. Where the general film aesthetic is now, no director would force this opening onto an audience.

Grand Prix may not have been a great critical or commercial success, but it does represent an age and style of filmmaking that doesn't exist anymore. It is a film that was made in a moment in time. Any earlier than 1966 the technological limitations of film could not deliver Frankenheimer's vision. Any later than 1966 the sport was too commercialized to allow a film like this to be made.

When anyone talks about Grand Prix, they talk about the technical film elements (the film won three academy awards Best Sound Effects, Best Film Editing and Best Sound). The technical accomplishments are what make this film worthy of praise.

The opening credits sequence created by Saul Bass is a visual symphony that was groundbreaking when it was created and inspiring even now. An opening constructed entirely of close ups on different parts of the car invites the audience to get intimate with these machines.

The shot of a wrench tightening a nut gets duplicated four times on screen, then sixteen, then exponentially more times. It takes the importance off of the object and focuses on the action. He does this with tires, tail pipes, wrenches, racers, everything that makes up the minutia of this sport.

The mechanical nature of the split screens and duplications successfully brings the audience into this world of absolutes that all the characters struggle with.

When there's something wrong with a car, you can take out the part and replace it. When there's something wrong with your life, you don't have that luxury. That juxtaposition is one of the thematic elements at the heart of what drives Grand Prix.

Another element of this film that is worth noting is the cinematography. Even if you don't like race car driving you have to appreciate the fact this is a magnificent event beautifully photographed in 1960's Cinerama. Remember, there was no digital compositing or computer generated race cars back then; this is all real.

Helicopter shots in Monte Carlo, shots with the camera mounted on the cars in Italy, and cockpit shots in Belgium allow you to experience Formula One racing in a way that only a film can bring you.

The performances in this film are competent and at times great. Frankenheimer is not known for capturing amazing performances as much as he is known for his strong visual story telling skills.

With that said, James Garner turns out a good performance as the American Pete Aaron (even though he was not Frankenheimer's first choice, Steve McQueen was). Jessica Walter and Brian Bedford also deliver good performances as a married couple struggling with the rigors of the Formula One circuit.

Unfortunately, Yves Montard, Jean-Pierre Sarti, and Eva Marie Saint never really deliver on the chemistry their characters are supposed to have. The writing for Saint's character, Louise, the American Journalist, is stilted and lacking any sense of a three dimensional female character.

She essentially amounts to a devise to deliver back story, exposition, and a commentary on the sport. She does the best with what she is given, which was not a lot.

This is a failing of the film, because the thematic and emotional notes lie in their love affair. But, the scenes end up being plot driven, uninteresting, and you never really care for them or about them.

The interesting structural element of Grand Prix is that, unlike racing or action films now-a-days, the film does not stall when not at a race. The drama between characters is interesting enough to set up the next race as a truly dramatic moment.

The races act as metaphors for big moments of change in all of their lives. The inciting incident and midpoint and climax are all crashes that injure and kill. The fallout from each of these crashes drives each act forward.

The final crash and death of Jean-Pierre Sarti contextualizes the film in a conflicted and engaging way. As James Garner stands on the podium, having won the Grand Prix with Champagne and flowers around him, black smoke plumes in the background.

This strong, simple, and effective visual story telling is totally satisfying and delivers the idea that with every win there's a loss and every death has a birth.

The film is laid out over two DVDs, and on the second DVD is where you'll find the special features. For film historians, this is a gold mine. There is fantastic footage on the set in 1965 and 1966 while shooting on the Grand Prix circuit. There is a couple of really interesting interviews with a young and cocky Frankenheimer that are worth watching just to see how he created.

The other special features delve into the world of 1960's Formula One racing, there's a 1960's documentary about Formula One racing, and a special documentary just about Saul Bass' participation in the style and sound of Grand Prix.

If you like racing, or don't this is a movie worth checking out just for the historical place it has in film. It's an exciting, well told film, and will have you on the edge of your seat until the last minute. You will never find racing action like this in any other film, ever.