Grand Prix

Annotation for KRRR! 2022 by Zuzana Stanková

Grand Prix (1966) is a gripping film that follows the stories of four world-class Formula 1 drivers through a fictionalized version of one season. French racer Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand) is nearing the end of his career after two world championship titles. American Pete Aron (James Garner) tries to repeat his past successes and suppress the reputation of a reckless pilot. British racing driver Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford) is recovering from injuries after a serious crash. Finally, the Italian driver Nino Barlini (Antonio Sabato) is a charismatic, arrogant, but at the same time promising newcomer to this royal discipline of motor sports. For every pilot, the race means something different, everyone experiences it differently, but everyone wants to win the World Championship and everyone is willing to drive to the limit of their abilities. The overall story of the film is completed by several female characters who try to love the pilots and come to terms with their dangerous lifestyle.

The film used footage from real Formula 1 races, specifically from the Monaco and Belgian Grand Prix, but was also shot in Holland, England and Italy. Grand Prix was directed by John Frankenheimer, previously famous for genre-bending films such as The Manchurian Candidate (1962) or The Train (1964), personally overseeing every detail of the production. The Italians did not allow him to work during the Italian Grand Prix of 1966, because the real drivers complained about the presence of cameras. Frankenheimer therefore rented the circuit three weeks after this race and completed the necessary shots on it. He also refused to slow down the cars and speed them up in post-production, because he thought any average viewer would be able to tell the difference. From a narrative point of view, the film could be divided into race segments and periods between them. While the periods between the races have the form of a classic romantic drama, in which the emphasis is placed on a personal storyline and behind-the-scenes games, the races themselves mainly have the form of an adrenaline experience, also thanks to the elaborate editing composition and shooting methods.

At the 1967 Academy Awards, this film was awarded prizes in three technical categories: Editing, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. Even after more than fifty years, this film is still considered by many viewers and critics to be the best that has been shot in the genre from a motoring environment.