- 19 Apr 08, 09:58#40628
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
Turn up the volume, make screen and big as possible and sit back and enjoy. I remember seeing this in about 1980 or so on the big screen. It was in the days when the movie theatres had a short before the main feature. It blew me away back then and still does. A real classic, try and get a hold of the DVD, it is much better to watch on wide screen TV with suround sound. 
C'était un Rendezvous
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One early August morning of 1976, when most of Paris were either on vacation or asleep, Claude Lelouch, a director mostly known for his melodramatic films, strapped a camera to the front of his car and had it raced from one end of Paris to another. Rumors still persist today regarding the details behind the filming, but in the 9-minutes it took to complete the journey, Lelouch created a cult legend for legions of car enthusiasts.
It’s nearly impossible today to separate the fact from the fiction. Lelouch made no real effort to endorse or deny the rumors of his arrest at the first showing of the film, of enlisting a Formula 1 driver to pilot the car, of using his own personal Ferrari 275 GTB in the filming, and of the lookout’s radio failure as the car exited the blind Louvre Museum complex at full throttle. I suspect Lelouch is quite happy to let the rumors perpetuate for eternity, granting him an immortal spot in the car world. About the only thing we can be sure of, is that the ending was staged.
After pouring through several different sources, all the facts and rumors can be summarized into this likely scenario. The spark started after Lelouch had wrapped up his latest cinematic production, which left him with some time before he had to return a camera with a gyro stabilized mount. Lelouch allegedly had just purchased a Ferrari 275 GTB, and came up with the idea to race the car through the streets of Paris in the early hours of the typical vacation month, with the camera mounted to the hood or bumper to document the stunt. Lelouch chose the route based the length of film the camera can hold, and was most likely doing the driving himself, as no Formula 1 driver would commit so many driving errors. The resultant film is simply a document of that daring and irresponsible deed.
The small audience and automotive journalists that have seen it gave near universal praise, but the lack of any distribution results in an underground film that precious few were lucky to see. That unavailability mixed with the near mythical origin elevated the film into a cult legend, a legend that has some doubt its very existence. Then a murky VHS copy emerged on the market in the early 90s, but the astronomical price tag for the short film scared many away, including myself.
Spirit Level Films then announced last year that they are releasing a re-mastered version of the film on DVD. There was no longer any excuse to wait, and I promptly procured a copy as soon as it became available, hoping it can live up to all the hype and acclaim.
For its near 30-year age, the DVD transfer looks clean and relatively free of damage. The film elements are not restored to a pristine state, and the low light condition contributed to its less than ideal look, but this is probably as good as it ever looked on the big screen. There is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track on the disc, and though there are quite a few surround effects, they seem exaggerated and unnatural. The stereo track has a more natural and progressive sound, and is probably the better of the two in this case. I should note that Lelouch never claimed the soundtrack was without artificial manipulation, so even if the engine note is indeed that of a Ferrari 275 GTB, it is not proof positive of the car’s identity. The only extras on the DVD are three trailers and some notes on the legend.
While the film is undoubtedly exhilarating, it is also hugely irresponsible on the part of Lelouch. How can he justify the risks to the unwilling participants on the streets, is the endeavor worth getting someone killed over? Having been involved in a hit and run accident recently because the other driver ran a red light, I have reservations about praising the reckless daring exhibited here, because any acclaim it receives can inspire others to perform copycat stunts. I don’t have any problem if idiots out there want to get themselves killed, it’s their constitutional right after all, but making innocent bystanders like me pay for these selfish undertaking, with my pocketbook or my life, is unacceptable.
That makes it hard to assess the virtues of the film without divorcing the immoral aspects of filmmaking. So all we can do is see it for what it is, a document of an illicit and dangerous display of recklessness, nothing more and nothing less. While film hasn’t lost its visceral impact after decades of dormant, it doesn’t live up to its incredible reputation either, and the myth behind the film is arguably more interesting because we will never know the truth. I just hope no one will want to replicate what Lelouch did here, mistaking his sheer stupidity and selfishness for bravado. Besides, we can now easily simulate that experience of reckless abandon in the video game world, without anyone ever getting hurt.
The film opens with a declaration that no special effects or film speed manipulations were used to artificially enhance the visual presentation. To the sound of a beating heart we fade in to the car already in motion, and without any dialogue or voice-over to setup what is going on, accelerate hard and race towards an unknown destination. From near the Arch of Triumph, the car runs through numerous red lights, travels on the wrong side of the road, passes full speed through blind intersections, reaches speed in excess of one hundred miles per hour, narrowly miss pedestrians, cars, buses, trucks, and birds to finally arrive at the Sacred-Heart Basilica for a rendezvous of little surprise. The ride is only about 9 minutes long, but feels much shorter because of its intensity.
There is no soundtrack to speak of except for the roar of the engine and squeals of the tires. The gyro stabilized camera mount greatly reduces the sensation of speed, so you can only tell how fast the car is moving by using road marks and other cars as points of reference. Lelouch is not a great driver, often braking too late to take a corner properly or missed shifts. He is however gutsy and reckless, and achieves high speeds on the “straights” of the Champs-Elysees. It’s very fortunate that no one was injured or killed in this highly illegal stunt, and you can certainly forgive the French police for wanting to arrest Lelouch afterwards. All this adds up to an always thrilling, and sometimes terrifying ride.
C'était un Rendezvous
Clicky to Watch MovieOne early August morning of 1976, when most of Paris were either on vacation or asleep, Claude Lelouch, a director mostly known for his melodramatic films, strapped a camera to the front of his car and had it raced from one end of Paris to another. Rumors still persist today regarding the details behind the filming, but in the 9-minutes it took to complete the journey, Lelouch created a cult legend for legions of car enthusiasts.
It’s nearly impossible today to separate the fact from the fiction. Lelouch made no real effort to endorse or deny the rumors of his arrest at the first showing of the film, of enlisting a Formula 1 driver to pilot the car, of using his own personal Ferrari 275 GTB in the filming, and of the lookout’s radio failure as the car exited the blind Louvre Museum complex at full throttle. I suspect Lelouch is quite happy to let the rumors perpetuate for eternity, granting him an immortal spot in the car world. About the only thing we can be sure of, is that the ending was staged.
After pouring through several different sources, all the facts and rumors can be summarized into this likely scenario. The spark started after Lelouch had wrapped up his latest cinematic production, which left him with some time before he had to return a camera with a gyro stabilized mount. Lelouch allegedly had just purchased a Ferrari 275 GTB, and came up with the idea to race the car through the streets of Paris in the early hours of the typical vacation month, with the camera mounted to the hood or bumper to document the stunt. Lelouch chose the route based the length of film the camera can hold, and was most likely doing the driving himself, as no Formula 1 driver would commit so many driving errors. The resultant film is simply a document of that daring and irresponsible deed.
The small audience and automotive journalists that have seen it gave near universal praise, but the lack of any distribution results in an underground film that precious few were lucky to see. That unavailability mixed with the near mythical origin elevated the film into a cult legend, a legend that has some doubt its very existence. Then a murky VHS copy emerged on the market in the early 90s, but the astronomical price tag for the short film scared many away, including myself.
Spirit Level Films then announced last year that they are releasing a re-mastered version of the film on DVD. There was no longer any excuse to wait, and I promptly procured a copy as soon as it became available, hoping it can live up to all the hype and acclaim.
For its near 30-year age, the DVD transfer looks clean and relatively free of damage. The film elements are not restored to a pristine state, and the low light condition contributed to its less than ideal look, but this is probably as good as it ever looked on the big screen. There is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track on the disc, and though there are quite a few surround effects, they seem exaggerated and unnatural. The stereo track has a more natural and progressive sound, and is probably the better of the two in this case. I should note that Lelouch never claimed the soundtrack was without artificial manipulation, so even if the engine note is indeed that of a Ferrari 275 GTB, it is not proof positive of the car’s identity. The only extras on the DVD are three trailers and some notes on the legend.
While the film is undoubtedly exhilarating, it is also hugely irresponsible on the part of Lelouch. How can he justify the risks to the unwilling participants on the streets, is the endeavor worth getting someone killed over? Having been involved in a hit and run accident recently because the other driver ran a red light, I have reservations about praising the reckless daring exhibited here, because any acclaim it receives can inspire others to perform copycat stunts. I don’t have any problem if idiots out there want to get themselves killed, it’s their constitutional right after all, but making innocent bystanders like me pay for these selfish undertaking, with my pocketbook or my life, is unacceptable.
That makes it hard to assess the virtues of the film without divorcing the immoral aspects of filmmaking. So all we can do is see it for what it is, a document of an illicit and dangerous display of recklessness, nothing more and nothing less. While film hasn’t lost its visceral impact after decades of dormant, it doesn’t live up to its incredible reputation either, and the myth behind the film is arguably more interesting because we will never know the truth. I just hope no one will want to replicate what Lelouch did here, mistaking his sheer stupidity and selfishness for bravado. Besides, we can now easily simulate that experience of reckless abandon in the video game world, without anyone ever getting hurt.
The film opens with a declaration that no special effects or film speed manipulations were used to artificially enhance the visual presentation. To the sound of a beating heart we fade in to the car already in motion, and without any dialogue or voice-over to setup what is going on, accelerate hard and race towards an unknown destination. From near the Arch of Triumph, the car runs through numerous red lights, travels on the wrong side of the road, passes full speed through blind intersections, reaches speed in excess of one hundred miles per hour, narrowly miss pedestrians, cars, buses, trucks, and birds to finally arrive at the Sacred-Heart Basilica for a rendezvous of little surprise. The ride is only about 9 minutes long, but feels much shorter because of its intensity.
There is no soundtrack to speak of except for the roar of the engine and squeals of the tires. The gyro stabilized camera mount greatly reduces the sensation of speed, so you can only tell how fast the car is moving by using road marks and other cars as points of reference. Lelouch is not a great driver, often braking too late to take a corner properly or missed shifts. He is however gutsy and reckless, and achieves high speeds on the “straights” of the Champs-Elysees. It’s very fortunate that no one was injured or killed in this highly illegal stunt, and you can certainly forgive the French police for wanting to arrest Lelouch afterwards. All this adds up to an always thrilling, and sometimes terrifying ride.
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
.
