Bobby Deerfield is a solitary, methodical Formula One driver obsessed with control over his car and his life. After witnessing a fatal crash that kills a teammate and seriously injures another competitor, he becomes unsettled by the idea of death. A visit to the survivor brings him into contact with Lillian Morelli, an impulsive and quirky Swiss woman whose presence upends his routine and his certainties.

How it was made

The film adapts Erich Maria Remarque's 1961 novel Heaven Has No Favorites, with a screenplay by Alvin Sargent and direction by Sydney Pollack. Al Pacino took the role because he felt a personal connection to the character, despite his manager's objections to the script. The roughly four-month shoot took place in Italy, at Lake Como and Florence, and in France, at Le Mans. Pacino followed a strict fitness regime under trainer Al Silvani. The racing sequences include footage from the 1976 Formula One season, and Brazilian driver José Carlos Pace doubled for Pacino in them; Pace died in a plane crash shortly afterwards, and the film is dedicated to him. Pacino later said he had creative disagreements with Pollack.

Reception and legacy

Critical response was divided and largely harsh. Roger Ebert praised it as a big, skillful melodrama, while Time Out dismissed it as a classic case of a Hollywood director struck down by a lethal European 'art' attack. Vincent Canby called it one of the year's most cynical movies. Several commentators nonetheless singled out Pacino's performance. The film was a box-office failure that did not recoup its costs. Pollack considered it one of his favourite projects, and Pacino included it in the 2018 retrospective Pacino's Way. Pacino received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a drama.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

Real 1976 footage

The racing scenes use footage shot during the 1976 Formula One season, featuring real drivers such as James Hunt and Mario Andretti.

A stand-in who died

Brazilian driver José Carlos Pace doubled for Pacino in the racing scenes. He died in a plane crash shortly afterwards, and the film was dedicated to him.

More films by Sydney Pollack

Out of Africa1985

Tootsie1982

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?1969

The Way We Were1973

Three Days of the Condor1975

The Firm1993

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.