Downhill Racer

Robert Redford stars in this excellent 1969 film about a selfish and ambitious athlete who wants to break records at the Olympics but not participate in the teamwork emphasized by his coach (Gene Hackman). Redford comes across as a rare heel, and the film's understated tone keeps the focus on characters and sundry themes important to director Michael Ritchie (The Candidate): the sacrifices of the race, the price of winning, the fear of losing. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com essential video

Worth seeing again

Besides having some really good skiing scenes, there's a beautiful young Robert Redford. That's always worth a second, third and fourth look for we ladies. March 2, 2008

Understated Study of a Loner

The opening sequence of "Downhill Racer" gets the adrenalin flowing - plenty of softly photographed downhill action accompanied the crisp jazz notes of composer Kenyon Hopkins' first-rate score. Then the film settles down to a pace befitting its core: a quiet study of a loner, exhibiting strained relations with most everyone around him, as he develops the zone he intends to maintain for victory.

In this somewhat contrarian role on the heels of his charming "Sundance Kid" performance, a still-emerging Robert Redford plays effectively off Gene Hackman in a thoughtful and interesting exploration of what makes a winning athlete tick and whether "teamwork" is always relevant to winning. Redford's visit to his hometown is a bit unsettling; one can feel the tenseness between father and son and the uncomfortableness of a young man who is not really "home" at all. The same low-lying tension permeates the other quiet scenes in and around team headquarters, which makes the actual competition - punctuated by Hopkins' buoyant score - all the more breathtaking.

Director Ritchie, who also worked with Redford in "The Candidate", knew how to get the most out of shooting his star's facial expressions, which deepen the feel of unease throughout much of "Downhill Racer", and that artful camerawork is put to excellent use in the film's finale.

This is a film worth a second look. January 15, 2008

Please Put On DVD!!!

Please put this reknowned Robert Redford skiing movie on DVD!!It would make a great contribution!! June 1, 2007

Downhill Racer - a must see!

I kick off every Ski Season by popping in my old vhs copy of Downhill Racer. It is one of the few, if not the only, ski films out there that is able to capture the american ski scene and culture in the late 60's as vividly and honestly as this film does. The Redford character is rather complex actually, a loner, a selfish and self indulgent athlete with great talent ... a talent never recognized or appreciated by his father. So perhaps it was a troubled and sad family life that fostered the cocky and arrogant attitude he brought with him to ski racing. And the very aspects of his personality that the coach and team members find disgraceful are the very same traits that make him a top racer, a winner. And as long as he keeps winning races this behavior will be embraced by the fans, the media and ultimately his coach.

His relationship with Carmilla Sparv is totally engaging, perfectly played and it's the only way the Redford character will get a taste of his bad self! And I've seen many a man's goggles fog up at the sight of a gorgeous gal who not only skis well but drives a porsche ... she was perfect for Redford ...hello, certainly she belonged in this movie!!


~Lola April 8, 2005

Almost like a Sking Docudrama - but some weak points

When it comes to Robert Redford, I am a huge fan. Redford is very famous for his role as Roy Hobbs in "The Natural" - a movie that many consider one of the greatest Baseball movies of all-time. What many people don't realize is that earlier in his career Redford did another sports film - this one dealt with downhill skiing. This movie is simply titled "Downhill Racer". This movie is a very different movie than "The Natural". Although from a plot standpoint, it is not as compelling as "The Natural", "Downhill Racer" does come across very well as a pure Sports movie. The movie also features Gene Hackman as Coach Eugene Clair - the U.S. Olympic Downhill Skiing coach.

The best way to sum up "Downhill Racer" is that it is a combination of a Docudrama and a Drama. Even though this is a fictitious story, the movie very much comes across as a docudrama. The Docudrama part chronicles the three year career of fictitious skier David Chappellet (played by Robert Redford). It chronicles the story of when Chappellet first joins the U.S. Ski Team and then follows his career as he becomes a rising star on the Ski Circuit in Europe - climaxing with a Downhill Event in the Olympics. This part of the movie is very well-done. As you watch this chronicling, you will almost believe that this is a biographical story.

Redford really brings the an edge to his character of David Chappellet. Chappellet is character who is cocky and reckless. Chappellet arrives in Europe to the U.S. Ski Team as a fill-in for an injured teammate. Chappellet will immediately display a brashness when he is upset about getting a poor draw in the start gate (when he hasn't even proven himself). Redford is able to deliver this brashness flawlessly. Hackman's performance actually was somewhat a disappointment. There is really only one scene where Hackman comes down on Chappellet for his rebel character. While the character of Coach Clair does a good job in portraying himself as the U.S. Ski Coach, I would have liked to have seen better interaction with Chappellet throughout the film.

This film was directed by Michael Ritchie. Up until this movie, Ritchie's work had been primarily on television. This film would mark the beginning of a very successful motion picture directing career. Ritchie does a great job at translating Oakley Hall and James Salter's script and painting a picture of realism of the Ski Circuit. This is how the film almost has a Docudrama effect. The Ski scenes are phenomenal. There are scenes when a camera is mounted to a skier and it gives the effect of what the skier is looking at as he goes down the hill in a race.

The film does a great job at looking at Americas role on the World Ski Circuit. The film points out that this traditionally a sport that Americans have not done well in. There are references to why the Americans have not been as competitive in this sport (i.e. due to lack of sponsorship, funding, and good equipment). The movie raises the question on whether Downhill Racing is a Team or Individual Sport. Coach Clair is quick to point out that it is a team concept because of the costs the sponsors incur in funding the team. However one of Chappellet's teammates (played by a young Dabney Coleman) quickly points out that there are times that Skiing isn't exactly a team sport. The movie also raises the issue of Professional vs. Amateur Athletics. When Chappellet returns home to visit his aluft father, his father questions why anyone would want to compete if they don't get paid. (This goes back to the days when the Olympics were really considered an amateur competition). This also comes up again at the Olympics when Chappellet is repeatedly asked what he is going to do after the Olympics (referring to the obvious financial rewards that could follow).

As part of the view of the team, there is an interesting subplot that develops. When Chappellet arrives on the team, there is a U.S. Skiing hope named Johnny Creech who is considered the rising star of the team. As Chappellet becomes a rising star, a rivalry develops between the two skiers. There are definitely times that Creech doesn't appreciate Chappellet's brashness. As the two head for the Olympics, the rivalry begins comes to a climax. Eventually it is Chappellet who will become the Skier that will have the Olympic showdown with Europe's top skier - Max Meier.

The final scene takes place at the Olympics. There is a very interesting twist at the end of the movie involving who gets the Gold Medal. Just when we think who won the Meier-Chappellet showdown, there is a wildcard thrown in where a third skier comes into play on who will get the Gold Medal. I liked how this was done.

There are some other disappointments the lack of interaction with Chappellet and the Coach. The weakest part of the film involves a Romance Storyline. While in his second year on the U.S. Ski Team, Chappellet develops a budding romance with an employee of a ski manufacturer named Carole Stahl (played by Camilla Sparv). It almost seemed like they forced the Romance angle in this movie - and the movie could have probably held its own without even introducing Carole's character. I would also liked to have seen the plot involving Chappellet's father have a little more done with it. Chappellet definitely didn't have a strong relationship with his father - and it was clear his father didn't approve of what his son did. I would have liked to have seen some closure involving this relationship. Instead we are kept hanging with this subplot.

Overall, if I look at this movie from the Docudrama standpoint, I find it to be better than if I look at this as a Drama about Skiing. It is definitely worth checking out. March 14, 2005

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