Sight and Sound’s DVDs of the Year
Jan 2, 2010End-of-year list-making has been merrily under way in the movie world for the past few weeks, and now Sight and Sound magazine has jumped into the mix with its lineup of the best DVDs of 2009 . . .
Synopsis
Astonishing Alpine location photography and a young Robert Redford in one of his earliest starring roles are just two of the visual splendors of Michael Ritchie’s visceral debut feature, Downhill Racer. In a beautifully understated performance, Redford is David Chappellet, a ruthlessly ambitious skier competing for Olympic gold with an underdog American team in Europe, and Gene Hackman provides tough support as the coach who tries to temper the upstart’s narcissistic drive for glory. With a subtle screenplay by acclaimed novelist James Salter, Downhill Racer is a vivid character portrait buoyed by breathtakingly fast and furious imagery that brings the viewer directly into the mind of the competitor.
Cast
| David Chappellet | Robert Redford |
| Claire | Gene Hackman |
| Carole | Camilla Sparv |
| Machet | Karl Michael Vogler |
| Creech | Jim McMullan |
| Reporter | Kathleen Crowley |
| Mayo | Dabney Coleman |
| D. K. | Kenneth Kirk |
Credits
| Director | Michael Ritchie |
| Producer | Richard Gregson |
| Screenplay | James Salter |
| Music | Kenyon Hopkins |
| Director of photography | Brian Probyn |
| Photographed by | Tony Busbridge, Alan Hewison, Arthur Wooster, Jean-Paul Janssen, Jean-Pierre Janssen, Joe Jay Jalbert, Austin Parkinson and Michael Temple |
| Supervising editor | Nick Archer |
| Editor | Richard Harris |
| Titles designed by | Don Record |
| Art director | Ian Whittaker |
Disc Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- New video interviews with Robert Redford, screenwriter James Salter, film editor Richard Harris, production manager Walter Coblenz, and former downhill skier Joe Jay Jalbert, who served as a technical adviser, ski double, and cameraman
- Audio excerpts from a 1977 American Film Institute seminar with director Michael Ritchie
- How Fast?, a rare 12-minute promotional featurette
- Theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Todd McCarthy
From the Current
Press Notes: Downhill Racer
Nov 24, 2009Critics everywhere are rediscovering Downhill Racer—starring a handsome young golden boy known as Robert Redford—and they’re shouting their praise from the mountaintops. “Four decades later, Downhill Racer seems better than ever, not merely the best film ever made . . .
Downhill Racer: Trailblazer
by Nov 17, 2009“Well, this isn’t exactly a team sport,” assistant coach Mayo quips sarcastically to star skier Johnny Creech after overhearing him complain about renegade team member David Chappellet. It . . .
DOWNHILL, ILLUSTRATED
Nov 11, 2009Michael Ritchie’s Downhill Racer, which arrives on Criterion special-edition DVD next week, is remembered today primarily for its winning star performance. Yet as evidenced by this November 1969 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1083077/index.htm . . .
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