Review of Downhill Racer (1969) by Joe O — 01 Nov 2010

I took notes on this shit so here we go.

This is a great film about what it really means to be a champion in a world full of champions. There's a great shot in this movie reminiscent of the Great Gatsby where Robert Redford has returned to his hometown to tell his father that he has become a great skier but isn't making any money doing it. He stands on top of a metal bucket showing that he is still who he once was, a farmboy from Colorado. The film also has the theme of the American sense of importance, the American team always refers to other teams by their nationality instead of the individual names of the team members. Individualism is not portrayed well in the film really. The American team works as a whole, wearing the same white uniform and practicing the same routines. Though there is competition and the competition is animalistic at times. Redford is seen drinking water from the sink, holding things with his mouth, and so on. The camerawork is fantastic in this film, there's one shot shown from Redford's perspective racing down the mountain. I honestly don't know how they got some of these beautiful shots. The ending is kind of lackluster though, Redford wins the race and there is a brief moment of suspense when the French team almost takes it away from him but it's nothing great. Overall though a great movie and a very good title. What is the goal of a skier? To race downhill as fast as possible.