FANS OF vintage motor racing will not want to miss the one-week only engagement of “Weekend of a Champion” a documentary providing an inside look at the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix from director Roman Polanski, following the fierce pre-race preparation and the fiercer off-track bacchanalia alongside multiple world champion Jackie Stewart.
This newly-restored version of the original 1973 release makes plain that Polanski was an unabashed fan of Formula One and good friend of the Scottish driver, so viewers should not expect much more than a feel-good homage to the sport in one its golden eras, but Stewart is such a compelling, camera-friendly figure and the atmosphere of the time is so celebratory and exuberant that this film provides one very enjoyable ride.
The film’s action is confined almost exclusively to Stewart and Polanski enjoying practice laps, a fancy dinner and a hotel breakfast. When discussing the circuit Stewart exhibits his trademark eye for detail and potential hazards – rather important at a time when driver mortality was so high – while in the background we get tantalizing glimpses of other drivers, including the late Graham Hill, plus assorted royals and celebrities.
This documentary’s release is timed to coincide with both Ron Howard’s big budget effort Rush and the recent return of Formula One to US shores. In sum it is a charming time capsule of a dimly-remembered era when, as Stewart puts it with a twinkle, “motor racing was dangerous, and sex was safe”.
Weekend of a Champion. Run time: 83m. Not rated.
The Crest Theatre is located at 1262 S. Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles.
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