Review of C`etait un Rendezvous

Introduction

Early one morning, about dawn, Claude Lelouche and two associates set a gyroscopically-mounted camera rolling and proceeded to drive recklessly and at inappropriate speeds around Paris for just over eight minutes in either Lelouche`s 6.9 litre Mercedes or, more realistically, a Ferrari 275 GTB. The result is `C`était un rendez-vous`, an edge of your seat thrill ride that no description can do justice. Needless to say, the famous car chases in such films as `The French Connection`, `Ronin` and `Bullitt` are put into perspective by this one-shot short film which was made without special effects, editing or blocking off streets.

There are many rumours surrounding this film and few things are certain. The car is unknown - it was either a Mercedes-Benz or a Ferrari - and the driver is unknown; it was either Lelouche himself or, as he explained to the court following his arrest, it was a Formula One driver whom he refused to name. One could imagine the late James Hunt, F1 champion that year, at the wheel although there were also four French drivers in the F1 championship that year, plus Jean-Pierre Beltoise who is credited as `stunt driver` on the IMDb. All of this has increased the cult status of the film and the mythology surrounding it.

Video

Given that this was shot at high speed on an experimental camera in 1976, the film looks terrific and the small amounts of grain are only noticeable if you`re looking for them - for the most part you`re too busy swerving with the car and gripping your seat with every near miss to notice any blemishes. Nevertheless, the film has undergone an extensive remastering process in which the film has been cleaned resulting in a bright, clear and stunning transfer.

Audio

You can listen to the howl of the engine and screech of the tyres in Dolby Digital 5.1, Surround or basic Stereo.
Lelouche claims on his website that the engine sound you hear is that of a Ferrari 275 GTB which was dubbed over the Mercedes to give the impression of higher speed and faster gear changes, although whether he is telling the truth is another matter!

Features

`The Legend` is a three page mini essay about the film, the myths and the process from filming, to underground showings at car clubs, to this remastered DVD release.

There are three trailers for the film: a 10 second trailer, a 20 second trailer and a 30 second trailer.

The `Coming Soon` item is a trailer for `The Cobra Ferrari Wars`.

Conclusion

A perfect example of `cinéma vérité` - a no-nonsense approach to filmmaking in which everything you see is real and has not been altered in post-production in any way. The film is only nine minutes long with just over eight minutes of driving, but I would challenge anyone not to do what I did: to reach the beautiful `surprise ending` and watch it all over again at least once. This is an exhilarating film in which you find yourself simultaneously cursing Lelouche for having such disregard for human life, whilst praising him as a mad genius for creating such a phenomenal film.

If you have friends over and own this DVD, it must be compulsory to ask them "Have you seen `C`était un rendez-vous`?" and if they respond in the negative, sit them down, put the disc in, turn the volume up and say `Watch this`. Hell, even if they have seen it, I can`t think of a decent reason why you shouldn`t lose yourself in a breathtaking ride through 1970`s Paris although the RRP of £14.99 for under 10 minutes of footage does seem a little steep!