WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION

 

I had never heard of this film, or even knew of its existence, until I saw it being offered for sale on DVD in the updated Edward R. Hamilton catalog. It is a documentary detailing Formula One racing legend Jackie Stewart's quest to win the Monaco Grand Prix in May of 1971. 

What really piqued my interest in this DVD was the pairing of Jackie Stewart with Roman Polanski, a truly bizarre coupling. Polanski really was a racing fan at the time (Formula One has a far more glamorous and glitzy reputation than the likes of NASCAR does), and he wanted to showcase Stewart, who was a friend, in a film that would detail his routine during a major event. 

Polanski produced the film, but he hired documentary veteran Frank Simon to direct it. The result is a fascinating look at a world and a time long gone, especially from a racing standpoint. 

Polanski accompanies Stewart as he qualifies and competes at Monte Carlo, but for the most part he stays out of the way and doesn't hog the camera. The racing footage is impressive--F1 geeks will lap it up. The only real drama that the movie has is the rainy weather, which creates problems for Stewart and his crew. The actual race winds up being somewhat anticlimactic, in that Stewart wins rather handily. 

As for Stewart himself, he comes off as even-keeled, focused, and very articulate about his profession and what it takes to be a champion driver. Stewart retired from competitive racing in 1973, and my knowledge of him comes from his time as a TV racing commentator. What made Stewart such an effective commentator is that he had an innate ability to explain all the details of auto racing and do it in a way that even someone who knew nothing about cars could understand what was going on. Stewart shows that ability already in this film, as he explains to Polanski just what it takes to drive a tricky road course like Monte Carlo.  

We do get to see a bit of the exotic allure of Monaco (Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier show up at the trophy ceremony) but the film mostly sticks to the race, and the preparations for it. 

This version of the film has an 2012 afterword in which Stewart and Polanski, while sitting in the same hotel suite Jackie stayed in during the 1971 race, look back on the film and how much F1 has changed. 

WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION will get attention just from the idea of Jackie Stewart hanging out with Roman Polanski, but it winds up being a fine documentary that racing fans will certainly enjoy. I think there's enough here, even from a nostalgia standpoint alone, to interest even those who have no idea what Formula One is.