X
- 1969
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
- 1969
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
Summary Quietly cocky David Chappellet (Robert Redford) joins the U.S. ski team as downhill racer and clashes with the team's coach, played by Gene Hackman.
Directed By: Michael Ritchie
Written By: James Salter, Oakley Hall
- 1969
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
- 1969
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 41 m
Downhill Racer
7.4
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Summary Quietly cocky David Chappellet (Robert Redford) joins the U.S. ski team as downhill racer and clashes with the team's coach, played by Gene Hackman.
Directed By: Michael Ritchie
Written By: James Salter, Oakley Hall
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 15 Critic Reviews
89
93% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 15 Critic Reviews
89
93% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Downhill Racer is fascinating viewing, even if the closest you've gotten to a ski slope is "Wide World of Sports."
By Staff (Not Credited) FULL REVIEW
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.4
64% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
36% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.4
64% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
36% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Apr 24, 2018
There is one reason this movie is so great and his name is James Salter. Salter is one of the most brilliant writers we have. He was a military pilot and writes about flying better than any writer in history. Salter is just pure talent pure class purely beautiful feelings and expression. Redford is good and the directing is good but the highest quality comes from Salter. See the movie and enjoy. When you are done find Salter books on flying and read every one. They will blow you away.
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Feb 15, 2018
This movie gets me all jazzed up like Max Meyer. Just the thought of that final run, with one skier remaining - gives me the chills just thinking about it. And I love the 912 Porsche that he drives.
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With Downhill Racer Michael Ritchie did for sports films what Two-Lane Blacktop did for road films. He created an existentialist sports film that is as tense as it is harrowing, and brought the genre into the realm of the bleak.
By Nelson Maddaloni FULL REVIEW
In appreciating that world, its pathos, its narcissism, its tensions, and its sufficient moments of glory, Downhill Racer succeeds with sometimes chilling efficiency. Within the limits imposed by the tangential nature of its insights, it is a very good movie.
By Roger Greenspun FULL REVIEW
It may be the first film in history that starts at the top, goes steadily downhill, and still stays interesting along the way.
By Staff (Not Credited) FULL REVIEW
Nobody can accuse Downhill Racer of lacking artistic integrity. Trouble is, artistic integrity is all it has to offer.
Dec 30, 2018
To Absorb Humility Over Art. Downhill Racer Ritchie's eerie camera work and sharp editing manages to keep the drama enthralling as much as the chills of the race does. And with stunning locations and clean rich production design, the film endorses the quality to its peak. Even though the entire script is directed towards the build up of the nail biting competition, personally, I feel the dramatic bits of the film oozes more energy. With stillness projected like never before, Redford charges you with his cold inhuman looks to fabricate his persona as more human. Frankly, his character isn't likeable. There is very little skin for Redford to sugar top the senses, but his conviction on his deep dark intuitions is something that we all connect to easily. The first act is undoubtedly one of the wittiest weaved out sequence by the writers in here. Without uttering much verbal sparring, the daily routine and the places our protagonist visits, is depicted with a smoothness of "documentary" in here, it does feel real. After such a boost, the film denses up with multiple complex equations of Redford with others and milks out the three dimensional aspect out of them. The film is way too mature for its genre, or it definitely is the "first" of all, for things never do go as anticipated, and armed with such intentions, Ritchie fiddles with his viewers subconsciously. There is no doubt on performance level, Redford on the front is a charming flawed ambitious boy that is sculpted as a man over this almost hundred minutes of journey. His persuasion on keeping the stats accurate is what attracts you even though the figures are misleading. And Hackman as the mentor, does not follow your usual arc of sweet and bitter relationship of his, his methods are effective, always. Downhill Racer is Redford surfing over eye popping locations and jaw dropping realizations of nature.
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Nov 5, 2024
Redford plays a selfish jerk, who lucks his way onto the US Olympic team, He battles with coach Hackman, who tries to teach him team play and the meaning of sport, Almost documentary film style approach works, With first rate, you are there, skiing sequences, And I give Redford props to deliberately play an unlikable person.
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Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
• 2 Nominations
BAFTA Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Writers Guild of America, USA
• 1 Nomination
