Home / Arts and Entertainment / Ski Movie Pioneer: 'Downhill Racer' Still Thrills
Ski Movie Pioneer: 'Downhill Racer' Still Thrills
1 Feb
Summary
- Film captured pioneering documentary-style ski racing footage.
- Redford viewed 'Downhill Racer' as a pivotal auteur moment.
- The 1969 film grossed $1.9 million, $16 million today.
Released on October 28, 1969, Robert Redford's "Downhill Racer" is lauded as a seminal film in the American sports genre, distinguished by its innovative use of cameras mounted on skiers during racing sequences.
Co-written by Redford and Peter Salter, the film centered on an arrogant skier, David Chappellet, and his conflicts within the U.S. Ski Team. Director Michael Ritchie, impressed by Redford's vision, helmed the project, casting Gene Hackman as the coach.
Filmed in Switzerland, Austria, and France, with additional scenes shot at what is now Sundance in Utah, the movie captured the intensity of competitive skiing. Its documentary-style approach to filming sports action is still considered exhilarating.
While "Downhill Racer" earned $1.9 million, a modest figure equivalent to $16 million in contemporary currency, Redford later admitted the film lacked sufficient story. Despite this, he considered it a deeply personal work, marking a transitional period in his career toward artistic control.
