C'était un rendez-vous
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C'était un rendez-vous is a short film made in 1976 by Claude Lelouch, showing an 8-minute drive through Paris at 5:30 AM.
Despite or due to the limited availability of video tapes, it gained cult status over the years among motoring enthusiasts who admired the experience of speed and the reckless style of driving [link]
Due to the increasing popularity and the lack of original tapes, the film has recently been re-mastered from the 35mm negative and released on DVD, as well as being [published on the Internet].
This example of a cinéma vérité film was made in a single take with no editing, using a [camera attached to the bumper of a Mercedes]. The length of the film thus was limited by the capacity of the camera reel which lasted to under 10 minutes.
Idea
Lelouch had made enough money from his classic Un Homme et une Femme to buy himself a Ferrari 275 GTB, which he proceeded to drive with "enthusiasm" in his native Paris. Whilst shooting another film, a new bit of equipment was being used - a gyro stabilised camera mount. Lelouch then came up with the idea for C'était un Rendezvous. The camera used only had a ten minute film magazine - hence the mad dash to the steps of the Basilique du Sacre Coeur in Montmartre.Plot summary
The film shows an 8-minute drive through Paris in the morning hours, accompanied by sounds of a high-revving engine, of gear changes and squealing tyres. It starts in a tunnel of the Paris Périphérique, with an onboard view from an unseen car exiting up on a ramp to Avenue Foch. Well known landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde with its obelisk are passed, as well as the Champs-Elysées. Pedestrians are passed, pigeons sitting on the streets are scattered, red lights are ignored, one-way streets are driven up the wrong way, and center lines are crossed. The car is never seen as the camera seems to be attached below the front bumper, judging from the relative positions of other cars, and the final shot when the car is parked in front of curbstones on the Sacre Coeur hill. Here, the driver gets out and embraces a young blond woman as bells ring in the background.Speculations
In promotions, by fans, and in various discussions on the internet, it is often claimed or speculated that the film uses Lelouch's own Ferrari 275 GTB, some other Ferrari type, an Alpine, or even a Le Mans prototype race car. Some even boldy state the type or color of the car, despite it never being seen. For the anonymous driver, professional racers of the time like Jacques Laffite or Jacky Ickx were suspected. However, after his death in May 2006, it was confirmed by his family that the driver was in fact ex-F1 racer [Johnny Servoz-Gavin] [[Citing sources citation needed]].These speculations were all proven wrong by recent comments from Lelouch [#endnote_am01], including [an interview]. The [vehicle that carried the camera] was his 6.9L Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9, with automatic transmission and a top speed of 230 km/h. A picture was released of Lelouch [working with the gyro stabilized camera on his Mercedes.]
The gear changes up into 5th and high-revving engine sounds indicate speeds of well over 200 km/h, yet the picture often does not match, as visual speed does not change as much as the sound does. This is due to the fact that the sound track was dubbed, as confirmed by Lelouch.
Calculations, which are rather simple for average speeds (as stated [here]) by measuring times and taking distances from a map of Paris, were made by several independent groups. These showed that the car never exceeds 140 km/h (85 mph) [link], [link], [link], which seems to lend credence to Lelouch's comments, despite a single claim[link] of 220km/h (136mph) also being made. Lelouch himself once citted that the top speed achieved was [200 km/h].
Route
|} CriticismIt is possible to argue that if the movie was indeed filmed as Lelouch claims, it would indicate a criminally reckless disregard for the life and safety of pedestrians and motorists. On first showing, Lelouch was supposedly arrested. In his defence, he proclaimed he had taken all possible precautions. This included convincing a Formula One driver to helm the car - he refused to name him, hence the rumours.Today, making such a film would be very difficult since a major city like Paris is packed with heavy traffic almost round-the-clock. The distribution of the movie could also be viewed as encouraging thrill-seekers to speed and disregard traffic laws (including red lights), again because of the claim by Lelouch that the movie portrays real live action (and thus is replicable by thrill-seekers) as opposed to cinematographic special effects. Comments attributed to Mr. Lelouch [link] indicate that he acknowledges the moral outrage over his method of shooting this movie as valid. He also states that he was prepared to take the risks in making the movie. He actually had his driving licence revoked for... a couple of seconds, as the filmmaker itself tells the story. [[Citing sources citation needed]] External links
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