Grand Prix

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Grand Prix

Released Dec 21, 1966

2h 59m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

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13 Reviews

88%

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2,500+ Ratings

The most daring drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship. After a spectacular wreck in the first of a series of races, American wheelman Pete Aron (James Garner) is dropped by his sponsor. Refusing to quit, he joins a Japanese racing team. While juggling his career with a torrid love affair involving an ex-teammate's wife, Pete must also contend with Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand), a French contestant who has previously won two world titles.

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Pauline Kael

The New Republic

There’s so much plain and fancy hard work involved in a production like Grand Prix that it begins to seem almost cruelly flippant to watch it for the same reasons we’d watch a lousy old movie on television.

Sep 19, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The predictable soap-opera elements might be strictly Formula One, but there’s innovation to spare when it comes to the mounting of the spectacular race scenes.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 4, 2025

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

The did-it-for-real granddaddy of contemporary racing films & the apex of god-tier go-fast cinema, at worst unrivaled by anything since & at best the recipient of loving homage. To boot, it offers a ruthless understanding of professional racing business.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 30, 2025

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Nathanael Hood

Unseen Films

It's a rowdy, roaring, ecstatic hallelujah of movement and speed.

Rated: 9/10

Jun 8, 2020

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Penelope Houston

The Spectator

Frankenheimer can make one feel that there's no more exhilarating place to put a camera than on a Formula One.

Jul 9, 2018

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

Turns a high-speed death-defying stunt into a collection of beautiful pictures assembled with visceral effectiveness,.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 30, 2017

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Mate P

Grand Prix revolutionized the way racing films are shot and I love it for that. The writing is overall mixed. I like the characters, I think they are quite well-written. It's interesting that everyone is in a grey area, nobody's black or white. The story was probably secondary behind spectacle and it shows. I like how some of it is unpredictable, but at the same time it's also messy. The dialogues are mixed. Some of the lines have weight and meaning, but most of them feel forced and unnatural. The cinematography is amazing. The lighting is good, but the camera movements and angles are what revolutionized the way racing films and car scenes are shot in general. You can see how some shots inspired F1: The Movie or one of the best car chase sequences of all time, in Ronin (also directed by John Frankenheimer). The editing can sometimes seem weird with a modern eye, but at the time it must have been mesmerizing. The transitions between the split screens must have also been revolutionary. The sound design and mixing helps the cinematography in achieving the feeling of racing and its realism. The score is always beautiful, but not always fitting. The acting performances are mixed. I could feel that the non-English speaking actors had a hard time acting in a different language. The line deliveries felt forced. On the other hand, the physical acting is great. Grand Prix aims for spectacle over substance and delivers.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/02/25

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Mark B

Racing sequences are excellent. Eva Marie Saint Yves Montand scenes are soap. Jump over every scene and shot that Saint is in and the movies pacing and story works.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/20/24

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Ray L

Hard to believe spectators were allowed to line the track the way they did. Great movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/26/24

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Judith S

Splendid action, photography, direction and a close up of life in the 1960’s.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

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Alec B

If you can get passed the predictable melodrama the editing, cinematography, direction, and Saul Bass montage designs will more than see you through the lengthy running time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

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jrnation5788

A terrific time capsule for 60's Formula 1 racing with expert cinematography, a solid story, and character performances to go along.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/05/22

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John Frankenheimer

Director

James Garner

Pete Aron

Eva Marie Saint

Louise Frederickson

Yves Montand

Jean-Pierre Sarti

Toshiro Mifune

Izo Yamura

Brian Bedford

Scott Stoddard

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Synopsis

The most daring drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship. After a spectacular wreck in the first of a series of races, American wheelman Pete Aron (James Garner) is dropped by his sponsor. Refusing to quit, he joins a Japanese racing team. While juggling his career with a torrid love affair involving an ex-teammate's wife, Pete must also contend with Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand), a French contestant who has previously won two world titles.

Director: John Frankenheimer
Producer: Edward Lewis
Screenwriter: Robert Alan Aurthur
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Cherokee Productions, Joel Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1966, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2010
Runtime: 2h 59m

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