User Reviews

The biggest problem with "Pushing the Limits: The Making of 'Grand Prix'" was that although IMDb lists it as a 42 minute film, it is only 29 minutes. And, considering that "Grand Prix" was a nearly three hour film, 29 minutes just isn't enough--especially since this was such a highly unusual shoot and because the film was so technically demanding. There just isn't enough background information to make it a must-see.

This is NOT to say it's not worth watching. The film was interesting in many ways. First, learning how difficult how it was to get the cooperation of the racing teams was interesting--they apparently were NOT thrilled with the idea of making the movie. Second, although many praised John Frankenheimer's skills, no one seemed to like him and he was described as a very abrasive guy. Third, and most importantly, you get to see James Garner go nuts--screaming at a stupid local guy who was holding up the film shoot! This was pretty funny and was the sort of background stuff I like! Worth seeing, as it's included on the disc for "Grand Prix"--so it's not like you need to search high and low for this little film.

This short subject about the behind-the-scenes activities involved in making the dynamic CINERAMA feature film, isn't all that it's cracked up to be. That said, "The Making of Grand Prix" is a look at the logistics of John Frankenheimer's 1966 classic film, which starred James Garner, Yves Montand and Eva Marie Saint. But, only the portion filmed on location in Monaco. This short gives a viewer a look at the complexities of filming in the midst of one of racing's biggest competitions. "Grand Prix" was filmed on many different race courses in Europe, when American driver Phil Hill was at the top of his game internationally. This short only looks at the Monte Carlo race. It's interesting to see how they worked out the logistics for the race, but it only covers this one race — and in faded color stock to boot! The rest of the short has nothing to do with the film "Grand Prix", and will not enlighten you one bit (unless you just happen to go nuts over compilations of old footage of various auto events having no connection to the film "Grand Prix," and with no meaningful commentary either).