Um Momento, Uma Vida

For me, one of the great roles of Al Pacino. and one of the most impressive love story films. for many reasons. in many forms. because it is a film about deep solitude. about escaping from yourself. about hope, in a manner who easyly escapes if you define it as a sport film. one of films reflecting, in inspired manner, the actors behind the roles. and this is one of basic motifs to see it time by time. not for artistic virtues, not for message but for a forme of precious honesty. and it is enough for admire "Bobby Deerfield" as one of admirable films.

Al Pacino is BOBBY DEERFIELD in this touching and moving film about a race car driver in a indifferent marriage who falls in love with Lillian (Marthe Keller). Deerfield buries his feelings and forgets his past until a reckless and passionate woman (Keller) who also lives in death's shadow shows him life's possibilities to the fullest. Beautiful scenes shot in France and Italy make this film even more romantic as well. As Pacino said during the filming of Bobby Deerfield, "I might have been closer to that character, what he was going through, than any character I've played". Why this film is not out on dvd is beyond me, it is fantastic. Funny and touchingly romantic. This was during Pacino's best years.

When Bobby Deerfield was marketed in the USA it was sold to the public as a racing picture like Grand Prix or Le Mans. I well remember the advertisements for it. The European racing scene however is only a background for an Erich Maria Remarque novel on which the film is based. It is a very typical Remarque story about doomed people.

Remarque was one of the most pessimistic of 20th century writers. His best known work however usually has a war background. He spent his entire life trying to out do his first great success All Quiet On The Western Front. Such other work as Three Comrades and Arch of Triumph which were also filmed had a war background or post or pre-war if you will.

The novel Bobby Deerfield is based on Heaven Has No Favorites and came out in 1961 and its protagonist was not an American. My guess is that in order to film it and insure box office the protagonist was changed to an American and a rising American star was cast. Al Pacino plays the title role, an American driver on the European circuit who is self involved in his career. In fact he goes visiting another injured driver, not out of any tremendous concern for him, but to find out information about the crash because he's driving the exact same type of car.

While at the hospital he meets Marthe Keller who leaves the hospital with him. She's a terminal tuberculosis patient and she wants to experience a little of life before it's too late. His kind of risk taking profession appeals to her. It takes a while, but the two develop a relationship.

Which was paralleled in real life between Al Pacino and Marthe Keller and that certainly helped the film a lot. Keller joins Ingrid Bergman from Arch of Triumph and Margaret Sullavan in Three Comrades as yet another of Remarque's doomed heroines. And like in war Pacino's in a job where his number can come up any time.

The film was shot on location in France. Sydney Pollack showed some of the style he did while making that other Oscar winning romantic film Out of Africa. The French countryside is captured beautifully.

Still I think it was bad for American audiences to expect another Grand Prix in Bobby Deerfield. There was enough racing scenes in the film to satisfy racing fans, maybe. But make no mistake, this is a tender romantic story and a good one.

"Bobby Deerfield" enjoys,so to speak ,a very low rating on the site ,which is probably unfair.Pacino's usual characters and Bobby Deerfield are worlds apart.And coming after the brilliant " dog day afternoon" it could only be a let down.

I saw the movie when it was released and even at the time it seemed rather obsolete and old-fashioned.Adapted from an Erich Maria Remarque novel,it mixed a Douglas Sirkesque melodrama with French nouvelle vague with a bit of the long Cassavetes-like conversations thrown it. It's European to the core.Besides,the two actresses are Swiss (Keller) and French (Duperey).The former is the only interesting character of the movie but it's an endearing one:a short chat with a nurse tells us about her health ,but it will be an hour and a half before Pacino learns it.Keller's joie de vivre is infectious and sometimes the things soar.But it never really lasts and some scenes are boring.The metaphors are a bit ponderous ,as Keller is off on a balloon trip.The races -Deerfield is a race driver- are dully filmed and won't convince "Grand Prix"'s fans.

The best scenes are to be found in the hospital where Deerfield pays a visit to an injured friend,and then the small trip through the splendid landscapes of Switzerland .

Although BD cannot match Pollack's best works (they shoot horses don't they?;Jeremiah Johnson;This property is condemned)it's a whole lot better than later mediocre thrillers like "the firm".

This movie is hard to locate and seems to be a true lost gem. Both Al Pacino and Marthe Keller are true hedonists who fall in love. But there's more. Keller is dying of cancer and Pacino is a racing driver who lives for the adrenalin buzz of speed and excitement. Both get to realise the reason behind their own "Live for today" motivations. Keller is the society girl who falls in love with Pacino and their manic lifestyles compensate one another. A very poignant and truly touching movie which will bring a lump to your throat.