While the film is a little dated, it reminds you immediately why race car drivers are considered some of the coolest and most courageous athletes in the world. The opening scene sets the tone for the film. This is no film for the faint-hearted. In fact, if you are at all squeamish about scenes of car wrecks, this is not for you. There are scenes with not only wrecks but the carnage that follows. Far from being a glorification of that carnage, the accompanying interviews with formula 1 drivers from the early 70s remind you that there are people in those cars; people who get hurt or even killed in those crashes. I would recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of racing in any capacity.
12 Reviews
Riveting time piece
aarauz23 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I ran into this movie one late movie while flipping thru SpeedChannel. I was instantly mesmerized as the film covered some of my favorite issues:
1. the romance of Ken Tyrell's halycon days (1969-1978) 2. perhaps to catch a glimpse of my boyhood hero in his rookie year: Carlos Reutemann 3. the danger of driving a 1970's F1 car.
Once the in-depth interviews with Jackie, Cevert & Hailwood were interspersed with the incredible racing footage & that 10 minute sequence of overs-exposed film with 'cheesey' period music, I was hooked. Gotta buy this film. In fact it raises a question: Are there any more of this ilk?
1. the romance of Ken Tyrell's halycon days (1969-1978) 2. perhaps to catch a glimpse of my boyhood hero in his rookie year: Carlos Reutemann 3. the danger of driving a 1970's F1 car.
Once the in-depth interviews with Jackie, Cevert & Hailwood were interspersed with the incredible racing footage & that 10 minute sequence of overs-exposed film with 'cheesey' period music, I was hooked. Gotta buy this film. In fact it raises a question: Are there any more of this ilk?
Interesting documentary
garychurch12 December 2018
I now realise I have seen clips of this documentary used in other F1 films and it's good to see the whole film. It has some interesting and candid interviews with leading drivers of the day with no PR person in sight interrupting the interview. It starts with the horrific Tom Pryce accident in Kyalami but after that it's not too graphic. It's also sad to see Francois Cevert discussing how smoothly his team mate, Jackie Stewart, drives in the same year died. Another thing which is striking is how tatty and worn the cars look compared to immaculate specimens you see today and also how soft their suspension was. Also surprising is the amount of surplus people in the pits who have to dive out of the way when the cars come in
The film is of its time and has a lot of the 70s trademarks - swirling aerial helicopter shots, rambling incidental music, lingering female breast shots, and goes down odd cinematic avenues to try and set the scene before jumping back into f1 but I am not complaining. It's also filmem, to a degree, from a 'let's teach the Americans about f1. Most of the video footage is of good quality and with age it has become a good historical record of an F1 era which must be fading fast, even from the memories of those who lived through it. Much like Steve McQueenks Le Mans
Saw this when it premiered in 1974
Sparky5628 April 2004
My interest in F-1 started in the early 70s. Back then, the only TV coverage of F-1 in the US, was a few minutes of Monaco on Wide World of SPorts, between other segments. Any other footage I saw of F-1 races came along once a year when Auto Expo auto show would run some of the Castrol films covering motorsports during the previous year. When One By One opened in Los Angeles, I skipped school and drove 60 miles to see it! Then went back with my parents on the weekend, then skipped another day of school the following week. I was a big fan of Tyrrell team and had been sad at the loss of Cevert at Watkins that previous year. I appreciated that the film became a tribute to him. The film had been intended to be about the passing of the torch from Stewart to Cevert.
As some have noted, the film was later released on video as "The Quick and the Dead", with that morbid addition of Tom Pryce and the course worker losing their lives. That aside, the movie captures the atmosphere of that era quite well. It was tragically common up to the early 80s for at least one driver to be killed per season in GP racing (same applied to most of the big league motorsports), and the film brings that to our attention in a very non-gratuitous way.
As some have noted, the film was later released on video as "The Quick and the Dead", with that morbid addition of Tom Pryce and the course worker losing their lives. That aside, the movie captures the atmosphere of that era quite well. It was tragically common up to the early 80s for at least one driver to be killed per season in GP racing (same applied to most of the big league motorsports), and the film brings that to our attention in a very non-gratuitous way.
Very disturbing, but very good
randyrat30 November 2002
This is one of the most disturbing movies I have ever seen. However, it needs to be seen by any racing fan. The version of the film I saw opens with a scene from the 1977 South African Grand Prix with footage of a race marshall being hit by the car driven by Pryce in which both were killed. This sets the tone for the rest of the film.
You can tell these guys are a bit crazy, yet extremely brave to hop into a Formula 1 car and risk their lives with every foot they travel down the track.
There are some great interviews with the drivers, and even though this stuff is from the 1973 season, the ideas expressed through the film still apply to this day. Racing is extremely dangerous.
You can tell these guys are a bit crazy, yet extremely brave to hop into a Formula 1 car and risk their lives with every foot they travel down the track.
There are some great interviews with the drivers, and even though this stuff is from the 1973 season, the ideas expressed through the film still apply to this day. Racing is extremely dangerous.
The Quick and The Dead
chairnazi10 April 2003
Warning: Spoilers
mild spoilers present...
I did not recognize the title "One by One", when I was searching for this film on IMDb. I recently saw the 1977 release of "The Quick and The Dead" on Speed Channel. The host opens the film by warning the viewer of the disturbing scenes within the film, especially the very beginning. I'll be 3 for 3 in user reviews' commenting on the opening sequence. I can't get it out of my mind. The shock value makes anything on RealTV or YouGottaSeeThis seem tame by comparison. Two track workers cross heavy race traffic to assist a stalled driver who is inexplicably running around his car in a very agitated state. The first worker just misses getting clipped by a passing car, the second worker is not so lucky. I did not know that the driver in the incident was also killed -- the video footage does not show what happens to the car, nor is there any comment on the incident in the film. However, you do see exactly what happens to the stricken track worker. Horrifying, yet strangely fascinating.
The film plays like a documentary of the sport of Formula 1 racing circa 1973. They mainly profile four drivers, Francois Cevert, Peter Revson, Mike Hailwood, and the great Jackie Stewart. Cevert, Revson, and Hailwood all perish in crashes (none shown) before the release of the 1977 version of the film. Stewart is the only one to make it out alive. It gave me a real appreciation of Jackie's talent and impact in Formula 1. I've only known him as the cool Scottish voice of so many races on TV. I'm a Nascar fan, thus the recommendation to watch this film if you are a fan of any kind of racing is true. I only occasionally tune in to F1 these days. Michael Schumacher has made the competition quite boring. However, I knew I would like this film because it was of the same era as one of my all time favorite movies, "Grand Prix (1966)" with James Garner. Both films convey the sense of mortal danger and relative insanity of these drivers competing only for glory, while living lives of basically lonely, idolized heroes -- modern day gladiators.
What is interesting is the difference between the F1 cars depicted in "Grand Prix (1966)" and "The Quick and The Dead (1977)". While the F1 cars of today don't look a whole lot different than the ones in the 1977 film. If you can manage it, treat yourself to both films in one sitting or tape rental cycle.
I did not recognize the title "One by One", when I was searching for this film on IMDb. I recently saw the 1977 release of "The Quick and The Dead" on Speed Channel. The host opens the film by warning the viewer of the disturbing scenes within the film, especially the very beginning. I'll be 3 for 3 in user reviews' commenting on the opening sequence. I can't get it out of my mind. The shock value makes anything on RealTV or YouGottaSeeThis seem tame by comparison. Two track workers cross heavy race traffic to assist a stalled driver who is inexplicably running around his car in a very agitated state. The first worker just misses getting clipped by a passing car, the second worker is not so lucky. I did not know that the driver in the incident was also killed -- the video footage does not show what happens to the car, nor is there any comment on the incident in the film. However, you do see exactly what happens to the stricken track worker. Horrifying, yet strangely fascinating.
The film plays like a documentary of the sport of Formula 1 racing circa 1973. They mainly profile four drivers, Francois Cevert, Peter Revson, Mike Hailwood, and the great Jackie Stewart. Cevert, Revson, and Hailwood all perish in crashes (none shown) before the release of the 1977 version of the film. Stewart is the only one to make it out alive. It gave me a real appreciation of Jackie's talent and impact in Formula 1. I've only known him as the cool Scottish voice of so many races on TV. I'm a Nascar fan, thus the recommendation to watch this film if you are a fan of any kind of racing is true. I only occasionally tune in to F1 these days. Michael Schumacher has made the competition quite boring. However, I knew I would like this film because it was of the same era as one of my all time favorite movies, "Grand Prix (1966)" with James Garner. Both films convey the sense of mortal danger and relative insanity of these drivers competing only for glory, while living lives of basically lonely, idolized heroes -- modern day gladiators.
What is interesting is the difference between the F1 cars depicted in "Grand Prix (1966)" and "The Quick and The Dead (1977)". While the F1 cars of today don't look a whole lot different than the ones in the 1977 film. If you can manage it, treat yourself to both films in one sitting or tape rental cycle.
Hard to see but the best F1 documentary ever...
ngrignon4 September 2014
It was the days when F1 was really a lethal sport for crazies... the interviews of many of these guys, knowing that most of them finished burned alive in their cars few months or years after the filming, is so tragically poignant. Cevert in particular... so genuine and open about his passion, Jackie and their friendship. A future world champion until his fate was sealed this terrible day at Watkins Glen 1973. Awesome footage of movie quality of these 1973 raging motor beasts mastered by their crazy fearless masters... rarely seen so vibrant footage of a long gone era. And of course the awful drama of these 2 terrible and visceral graphic scenes that demonstrate why so few could ride these mechanical monsters. A documentary that explains the essence of this sport during these early eras: epic, raw and dangerous. One of the best ever.
VERY dated, almost hard to watch
jeffdstockton26 July 2023
OK, so this was made in 1974, and, wow!, it shows! It's about 80% filler & time wasted. It's obvious the the producers & director deliberately include a lot of 70s risque crap.
What IS worthwhile is the 20% of material that shows racing, incidents, discussion of racing by the drivers, a tour of the Nurburgring with Jackie Stewart, and the display of just how primitive and chaotic F1 was at the time.
It was, compared to today, a poorly administered exercise in making rich people richer, and letting fragile egos of a few European men play with lives of drivers and the welfare of their families.
It's not a proud time for F1, and this documentary suffers mightily in retrospect for choices made to put style first over actual content. It is, maybe, an effort to celebrate excess for its own sake. At best - trying to be generous - it's an experience of F1 of the times, moreso than an exposition.
Fortunately, there are much better documentaries and far better resources for learning the history of F1.
What IS worthwhile is the 20% of material that shows racing, incidents, discussion of racing by the drivers, a tour of the Nurburgring with Jackie Stewart, and the display of just how primitive and chaotic F1 was at the time.
It was, compared to today, a poorly administered exercise in making rich people richer, and letting fragile egos of a few European men play with lives of drivers and the welfare of their families.
It's not a proud time for F1, and this documentary suffers mightily in retrospect for choices made to put style first over actual content. It is, maybe, an effort to celebrate excess for its own sake. At best - trying to be generous - it's an experience of F1 of the times, moreso than an exposition.
Fortunately, there are much better documentaries and far better resources for learning the history of F1.
Tom Pryce
jimar591 April 2006
Having been a race fan for many years I have always found the courage of both the drivers and course workers to be compelling.
While I have seen some horrifying crashes, the one which shows Pryce's car hitting and then launching a course worker into the air like a broken rag doll, virtually cutting his body in half, as he runs across the track to help another driver, is the worst I have seen.
As you see the track worker alive one second and horrifyingly killed in the next, you become painfully aware of just how precious life is, and how quickly a tragic and unforeseen event can cut it short.
I would have to say that while some racing enthusiasts suggest viewing this footage of Tom Pryce in the 1977 South African GrandPrix, I don't recommend it. You can hear about tragedies like this one, but when you see it even on film it is devastating. I can only imagine the nightmares that other course workers who immediately ran over to the mutilated body of their dead comrade, must have had for years afterwards.
Sometimes, it's just better to hear about these things rather then see them.
While I have seen some horrifying crashes, the one which shows Pryce's car hitting and then launching a course worker into the air like a broken rag doll, virtually cutting his body in half, as he runs across the track to help another driver, is the worst I have seen.
As you see the track worker alive one second and horrifyingly killed in the next, you become painfully aware of just how precious life is, and how quickly a tragic and unforeseen event can cut it short.
I would have to say that while some racing enthusiasts suggest viewing this footage of Tom Pryce in the 1977 South African GrandPrix, I don't recommend it. You can hear about tragedies like this one, but when you see it even on film it is devastating. I can only imagine the nightmares that other course workers who immediately ran over to the mutilated body of their dead comrade, must have had for years afterwards.
Sometimes, it's just better to hear about these things rather then see them.
Miserable voyeuristic parade of gruesome race driver deaths
dominicmoss18 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This film is a waste of celluloid and bereft of any artistic merit. Stacey Keach leads the viewer through a gratuitous celebration of the horrific dice with death that Formula 1 motor racing was in the early 1970's, Keach seems to almost enjoy the unfolding misery as he imparts one lamentable cliche after another. The editing is hit and miss too. Very much a product of its time, this film when viewed nearly 50 years after the events is a reminder of how far we have come and how low some people can go. Those responsible for this film should be ashamed of themselves.
Interesting but graphic
Ken S.4 January 2004
Saw this on tape several years ago, as I'm a huge Formula 1 fan.
While this documentary is a representation of the 1973 Formula 1 season and was released in 1974, it's disturbing that graphic footage of Tom Pryce's horrifying accident at the 1977 South African Grand Prix was included.
It was probably included to make an extra dollar, but really had no reason being there as it had nothing to do with the 1973 season (Pryce wasn't even driving in F1 at the time).
Aside from that, it's a good and gripping documentary about the racers, races and season in general. There is more graphic footage of the Roger Williamson crash, where he was killed and Clay Regazzoni's crash (he survived), but the interviews with Francois Cevert are good.
If you're a racing fan and like history, this is okay, but edit out the opening sequence.
While this documentary is a representation of the 1973 Formula 1 season and was released in 1974, it's disturbing that graphic footage of Tom Pryce's horrifying accident at the 1977 South African Grand Prix was included.
It was probably included to make an extra dollar, but really had no reason being there as it had nothing to do with the 1973 season (Pryce wasn't even driving in F1 at the time).
Aside from that, it's a good and gripping documentary about the racers, races and season in general. There is more graphic footage of the Roger Williamson crash, where he was killed and Clay Regazzoni's crash (he survived), but the interviews with Francois Cevert are good.
If you're a racing fan and like history, this is okay, but edit out the opening sequence.
So bad and yet so good
jamesedwardfairbairn15 December 2017
Something to watch in the off season. On one hand possibly the worst ever example of 1970's documentary film making (the editor must have been on LSD and the musical score later probably appeared in Deep Throat) BUT put that to one side and enjoy the spectacle of those incredible 1973 F1 cars and just how far the sport has come in the intervening years.
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