Bobby Deerfield (1977)

This is the story of a racing car driver Bobby Deerfield (Pacino) who cheats on his unloved wife (Duperey) and finds solace in the arms of Lillian Morelli, a strange and irresistible woman (Keller). In the long conversations where they explore each other's lives, Lillian asks incessant questions and invents dramatic events of her past life just to add interest and excitement to their exchange of ideas. Lillian has a teasing manner and Bobby finds her mannerisms strange at first but then begins to realize that here is a woman of difference and he begins falling in love with her and seeks her out wherever she happens to be. Bobby's journeys take him to some of the most romantic spots in France and Italy, beautiful vistas that really enhance the film. But Bobby soon discovers that his wife knows more about this quirky woman than he does.Unlike many of Pacino's films, this is an very subtle film. Nothing terribly exciting happens during the film, but the chemistry between the two leads is wonderful. The scenes with the two of them just talking are so romantic and interesting. Also, the scenery is gorgeous, as is the lush soundtrack.Like many people, I prefer Pacino's work pre-'Scarface.' In film like this, and 'The Godfather I and II,' 'Panic In Needle Park,' 'Serpico' and 'Cruising,' Pacino creates fascinating characters, one never like the other. In 'Scarface' he went over the top and sadly has rarely come down since.My favorite scene is when Bobby does an impression for Lillian that he used to do as a child. If this movie were made a decade later, this scene would have been painful to watch. But as he does his best imitation of Mae West, the scene is sweet, and Pacino reveals a vulnerability in Bobby that shoots straight to your heart.

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.

I really must watch a good movie soon, because it seems every other entry or so is something that I despise. However my history speaks, I must not tell a lie. Bobby Deerfield and everything about it sucks big green banana peels. I never thought that I would see a film thud as thunderously as this one did. Al Pacino isn't acting in this film: he's posing. There are many, many scenes of his character, who is a race car driver, just staring at the camera. He's perfectly awful. Marthe Keller is just as bad. These two are supposed to be in a love affair, and there is simply no chemistry whatsoever. Sydney Pollack directed this film? There's no trace of the genius behind Tootsie here. Is this the same man I cheered for in Eyes Wide Shut? I can hardly believe it. Save yourself a horrible movie experience. Run, don't walk, away from Bobby Deerfield.

Bobby Deerfield is not your average romantic drama especially when compared to the recent phase of Rom-Com's sweeping the screens at the cinemas.Firstly, Al Pacino is at his best, highly intense and more importantly convincing as a character to accept. This is not surprising as his two other significant films of that decade were the masterful The Godfather and Godfather Part II. There seems to be something compelling in his role in this film which i cannot grasp to identify to you. Maybe because his co-star heightens our interest by their exchange of witty dialogue although i would point towards his stern expressions and calm voice which can explode in his characters few moments of glory.Secondly, this film is not for the mass popcorn audience, the direction is obtuse and could be compared to the 'Art film' style that we struggle to view at all in popular culture. This is were the 'original' element of my comment of Bobby Deerfield spurs from. It is the fact that the mass audience wouldn't know what to do with the arbitrary meanings revealed. It is usually clear cut in 'Hollywood'.To finish up, the romance and the character sparring is worth the time of a person who wants to be inspired or possibly take something away from a film that will last longer than the time it takes to see it.