REDLINE 7000

US, 1965, 111 minutes, Colour.
James Caan, Laura Devon, Gail Hire, Charlene Holt, John Robert Crawford, Marianna Hill, Skip Ward, Norman Alden, George Takei.
Directed by Howard Hawks.

Redline 7000 is a standard film about racing drivers and their girlfriends. The film has aspects of soap opera in the presentation of relationships. It is strong on action in the scenes of the races. Many of the characters and situations are predictable. This kind of film was popular in the 1950s and 1960s with such films as The Racers, but all were overwhelmed by John Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix in 1967.

The young cast did not make much progress in the film world, many of them remaining in television. However, James Caan did have a very strong career for forty years or more after Redline 7000.

This was one of the final films directed by Howard Hawks. Many consider it his worst film. Hawks had emerged in the 1930s with a number of action films as well as comedies, exemplified by Cary Grant appearing both in Bringing Up Baby and Only Angels Have Wings. Hawks made a number of classic films including the westerns Red River and Rio Bravo as well as popular entertainments like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

1. Devotees called this film a classic. They admire Howard Hawks' style, directness of storytelling, plainness of characterization? exaltation of instinctive action as guiding reason. Does the film merit this praise? What impact did it have?

2. How enjoyable on the level of action drama and sports drama? The picturing of stock car racing? The action footage, the accidents, the sense of competition, life and death, audience reaction?

3. The film's emphasis on the human relationships and romances? How interesting, convincing and authentic?

4. Comment on the film's structure, the introduction of each of the characters, situating them in the racing world, the presentation of the races and the accidents, the shifting in love-hate relationships, the building to some kind of climax, a partial resolving of situations? How real did this plot structure seem? its relationship to the sporting genre?

5. What did the film have to say about the ethos of this kind of racing and competition? As a world in itself, a world apart, the type of man it attracts, the effect that it has on him? The kind of woman who is attracted to drivers? The emotional effects on her? The way of life on the move? The resolution of the film in favour of this world?

6. How interesting were the male characters? As instinctive men of action? What differences of character were manifest? Mike and his self-control changing to violence? Dan as the hero and confident of himself? Ned and his selfish streak? Pat and his management of the others? The nature of the clashes amongst themselves? As drivers?

7. The contrast of the women? Their relationships amongst themselves? Their mutual help? Julie and her devotion, her disillusionment in love, her being able to resolve the difficulties? Holly and her belief in the jinx and her self-importance? The emotional crises? Lindy and her work? Gabrielle and the French aspect? Her liaisons? Her love for Mike? That he was prepared to kill for her? What insight into these women?

8. The background of the women and the cafe? A work to support them? To take their mind off crises? The significance of their painting, of the Wildcat Jones song (and the strange chorus?).

9. The world of love, jealousies, jinxes? How convincing?

10. How plausible were the melodramatic events in the final part of the film? Was such violence and motivation to kill credible? The repercussions on the characters?

11. How well was the film made? The values explored?