The highlight of this motor-racing drama about the lives and loves of drivers on the European racing circuit, is undoubtedly a spectacular crash with one car driving up a cliff and another plunging into the sea. But, even with romantic and domestic interludes away from the track, the film remains stuck firmly in bottom gear. Aware that a gimmick is needed to relieve the monotony of race after race, director John Frankenheimer adopts a split-screen technique with the separate images complementary, or splitting it into three to convey simultaneous action. It worked well on the big screen (but is pretty meaningless on TV) and was taken up by Norman Jewison for The Thomas Crown Affair. But it has been little used since. James Garner and the international cast do what they can with the pulp-fiction roles, but their thunder is stolen by the sea of cars flying along at 100mph, their engines growling like tigers.

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