2004Picture and History Archives forum
Technical details and urban legends surrounding the 1978 short film 'C'était un Rendez-Vous' by Claude Lelouch
22 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- The film was shot in 1978 (not 1977) at 5:30 AM on a Sunday morning through Paris streets without permits or road closures.
- A Mercedes car was used, not a Ferrari 275, with a Cameflex camera mounted directly to the front bumper in a cage-type rig without gyro stabilization.
- Director Claude Lelouch himself drove the vehicle while an operator beside him monitored the camera speed.
- The actual speeds reached were significantly lower than the legendary claims, with maximum velocities around 200 km/h rather than the often-cited 140 mph.
- The filmmaker ran through 18 red lights, drove the wrong way on several streets, and took calculated safety risks including a dangerous passage near the Louvre where visibility was minimal.
- An assistant positioned at a critical intersection was meant to warn via walkie-talkie of approaching vehicles, but the device malfunctioned during filming.
- The film lasted exactly 9 minutes 30 seconds, matching the actual duration of the drive from Porte Dauphine to Basilica of Sacre Coeur.
- After the film was shown publicly, the director was summoned by the police prefect who listed numerous traffic violations but ultimately allowed him to keep his license.
- Common myths about the film include claims about Ferrari ownership, gyro-stabilized camera, speeds exceeding 140 mph, and that audio glitches exposed it as fake.
Depends on
- Multiple conflicting claims exist online about the car type, speeds, and filming techniques.
- The original speed calculations claimed by some participants were debunked by others who tracked landmarks and timing.
- The police interaction account comes from the director's biography and may reflect selective interpretation.
- Participants disagreed on whether specific technical details were accurate or urban legend.