Pit Stop

Jack Hill's 1969 American film follows Rick Bowman, who comes out of street racing. A businessman bails him out and sponsors him into the world of figure-eight racing, where collision is part of the rules; as Bowman rises, his regard for the people around him falls. The racing at the centre takes place on a crossing track and crashes are built into it. Hill shot at real events and the danger in the scenes is not simulated; the black and white photography strengthens that raw effect. The narrative inverts the rising arc of sports films. Winning here is not a reward but a process that empties a person. Ellen Burstyn appears in an early role and Sid Haig is in the cast as a rival driver. Who it's for: those who like sixties American independent cinema and racing films. Who it's not for: viewers who want to attach to a hero; the film makes its lead steadily less likeable.